Kossuth County, IA tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Kossuth County, seat of Algona: 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 Kossuth County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Kossuth County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual online tax sale held in June. The Treasurer's 2026 notice states: "The Kossuth County Annual Online Tax Sale will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026", with "Registration will open Monday, May 18, 2026".
- Next expected
- on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register and bid through Iowa Tax Auction at iowataxauction.com, which the Treasurer links as "Register And Bid For Tax Sales". The Treasurer states registration opens Monday, May 18, 2026 for the 2026 sale. The platform's process is to create an account, select the auction and apply to participate, wait for approval, then view listings and bid. The Treasurer's page also lists a W-9 and a Designation of Agent for Service, filed with the Iowa Secretary of State or the Kossuth County Recorder, among the tax sale documents.
The sale is conducted online, not at the courthouse. The Treasurer posts the bidder listing as downloadable documents on its Iowa State County Treasurers Association page, including a 2026 Master Notice of Previous Tax Sale and two bidder copies, and instructs bidders to "See Auction Site for Updated List" for current parcels. The direct 2026 real estate bidder listing is at https://www.iowatreasurers.org/kcfinder/upload/Kossuth/Bidder%20Copy%20regular%202026.pdf, printed 5/27/2026, showing 338 parcels available for sale totaling $244,429.44. Parcel counts shrink as owners pay before the sale, so confirm the live list on the auction site. The Treasurer's page also states that no tax payments can be accepted during the month of July.
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 Kossuth County
- Kossuth County runs its annual tax sale online through Iowa Tax Auction, the Zeus Auction Program platform linked by the Iowa State County Treasurers Association, rather than in person at the courthouse in Algona.
- The county's own treasurer page at kossuthcounty.iowa.gov carries little sale detail. It states the Treasurer "is required to conduct the annual sale of delinquent property tax liens" and links out to the Iowa State County Treasurers Association page for tax sale information, so that page is the operative source for dates and documents.
- Bidder paperwork listed by the Treasurer includes a W-9 and a Designation of Agent for Service, filed with either the Iowa Secretary of State or the Kossuth County Recorder.
- The 2026 published bidder listing, printed 5/27/2026, showed 338 parcels available for sale totaling $244,429.44 across Kossuth townships and the incorporated towns including Algona, Swea City, Titonka, Wesley and Whittemore. Much of the roster is agricultural acreage.
- The Treasurer's office is on the middle floor of the courthouse and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The general email listed is [email protected].
- The Treasurer's page states that no tax payments can be accepted during the month of July.
- The Treasurer lists separate phone lines: property tax at (515) 295-3404, motor vehicle at (515) 295-7402, and driver's license at (515) 295-7724. Fax is (515) 295-3071.
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 Kossuth County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Kossuth County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.
When is the Kossuth County tax certificate sale?
- Annual online tax sale held in June. The Treasurer's 2026 notice states: "The Kossuth County Annual Online Tax Sale will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026", with "Registration will open Monday, May 18, 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 Kossuth 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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