Branch County, MI tax sales
How tax deed sales work in Branch County, seat of Coldwater: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
New to tax sales? Read how Michigan tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.
- Format
- County site
- County office
- 517-279-4321
On this page
How Branch County sells delinquent taxes
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Michigan Department of Treasury (foreclosing governmental unit for Branch County), with Title Check, LLC as auctioneer
- Frequency
- annual
When it runs
Registration and deposit
Create a free user account at tax-sale.info, and do so at least 48 hours before the auction so the account is active and authorized in time to bid. Before any bid is accepted you must post a deposit, either a $1,000 pre-authorization on a Visa, MasterCard or Discover card or $1,000 in certified funds tendered to the auctioneer. You cannot bid if you hold more than a minimal interest in any property with delinquent taxes in the county, or owe unpaid municipal civil fines in the local tax collection unit. Advance bidding opens 30 days before the posted start time, then active bidding runs until the posted end time with no extensions. Bid increments are $50 from $100 to $999, $100 from $1,000 to $9,999, and $250 above $10,000. Absentee bids require the same $1,000 deposit and must be submitted 48 hours ahead by calling 1-800-259-7470. The full purchase price is the bid plus a 10 percent buyer premium, any outstanding taxes with fees and penalties, and a $30 deed recording fee, payable within 5 business days by certified funds, money order, wire, or card (cards add 2.75 percent). The county page advises bidders to arrive prepared to pay in full the same day.
Sale format and venue
Branch County tax sale list and auction calendar
For Branch 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.
Get the advertised list
Use Michigan tax foreclosure auction schedule and parcel catalogs for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.Register to bid
Ask the county office how and when to register; many counties close registration days or weeks before the sale.Sale day
Bidding runs on Michigan public land auction schedule and parcel lists; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.Confirm with the office
If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Michigan Department of Treasury (foreclosing governmental unit for Branch County), with Title Check, LLC as auctioneer as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.
Before you bid in Branch County
4 checks
Start with the live sale list
Pull the current advertised parcels from Michigan tax foreclosure auction schedule and parcel catalogs. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.Confirm registration and deposit
Create a free user account at tax-sale.info, and do so at least 48 hours before the auction so the account is active and authorized in time to bid. Before any bid is accepted you must post a deposit, either a $1,000 pre-authorization on a Visa, MasterCard or Discover card or $1,000 in certified funds tendered to the auctioneer. You cannot bid if you hold more than a minimal interest in any property with delinquent taxes in the county, or owe unpaid municipal civil fines in the local tax collection unit. Advance bidding opens 30 days before the posted start time, then active bidding runs until the posted end time with no extensions. Bid increments are $50 from $100 to $999, $100 from $1,000 to $9,999, and $250 above $10,000. Absentee bids require the same $1,000 deposit and must be submitted 48 hours ahead by calling 1-800-259-7470. The full purchase price is the bid plus a 10 percent buyer premium, any outstanding taxes with fees and penalties, and a $30 deed recording fee, payable within 5 business days by certified funds, money order, wire, or card (cards add 2.75 percent). The county page advises bidders to arrive prepared to pay in full the same day.
Check the state rules that change the bid
Read the Michigan due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.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.
Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.
County offices
Tax sale office
County notes
- Treasurer: Steven Rutz. Office hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with courthouse doors closing at 4:50 pm. Fax 517-279-6454.
- Branch County did not retain foreclosure authority, so the Michigan Department of Treasury acts as the foreclosing governmental unit. The county treasurer still collects delinquent real property taxes before foreclosure.
- Excess sale proceeds claims go to the state, not the county: Form 5743 must be filed by July 1 following foreclosure, mailed to Michigan Department of Treasury, Community Services Division, PO Box 30760, Lansing, MI 48909.
- Michigan Treasury describes a three-year cycle: parcels forfeit to the county treasurer in the second year of delinquency, and taxes still unpaid as of March 31 in the third year are foreclosed by the foreclosing governmental unit.
- Title Check, LLC operates tax-sale.info and states it auctions property in more than 74 Michigan counties each year; its auction line is 1-800-259-7470.
Michigan rules
- Redemption
- Michigan has no post-sale redemption. The right to redeem runs during the forfeiture year and ends when the foreclosure judgment takes effect. Property forfeited to the county treasurer may be redeemed at any time on or before the March 31 immediately succeeding entry of a judgment foreclosing it, or within 21 days of entry in a contested case. On that date all redemption rights expire and fee simple title vests absolutely in the foreclosing governmental unit. Measured from the March 1 the taxes were returned as delinquent, that is about 25 months, and roughly three years from the year the taxes were levied. A circuit court may withhold a property from foreclosure for one year, or enter an order extending the redemption period as it finds equitable, if the owner is a minor heir, is incompetent, is without means of support, or is undergoing substantial financial hardship, so a parcel can drop off an auction list late.
- Deed deposit
- Michigan fixes no statutory deposit. The foreclosing governmental unit may adopt its own procedures governing the conduct of the sale and payment for conveyance, so registration deposits, refunds, and any bidding caps are set county by county and by the auction platform. On Tax-Sale.info, the platform most Michigan counties use, bidding requires a $1,000 pre-authorization hold on a major credit card rather than a cash deposit. Confirm the figure in the county's published auction terms before registering.
- Surplus proceeds
- A person who held a legal interest in the property immediately before the judgment of foreclosure became effective may claim the remaining proceeds. Remaining proceeds are the amount paid to the foreclosing governmental unit for the property, minus the minimum bid, minus other fees and expenses of forfeiture, foreclosure, sale, maintenance, repair, and remediation not already inside the minimum bid, minus a sale commission payable to the unit equal to 5 percent of the amount paid for the property. The claimant must submit a notice of intention on a Department of Treasury form by the July 1 immediately following the effective date of the foreclosure, then file a motion in the same circuit court proceeding in which the foreclosure judgment was effective, during the period beginning February 1 immediately after the property was sold and ending the following May 15. The court sets a hearing, decides the relative priority and value of each claimant's interest, and orders payment. Once the order enters, any further claim relating to that property is barred.
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 Branch County, Michigan sell tax liens or tax deeds?
How often does Branch County hold tax deed sales?
I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?
Where can I find the Branch County tax sale list?
Verified Aug 7, 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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