Jackson County, MN tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Kevin Nordquist is the Jackson County Auditor/Treasurer and signs the sale notices. The office sits on Level 1 of the courthouse at 405 4th Street and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Reach it at 507-847-2763 or toll free at 888-293-4446.
• •The county's own notice tells buyers where to get parcel details: "Information regarding tax forfeited property may be obtained in the Office of the Jackson County Auditor/Treasurer, 405 4th Street, PO Box 226, Jackson, Minnesota, 56143 or by phoning (507) 847-2763."
• •There is an over-the-counter path. The county terms state that "parcels not sold at the public sale may be purchased at a private sale by paying the basic sale price. Prices cannot be changed unless a parcel is re-appraised, advertised and again offered at the public sale. Private sales take place at the office of the Jackson County Auditor/Treasurer." The county does not publish a standing list of leftovers, so ask the office what is still available at the basic sale price.
• •Residential parcels that forfeited between June 23, 2016 and December 31, 2023 carry a 30 day head start after the public sale for buyers "who intend to own and occupy the property as a residence or who intend to use the property for a noncommercial personal use and sign a form certifying their intent." Anything unsold after that window goes to a later auction open to the public at large. Investors should read the section letter on each parcel line before planning a purchase.
• •A former owner can still take the parcel back. Any party eligible to repurchase before the public sale must pay all cancelled real estate taxes and interest, an amount equal to the current year tax that would have been due had forfeiture not occurred, and any costs associated with the forfeiture such as sheriff, mail and publishing fees. The county fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 charges $100.00 to process a repurchase of forfeited property. Confirm with the Auditor/Treasurer that no repurchase is pending on a parcel you want.
• •Conservation restrictions travel with the deed. When a parcel classified as marginal land or wetland is purchased, "the state deed that is issued will contain a restrictive covenant stating that the parcel is prohibited from enrollment in any state program of compensation for conservation of marginal land or wetlands." Minnesota law also prohibits filling or draining wetlands, and marginal lands must have a conservation plan to limit soil erosion. The county points buyers to the district Soil and Water Conservation office for those questions.
• •Cancelled special assessments can come back. The balance of assessments levied before forfeiture is not included in the basic sale price and the municipality may reassess it once the parcel returns to private ownership. That played out in Jackson County: a Lakefield parcel bought at the October 21, 2024 auction carried a $14,000 street improvement assessment that was not disclosed at the sale, and the board later split the abatement with the buyer. Read the "Assessments Before Forfeiture" column on the parcel list and call the city or township before you bid.
• •Cleanup costs on distressed parcels can dwarf the bid. On the November 2024 list the county disclosed roughly $21,800 and $44,100 in asbestos removal, contents clearing and demolition work on two parcels that was deliberately left out of the sale price because adding it "would deter potential buyers." Inspect and price remediation yourself.
• •Not every forfeited parcel reaches the public. The county notes that "not all parcels of forfeited lands may be offered for sale, as the State of Minnesota has the right to require certain parcels be withheld from sale," and governmental units may request land before it is offered to the general public.
• •Property taxes on a purchased parcel restart the year after the sale, and local improvements built but not yet assessed must be assumed by the buyer.

Minnesota rules

Redemption

Redemption in Minnesota runs BEFORE forfeiture and there is no redemption after a tax-forfeited land sale. The clock starts on the second Monday in May, when the county auditor bids the parcel in for the state, and it runs three years for most property. Once the parcel is unredeemed 120 days before that period ends, the county auditor gives notice of expiration of redemption, which is posted in the auditor's office, published for two successive weeks in the official county newspaper, mailed by certified mail to taxpayers, fee owners, and anyone who filed an address under Minn. Stat. 276.041, and personally served on anyone in possession of an occupied parcel. Redemption ends on the later of the end of the statutory period and 60 days after that notice is given and proof of it is filed with the auditor, and the Department of Revenue's manual states the exact forfeiture date the same way. On that date absolute title vests in the state of Minnesota. A district court can cut the period to five weeks on a city or county petition for abandoned or certain vacant property, so a parcel can reach forfeiture far sooner than three years. Forfeiture extinguishes redemption rights along with almost everything else, with one carve-out that Minn. Stat. 282.005, subd. 10 preserves in terms: rights of redemption provided under federal law, which is where an unreleased federal tax lien can still reach a parcel after the sale. The right to REPURCHASE after forfeiture, under Minn. Stat. 282.241, is a separate remedy and not a redemption right.Minnesota Statutes 281.17 - the three-year redemption period and the one-year exceptions for targeted-community and qualified solid waste facility landMinn. Stat. 281.17Verified Aug 24, 2026

Deed deposit

Minnesota fixes no statutory bidder deposit and no statutory registration deadline. Terms are set locally, and the Department of Revenue's manual treats a cash-only initial sale as best practice because everything above the minimum bid has to stay available for surplus claims. On a Chapter 282.01 sale, parcels are sold for cash only unless the county board has adopted a resolution allowing terms. Where terms are allowed, at least 10 percent of the purchase price is due at the time of purchase and the balance runs in no more than ten equal annual installments, or under a county board policy of no more than 12 installments a year over a term of no more than ten years. Confirm the county's published terms before registering.Minnesota Statutes 282.005 - the required initial public auction of tax-forfeited land, the estimated-market-value initial price, the minimum bid, the six-month deadline, surplus claims, and what forfeiture extinguishesMinn. Stat. 282.005Verified Aug 24, 2026

Surplus proceeds

Minnesota built a surplus claim process in response to Tyler v. Hennepin County, and the Revisor's note under Minn. Stat. 282.08 records that decision. It applies to forfeitures occurring after December 31, 2023. The minimum bid goes into the county's forfeited tax sale fund and everything above it is available to interested parties, meaning any party with an interest in the real estate, including the owner, a lienholder, and anyone who filed their name under Minn. Stat. 276.041. Within 60 days of the sale the county auditor must send notice and a claim form by certified mail to every interested party of record, mail a second notice by first class mail between 90 and 120 days if no claim has been filed, mail notice to the occupants unless the land is vacant, and publish a list of sales with unexpired claim periods on the county website. A claim must be filed within six months of the date the first notice is mailed. Multiple claims are divided in proportion to each claimant's interest, and a disputed claim can be deposited with the district court. Unclaimed surplus returns to the county's forfeited tax sale fund. A separate claim process covers iron-bearing stockpiles, minerals, and mineral interests, which are sold to the state for $50 at forfeiture and valued by the commissioner of natural resources if a claim is filed.Minnesota Statutes 282.005 - the required initial public auction of tax-forfeited land, the estimated-market-value initial price, the minimum bid, the six-month deadline, surplus claims, and what forfeiture extinguishesMinn. Stat. 282.005Verified Aug 24, 2026

Governing statute

Minn. Stat. Chapter 279Minnesota Statutes 279.05 - the county auditor files the delinquent list with the district court by February 15 and the filing acts as a complaint against each parcelMinn. Stat. 279.05Verified Aug 24, 2026

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.

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