Calhoun County, IA tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Calhoun County, seat of Rockwell City: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Iowa tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Calhoun County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Calhoun County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The Calhoun County Treasurer's Important Dates page lists the "Third Monday in June" for the "annual tax sale of outstanding property taxes, manufactured homes, mobile homes, weed assessments, special assessments, rates or charges, and drainage taxes." The same page says second-half delinquent notices are mailed in May, ahead of the June sale. Calhoun County does not post a separate sale-day notice on its own website, so confirm the exact date and start time with the Treasurer before registering.
- Next expected
- on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
The Calhoun County Treasurer's forms page routes "Tax Sales Registration" to the Iowa Tax Auction site, and the county's treasurer home page carries the same "Register And Bid For Tax Sales" link. Bidders create a Zeus Auction account, then apply to the county's auction and wait for approval before bidding. The platform FAQ states there is no fee to register for Zeus itself, but adds that "each auction has its own specific rules, so if a registration fee is required that information will be provided in the auction's registration information," so any Calhoun County bidder fee, W-9 requirement, or funding deadline is set by the county inside that auction. Auction item lists are only visible after you create an account. Platform help is available from SRI at 1-800-800-9588. Confirm Calhoun County's own registration cutoff with the Treasurer's office at (712) 297-7111.
Calhoun County is a small central Iowa county seated in Rockwell City, and the Treasurer runs the annual tax lien certificate sale. The county's own website has no tax sale section; its treasurer page covers driver's licenses, vehicle titles, and property tax payment only. Sale specifics come from the county's official pages on the Iowa County Treasurers portal, the shared system Iowa treasurers use for property tax payment, forms, and dates. Because the county publishes no dedicated sale page, bidder packet, or posted delinquent list, treat the June timing as the standard schedule and verify the current year's details with the office before committing funds. On redemption, the Calhoun County property tax FAQ states an owner redeems by paying the Treasurer the amount sold, interest of 2% per month, and tax sale certificate and redemption fees of $20.00 each, plus any fees for serving notice. Investors paying subsequent-year taxes on an existing certificate use a separate portal login on the Iowa County Treasurers site rather than the auction platform. Third-party tax lien data resellers publish Calhoun County sale pages; they are not the county's platform and their dates are not authoritative.
Register on SRI / ZEUSFrom lien to deed
- Run by
- County Treasurer
- Frequency
- none
- Typical timing
- Iowa holds no tax deed auction. The treasurer makes out a treasurer's deed to the certificate holder immediately after 90 days have expired from completed service of the notice of expiration of the right of redemption, once the holder returns the certificate and pays the deed and recording fees.
There is nothing for an investor to bid on at the deed stage in Iowa. The only auction is the June certificate sale. The certificate holder must return the certificate of purchase and remit the deed and recording fees within 90 calendar days after the redemption period expires, or the treasurer cancels the certificate.
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Two routes reach parcels after the June sale. Parcels that remain unsold for want of bidders are carried to adjourned sales, which the treasurer sets at intervals of not more than two months until the next annual sale. Separately, certificates struck to the county at the public bidder sale may be assigned by the county for the total amount due on the date of assignment, or for a compromised amount, under a written agreement filed with the treasurer and a 10 dollar assignment transaction fee. Ask the county treasurer which county-held certificates are available for assignment.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Calhoun County
- Treasurer of record at the time of research: Lori Erkenbrack, per the county's official treasurer page.
- Office hours listed as 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- The county's official website carries no tax sale page, so the sale timing and the auction platform link were taken from Calhoun County's own pages on the Iowa County Treasurers portal (idCounty=13).
- No county-specific bidder packet, sale terms sheet, or published delinquent parcel list was found on any official Calhoun County source.
- The Iowa Tax Auction platform hides auction item lists behind an account, so the Calhoun County parcel list cannot be previewed anonymously.
- Platform support is SRI at 1-800-800-9588 per the Iowa Tax Auction support page. That is vendor support, not the county; county sale questions go to the Treasurer.
Iowa statewide rules
- Minimum return
- No statutory minimum return; what you earn is set by the share of ownership taken at the sale
- Redemption
- A parcel may be redeemed at any time before the right of redemption expires. After one year and nine months from the date of sale, the certificate holder may serve a notice of expiration of the right of redemption on the person in possession, the person in whose name the parcel is taxed, and every mortgagee, contract vendor, recorded lessor, and other party of record. The right of redemption then ends 90 days after that service is complete, which means the affidavit of service has been filed with the county treasurer. Three shortened tracks exist: nine months from a public bidder sale under section 446.18, and three months from an abandoned-property or public nuisance sale under section 446.19A or 446.19B. After the treasurer delivers the deed, redemption is possible only through an equitable action in district court, and only by a person who could have redeemed during the 90-day window.
- Surplus proceeds
- No surplus arises. The deed conveys the parcel to the certificate holder rather than selling it to the highest bidder, so there are no excess proceeds to distribute. Where the winning bid was less than 100 percent, the deed conveys only that undivided percentage interest in the parcel.
A tax deed does not convey marketable title. Most buyers file a quiet title action before they can resell or insure the property. See the due diligence guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does Calhoun County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Calhoun County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.
When is the Calhoun County tax certificate sale?
- The Calhoun County Treasurer's Important Dates page lists the "Third Monday in June" for the "annual tax sale of outstanding property taxes, manufactured homes, mobile homes, weed assessments, special assessments, rates or charges, and drainage taxes." The same page says second-half delinquent notices are mailed in May, ahead of the June sale. Calhoun County does not post a separate sale-day notice on its own website, so confirm the exact date and start time with the Treasurer before registering.. Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
How often does Calhoun County hold tax deed sales?
- none. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.
Tax Sale Atlas publishes educational information about public tax sale processes. This is not legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules, dates, and fees change; confirm with the county office before you bid.
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