Greene County, IA tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Greene County, seat of Jefferson: 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 Greene County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Greene County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annually in June, matching Iowa Code Chapter 446. The county's 2026 notice reads: "Notice is hereby given that on Monday, June 15, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at the Jefferson Community Golf Course the Greene County Treasurer will offer for sale all taxes that remain unpaid at the time of sale." The same notice sets the bidder deadline: "All Bidders must be registered by Thursday, June 11, 2026."
- Next expected
- on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register with the Treasurer's office ahead of the sale. The 2026 notice states "All Bidders must be registered by Thursday, June 11, 2026" and directs questions to 515-386-5675. The county's posted terms require a completed Registration of Bidder or Assignee form, a W-9, and an agent authorization form if someone bids on your behalf, plus a registration fee of $15.00 per entity paid at the time of registration. Bidders and agents must be 18 or older and should bring photo identification to the sale. A bidder that is not an individual needs a federal tax identification number and either a designation of agent for service of process on file with the Iowa Secretary of State or a verified statement under Iowa Code Chapter 547 on file with the Greene County Recorder. The terms state registration forms are posted at iowatreasurers.org after selecting Greene County.
Greene County runs its tax sale in person, not online. The 2026 notice places the sale at the Jefferson Community Golf Course in Jefferson, and the county's terms have bidders register through the Treasurer's office, so no online bidding platform is confirmed for this county. Confirm with the office before planning to bid remotely. Bidding follows Iowa's bid-down-interest method: the party willing to buy for the least interest in the property, no lower than one percent, becomes the purchaser, and when two bidders want the same parcel at the same rate the certificate is sold on a random drawing selection basis. Parcels are offered by item number in numerical sequence by taxing district, with real estate delinquencies first, then public bidder items, then mobile home delinquencies, then public bidder mobile homes. Payment is due at the conclusion of the sale and covers delinquent taxes, special assessments, interest, fees, and a $20 certificate fee for each certificate issued. Redemption accrues interest of 2% per month against the original tax sale amount, and recorded subsequent tax payments accrue at the same 2% per month. The 2026 notice states a treasurer's deed may be issued at the expiration of two years from the date of sale. Issuing a treasurer's tax sale deed costs $25 per parcel, and assigning a certificate carries a $100 assignment transaction fee. Certificates for parcels advertised twice fall under the public bidder track, where the 90 day Notice of Right of Redemption may be issued nine months from the date of sale instead of one year and nine months. Fee figures and the registration workflow come from the county's posted terms and conditions document, which is headed for the June 21, 2021 sale, so verify current amounts and forms with the Treasurer before registering.
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.
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 Greene County
- The sale is conducted in person at the Jefferson Community Golf Course, so there is no online platform to register on. All bidder registration runs through the Treasurer's office.
- The county treasurer named on both the 2026 notice and the terms document is Katlynn Mechaelsen.
- Greene County's tax sale documents are published in the county's folder on iowatreasurers.org, the Iowa State County Treasurers Association portal. The county's own website was unreachable to automated retrieval during this research because of a bot-protection challenge, so contact and sale facts here come from the county-authored PDFs on the state treasurers portal.
- The statewide treasurers portal links to a general Iowa tax auction site for counties that sell online. Greene County's own 2026 notice names a physical sale location instead, so that site was not treated as this county's platform.
- Third-party tax lien listing sites carry Greene County pages. Treat them as unverified and rely on the Treasurer's published notice and terms.
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 Greene County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Greene County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.
When is the Greene County tax certificate sale?
- Annually in June, matching Iowa Code Chapter 446. The county's 2026 notice reads: "Notice is hereby given that on Monday, June 15, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at the Jefferson Community Golf Course the Greene County Treasurer will offer for sale all taxes that remain unpaid at the time of sale." The same notice sets the bidder deadline: "All Bidders must be registered by Thursday, June 11, 2026.". 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 Greene 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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