Wapello County, IA tax sales
How tax lien certificate sales work in Wapello County, seat of Ottumwa: 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 Wapello County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Wapello County Treasurer's Office (Treasurer Laurie L. Fountain)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Annual, third Monday in June. The Treasurer's tax sale page states: "Any unpaid taxes are offered at Public Tax Sale which is held annually on the third Monday in June online through GovEase website." The same page carried a 2026 closing notice: "The Tax office will close to the public at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12th to prepare for the Tax Sale. You can still pay online until Saturday, June 13th at 11:59 p.m.", consistent with a Monday, June 15, 2026 sale. Confirm the current year's 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
Registration is handled on the auction platform, not at the courthouse. The Treasurer's tax sale page instructs bidders to "Register to participate in the Tax Sale Auction on the GovEase website." and links the live sale at https://liveauctions.govease.com/. Wapello County does not publish a bidder registration deadline, registration fee, or deposit amount on its own page, so confirm those terms with GovEase and the Treasurer's Office ahead of the June sale. Iowa bidders that are not individuals also need a federal tax identification number plus the agent-for-service or chapter 547 filing required by Iowa Code 446.16.
Wapello County runs its certificate sale online through GovEase. The official parcel list is a newspaper publication, not a downloadable file: the Treasurer states, "We publish all qualifying, outstanding unpaid parcels in the county's official publication one time during the last week in May or the first week of June each year." Between publication and sale day, current payment status is tracked through the Iowa County Treasurers parcel search and the GovEase platform, which the county says updates nightly, so a published parcel can drop out before bidding opens. On post-sale economics the county page states, "Upon purchase at a tax sale, the winning bidder pays the outstanding taxes only", that "Two percent (2%) interest per month for up to three (3) years accrues on the outstanding tax sale amount", and that "If a tax sale has not been redeemed within one (1) year and nine (9) months, the investor may file 90-day affidavit with the Treasurer's office to acquire a tax sale deed." Redemption payments go to the Treasurer and must be received by month end to stop further interest. Certified funds are required to redeem a certificate at the counter.
Register on GovEaseFrom 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 Wapello County
- Wapello County publishes its own tax sale page, so the sale date, platform, and registration path here are county-verified rather than statewide defaults.
- The sale is fully online through GovEase. There is no in-person courthouse bidding option published by the county.
- The county does not host a standalone delinquent parcel PDF. The statutory list runs once in the county's official newspaper in late May or early June, and the linked Iowa County Treasurers portal is a parcel and payment status search preset to Wapello County (county id 90).
- Bidder registration fees, deposits, and deadlines are not published on the county page. Confirm them with GovEase and the Treasurer's Office before the June sale.
- Office hours at the Wapello County Courthouse are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the tax office closes early on the Friday before the sale to prepare.
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 Wapello County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Wapello County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.
When is the Wapello County tax certificate sale?
- Annual, third Monday in June. The Treasurer's tax sale page states: "Any unpaid taxes are offered at Public Tax Sale which is held annually on the third Monday in June online through GovEase website." The same page carried a 2026 closing notice: "The Tax office will close to the public at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12th to prepare for the Tax Sale. You can still pay online until Saturday, June 13th at 11:59 p.m.", consistent with a Monday, June 15, 2026 sale. Confirm the current year's 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 Wapello 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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