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Tax Sale Atlas

Powell County, KY tax sales

How tax lien sales work in Powell County, seat of Stanton: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.

New to tax sales? Read how Kentucky tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Next sale
Tax sale scheduled for October 14, 2026.Wednesday · 2026
Format
In person
Registration
Two separate registrations, and both are required.
County office
606-663-6444
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Aug 23, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Powell County sells delinquent taxes

From lien to deed

Kentucky holds no county tax deed auction. Title moves only through a lawsuit. The owner of a certificate of delinquency may sue to collect the debt, to enforce the KRS 134.420 lien, or both, at any time after one year has passed from the date the taxes became delinquent, and the action must be brought within eleven years of that date. A third-party purchaser has extra duties first: a notice to the delinquent taxpayer within 50 days of receiving the certificate, that notice repeated every six months, and a further notice to the taxpayer and every mortgagee at least 45 days before filing suit.

Tax certificate sale (lien)

In person
Run by
Powell County Clerk (Rhonda A. Barnett), Stanton
Frequency
annual
Next sale
Tax sale scheduled for October 14, 2026.
Registration
Two separate registrations, and both are required.
Next expected
between mid July and late August, 2026 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list
Powell County delinquent tax bill list (KyDTax)
When it runs
Annual, and unusually late in the Kentucky calendar. The Department of Revenue's "County Clerk Delinquent Property Tax Sale Dates 2026" list shows Powell at "10/14/26", so the 2026 certificate of delinquency sale falls on October 14, 2026. Most Kentucky clerks sell in July and August; the statewide window opens July 14, and counties carrying delinquent unmined mineral or oil and gas bills may schedule into September or October, which is where Powell sits. The sale date and the certificate list must be advertised in the local newspaper and posted online at least 30 days before the sale. Confirm the hour and the room with the Clerk at 606-663-6444.
Registration and deposit

Two separate registrations, and both are required. First, register with the Kentucky Department of Revenue if you plan to buy more than three certificates in one county, more than five statewide, or invest more than $10,000. The state application is Form 62A370A with a $250 fee payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer, and eligibility begins 60 days after the Department receives the application, so apply at least 60 days ahead of the October sale date. The Department gives May 15, 2026 as the deadline to be cleared for every county sale starting in mid-July. Second, register with the Powell County Clerk by the deadline advertised with the sale, even if you only want one certificate. The clerk's packet takes the county registration form, a copy of the state certificate of registration, a list of the priority certificates you intend to acquire with a deposit of 100 percent of their value, a separate list of current-year certificates you hold no priority on with a deposit of 25 percent of that total, and registration fees of $5 per priority certificate and $10 per current-year certificate up to a $250 annual cap. The clerk sets which forms of payment are accepted, so ask when you request the form.

Sale format and venue
This is a live, in-person sale at the County Clerk's office in Stanton, not an online auction, and no bidding portal serves it. Registered purchasers report to the clerk's office on the morning of the sale for the location. Prior-year certificate holders take their priority claims first; whatever remains is sold in lots, with the selection order set by a random drawing at the start and repeated each round. Arriving after the drawing puts you at the bottom of the order. Many clerks sell one certificate at a time for the first two or three rounds so every purchaser can reach the certificates highest on their list, and a purchaser who takes less than a full lot in three consecutive rounds is treated as having withdrawn. Owners can pay right up to the moment of the sale, so work from the list posted the night before or that morning rather than an older copy. Payment for everything acquired is due at the close of the sale, the clerk applies your deposit first, and any unused deposit is refunded within 10 business days. Certificates left unsold can be bought from the Clerk at any time afterward, with a $10 per bill registration fee until the $250 annual cap is reached.
Source: County Clerk Delinquent Property Tax Sale Dates 2026, Kentucky Department of Revenue· Verified Aug 23, 2026

Powell County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Powell County tax sale 2026 searches, use the county-run sources below rather than a copied parcel list, and confirm the parcel, registration cutoff, deposit, and payment deadline against the county before you bid.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Use Powell County delinquent tax bill list (KyDTax) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Two separate registrations, and both are required. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Tax sale scheduled for October 14, 2026. The sale is live and in person; there is no online bidding platform. Confirm the venue and hour with the county office before you go.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Powell County Clerk (Rhonda A. Barnett), Stanton as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Powell County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Powell County delinquent tax bill list (KyDTax). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Two separate registrations, and both are required. First, register with the Kentucky Department of Revenue if you plan to buy more than three certificates in one county, more than five statewide, or invest more than $10,000. The state application is Form 62A370A with a $250 fee payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer, and eligibility begins 60 days after the Department receives the application, so apply at least 60 days ahead of the October sale date. The Department gives May 15, 2026 as the deadline to be cleared for every county sale starting in mid-July. Second, register with the Powell County Clerk by the deadline advertised with the sale, even if you only want one certificate. The clerk's packet takes the county registration form, a copy of the state certificate of registration, a list of the priority certificates you intend to acquire with a deposit of 100 percent of their value, a separate list of current-year certificates you hold no priority on with a deposit of 25 percent of that total, and registration fees of $5 per priority certificate and $10 per current-year certificate up to a $250 annual cap. The clerk sets which forms of payment are accepted, so ask when you request the form.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Kentucky due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.

  4. Set a walk-away number

    Work out what the parcel is actually worth with the rural land value estimator, then turn it into a ceiling with the tax deed max-bid calculator.

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

A certificate that goes unpaid at the annual sale may be paid to the county clerk at any time afterward by any person, unless it is under a payment plan with the Department of Revenue or the county attorney or is known to be in litigation. You need a current Department of Revenue certificate of registration if you will hold more than three certificates in this county, more than five statewide, or invest more than 10,000 dollars statewide in the calendar year, and you register with the county clerk and pay the county fee if you have not already done so that year. Separately, 90 days after the sheriff files the tax claims, any person may pay a certificate the taxing jurisdictions still own. Certificates that arrive too late for one year's sale are held for the next one.

New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)

Powell County Clerk

606-663-6444

525 Washington Street, Room 109, P.O. Box 193, Stanton, KY 40380

Official website

County notes

  • Rhonda A. Barnett is the Powell County Clerk. The office sits at 525 Washington Street, Room 109, in the county seat of Stanton, with a fax at 606-663-6406. Counter hours are Monday and Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 9:00am to 4:30pm, and Thursday 9:00am to noon, so a Thursday afternoon call will not reach anyone.
  • Current-year property taxes are paid to the Powell County Sheriff at 524 Washington Street, Stanton, 606-663-2226. Bills still unpaid at the close of business on April 15 transfer to the County Clerk and become certificates of delinquency, and they are eligible for sale 90 days after that transfer.
  • The Powell County list is published through KyDTax, the shared listing service several Kentucky clerks use to advertise certificates of delinquency. The same list is also advertised in the local newspaper at least 30 days before the sale.
  • The list assembled for the 2026 sale carries roughly 1,600 delinquent bill lines for the 2025 tax year, totaling about $539,000. Close to half are under $100 and only about 105 exceed $1,000, so building a meaningful position here means buying many small certificates rather than a few large ones.
  • The same parcel can appear on more than one bill number for the same tax year at different amounts, so read the bill number, map ID, and amount on every line instead of assuming one bill per property.
  • Powell County's list carries a small number of personal property bills alongside the real property certificates. Only the real property lines represent a lien against land.

Kentucky rules

Max interest rate
12% per year, fixed by statute (nothing is bid)
Minimum return
No statutory floor; every certificate earns the same statutory rate
Redemption
Kentucky's redemption window is a property of where the parcel is in the process, not a single statewide clock, and it runs in four tracks. Track one, and by far the most common, is an outstanding certificate of delinquency: the delinquent taxpayer or anyone holding a legal or equitable estate in the property may pay the third-party purchaser the total amount due at any time, and the purchaser may accept payment from anyone at any time. No statute closes that window, so it stays open until a court forecloses. Track two is a foreclosure sale that brought less than two thirds of the property's appraised value, where the defendant and the defendant's representatives may redeem within six months of the day of sale. Track three is a foreclosure sale that brought two thirds or more of the appraised value, where no right of redemption exists at all; the purchaser takes the property outright. Track four is land the state, county, and taxing districts acquired through a KRS 134.546 action, which the taxpayer may redeem at any time before the commissioner delivers a deed to a purchaser. A third-party purchaser must also offer a monthly installment plan on written request for certificates bought after June 1, 2012, if the purchaser is one who has to register with the department.
Surplus proceeds
If nobody bids at the foreclosure sale, the master commissioner deeds the property to the person or persons the record shows own the certificate or certificates of delinquency, each taking a pro rata interest matching the size of their certificate. Where the state, county, or a taxing district ends up owning the land, the commissioner's designated agent may advertise and sell it at public sale after posting notice at the courthouse door for fifteen days and publishing under KRS Chapter 424, the department keeps an administration fee of 15 percent of the sale price, and the balance is paid to the county and taxing districts within thirty days.
Governing statute
KRS Chapter 134

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 Kentuckyrules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Powell County, Kentucky sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax lien certificates. In Kentucky investors buy the lien, not the property; the County Clerk runs the sale.

When is the Powell County tax certificate sale?

Annual, and unusually late in the Kentucky calendar. The Department of Revenue's "County Clerk Delinquent Property Tax Sale Dates 2026" list shows Powell at "10/14/26", so the 2026 certificate of delinquency sale falls on October 14, 2026. Most Kentucky clerks sell in July and August; the statewide window opens July 14, and counties carrying delinquent unmined mineral or oil and gas bills may schedule into September or October, which is where Powell sits. The sale date and the certificate list must be advertised in the local newspaper and posted online at least 30 days before the sale. Confirm the hour and the room with the Clerk at 606-663-6444. The sale is held in person. Always confirm the exact date with the County Clerk before the sale.

I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Kentucky's redemption rule: No fixed deadline while the certificate is outstanding. Six months after a judicial sale that brings less than two thirds of the appraised value, and none at all when it brings two thirds or more. Call the Powell County Clerk (Rhonda A. Barnett), Stanton as early as possible for your exact payoff and options; deadlines are strict. Free help: lawhelp.org lists legal aid programs, and consumerfinance.gov lists HUD-approved housing counselors.

Where can I find the Powell County tax sale list?

Powell County posts its tax sale list at kydtax.smllc.us. Lists go up ahead of each sale and keep changing until the sale date, so confirm every parcel against the county's legal advertisement before you bid.

Verified Aug 23, 2026 against official county and state sources.

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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