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

Winnebago County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.

When is the Winnebago County tax certificate sale?

The county's 2026 notice states that "The 2026 annual Tax Sale will be held by the Winnebago County Treasurer on Monday, June 15, 2026, in the Supervisors' Board Room ... of the Winnebago County Courthouse, 126 S. Clark St., Forest City, Iowa, beginning at 9:00 a.m." Bidding closes at 10:30 a.m. the same morning. That date is Iowa's statutory third Monday in June. The published notice adds that "An adjourned tax sale will be held on any business day following the annual tax sale in which there are bidders present and parcels are still available for sale.". 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 Winnebago 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.

County-verified

Winnebago County, IA tax sales

How tax lien certificate sales work in Winnebago County, seat of Forest 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 Winnebago County sells delinquent taxes

Tax certificate sale (lien)

Online auction

Run by: Winnebago County Treasurer
Frequency: annual
Typical timing: The county's 2026 notice states that "The 2026 annual Tax Sale will be held by the Winnebago County Treasurer on Monday, June 15, 2026, in the Supervisors' Board Room ... of the Winnebago County Courthouse, 126 S. Clark St., Forest City, Iowa, beginning at 9:00 a.m." Bidding closes at 10:30 a.m. the same morning. That date is Iowa's statutory third Monday in June. The published notice adds that "An adjourned tax sale will be held on any business day following the annual tax sale in which there are bidders present and parcels are still available for sale."
Next expected: on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list: June 2026 annual tax sale publication list (delinquent real estate, mobile homes, special assessments)

Registration and deposit

Registration is online only at www.iowataxauction.com. The county states that "No mailed or emailed registrations will be accepted." For the 2026 sale, registration opened Monday, May 18, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. and every step had to be finished by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, June 11, 2026. Bidders pay a non-refundable $45.00 registration fee by ACH debit and complete the online W-9 by the registration deadline. All bidders must be 18 or older as of the sale date. An entity bidder needs a federal tax identification number plus either a designation of agent for service of process on file with the Iowa Secretary of State or a verified statement of trade name on file with the Winnebago County Recorder. Bidding opens at a 100 percent undivided interest and bids down in whole percentage points from 99 percent to 1 percent; the county confirms it does not use batches. Bids may be uploaded before the sale but are not applied until 9:00 a.m. on sale day. At the 10:30 a.m. close, each certificate goes to the bidder naming the smallest percentage, and ties at that percentage are settled by a random selection process. Winners are invoiced when the sale closes and an ACH debit pulls the total from the account used for the registration fee, covering delinquent taxes, special assessments, interest, collection fees, publishing costs, and a $20.00 certificate fee per certificate. Auction site support is (800) 800-9588 or [email protected].

The sale is held at the courthouse but every bid runs through Iowa Tax Auction. The Treasurer's page states that bidders "shall place their bids online" and that "all bids must be placed online. Live bids will not be accepted." Bidders may still attend in person, where a limited number of computers are offered first come, first served plus wireless access for personal laptops. The delinquent tax list was published in the Winnebago County Tribune in the May 29 issue and posted to the auction site by Friday, May 29; full parcel data on the auction site requires a completed registration. Parcels marked with an asterisk on the published list are public bidder parcels, advertised for two years, where the 90 day notice of right of redemption may issue nine months after the sale instead of the regular one year and nine months. Redemption interest is 2 percent per month, with each fraction of a month counted as a whole month. Subsequent taxes must be paid through the online subsequent tax payment module at www.iowatreasurers.org at $0.25 per parcel; payments made any other way are treated as voluntary and are left out of the redemption calculation. Certificate assignment carries a $100.00 assignment transaction fee, a Treasurer's tax sale deed costs $25.00 per parcel, and the certificate plus deed and recording fees must reach the Treasurer within 90 calendar days after the redemption period expires or the certificate is cancelled.

Source: Notice to Tax Sale Purchasers of the Terms and Conditions Governing the Annual Tax Sale of June 15, 2026 - Winnebago County Treasurer· 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)

Winnebago County Treasurer

641-585-2322

Winnebago County Courthouse, 126 S. Clark St., Suite 4, Forest City, IA 50436

Official website

Notes for Winnebago County

Tax sale material for this county lives on the Iowa County Treasurers eGovernment site at https://www.iowatreasurers.org/index.php?module=treashome&idCounty=95, not on the county's own domain. The redesigned county site at winnebagocountyiowa.gov carries the Treasurer's contact details and hours but had no tax sale section when checked in July 2026.
The two official 2026 notices disagree on the room location: the Notice to Tax Sale Purchasers places the Supervisors' Board Room on the first floor of the courthouse, while the published sale notice places it on the second floor. Bidding is online either way, so confirm with the office only if you plan to attend in person.
Office contacts as posted by the Treasurer: Treasurer Julie Swenson, tax department 641-585-2322, fax 641-585-1059, email [email protected], hours Monday through Friday 8:00 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 Winnebago County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?: Winnebago County follows Iowa's tax lien state system.
When is the Winnebago County tax certificate sale?: The county's 2026 notice states that "The 2026 annual Tax Sale will be held by the Winnebago County Treasurer on Monday, June 15, 2026, in the Supervisors' Board Room ... of the Winnebago County Courthouse, 126 S. Clark St., Forest City, Iowa, beginning at 9:00 a.m." Bidding closes at 10:30 a.m. the same morning. That date is Iowa's statutory third Monday in June. The published notice adds that "An adjourned tax sale will be held on any business day following the annual tax sale in which there are bidders present and parcels are still available for sale.". 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 Winnebago 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.