Does Clarke County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Clarke County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.

When is the Clarke County tax certificate sale?

The county states: "The Annual Tax Sale takes place in June of each year at the Clarke County Courthouse." No specific June date or start time is posted on the county page, so confirm the exact date with the Treasurer's office.. 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 Clarke 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.

Partially verified

Clarke County, IA tax sales

How tax lien certificate sales work in Clarke County, seat of Osceola: 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 Clarke County sells delinquent taxes

Tax certificate sale (lien)

In person

Run by: Clarke County Treasurer's Office
Frequency: annual
Typical timing: The county states: "The Annual Tax Sale takes place in June of each year at the Clarke County Courthouse." No specific June date or start time is posted on the county page, so confirm the exact date with the Treasurer's office.
Next expected: on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list: Clarke County tax sale page: how to obtain the delinquent parcel list

Registration and deposit

The county page publishes no bidder registration form, deadline, or fee. It describes the sale as an open competitive bidding process governed by Iowa Code chapter 446 and states that "The investor is responsible for all research on parcels available for auction." Call the Treasurer's office at 641-342-3311 to confirm registration steps, required paperwork, and any deposit before the June sale.

Clarke County holds its annual tax sale in person at the Clarke County Courthouse in Osceola. The county tax sale page names no online auction platform, so no platform is confirmed for this county and any online listing you see elsewhere should be verified with the office. Delinquent parcels subject to sale are advertised in the Osceola Sentinel-Tribune. The Treasurer also supplies the delinquent list directly: paper reports cost $15.00 per listing and can be picked up at the office or mailed, and electronic downloadable computer reports of delinquent items are available on request. Requests go to Clarke County Treasurer, Attn: Tax Administrative Supervisor, P.O. Box 157, Osceola, IA 50213, fax (641) 342-6269, email [email protected]. No exact sale date, registration deadline, or deposit is published online.

Source: Clarke County, Iowa - Tax Sale· Verified Jul 29, 2026

From 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.

Source: Iowa Code 448.1 - Return of certificate of purchase, execution of deed, feesIowa Code 448.1· Verified Jul 29, 2026

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)

Clarke County Treasurer's Office

641-342-3311

Clarke County Treasurer, P.O. Box 157, Osceola, IA 50213 (Clarke County Courthouse, 100 South Main Street, Osceola, IA 50213)

Official website

Notes for Clarke County

Clarke County's own tax sale page confirms a June sale held in person at the Clarke County Courthouse and names no online auction platform.
The delinquent parcel list is not published online. It runs in the Osceola Sentinel-Tribune, and the Treasurer sells a paper listing for $15.00 or provides an electronic file on request.
No specific June date, start time, registration deadline, or deposit amount is posted, so verify those with the Treasurer's office at 641-342-3311 before bidding.
The Treasurer is Jessica Smith. Property tax window hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Iowa statewide rules

Max interest rate: 24% per year, fixed by statute (not bid down)
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.
Governing statute: Iowa Code Chapter 446

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.

See the full Iowarules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Clarke County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?: Clarke County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.
When is the Clarke County tax certificate sale?: The county states: "The Annual Tax Sale takes place in June of each year at the Clarke County Courthouse." No specific June date or start time is posted on the county page, so confirm the exact date with the Treasurer's office.. 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 Clarke 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.