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Tax Sale Atlas

Moniteau County, MO tax sales

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

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

Next sale
There is no separate deed auction.
Format
In person
Registration
There is no online registration portal.
County office
(573) 796-4521
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Aug 22, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Moniteau County sells delinquent taxes

Tax certificate sale (lien)

In person
Run by
Moniteau County Collector of Revenue
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
Annually on the fourth Monday in August.
Registration
There is no online registration portal.
When it runs
Annually on the fourth Monday in August. The Collector's tax sale page states the sale "is held annually on the fourth Monday in August," and delinquent taxes with penalty, interest and costs may be paid to the Collector at any time before the sale begins to keep a parcel out of it. Published start times differ across the Collector's own materials, with the tax sale page giving 10:00 a.m. and the printed tax sale brochure giving 1:00 p.m., so confirm the hour with the office before you travel.
Registration and deposit

There is no online registration portal. Bidders sign in at the sale and must be present in person to bid. Every bidder signs a notarized affidavit stating they are not currently delinquent on any property tax, and the affidavit form is available at the Collector's office ahead of the sale; bring a valid driver's license or other government-issued photo ID. A non-resident of Missouri must execute a Designation of Resident Agent form and have that agent sign an Agent Appointment Acceptance form before the sale, and the Collector asks non-residents to arrange this with the office in advance.

Sale format and venue
The Collector conducts a live tax certificate sale at the Moniteau County Courthouse and buyers must be present to bid, so there is no online bidding platform. A parcel must be three years delinquent before it is offered. Bidding opens at the delinquent taxes, penalties and cost of sale, and a parcel inside city limits can also carry city taxes and fees. The winning bidder pays the full purchase price to the Collector's office on the day of the sale, no later than 3:00 p.m., by cashier's check, personal check, cash or money order; the Collector's brochure also accepts credit cards subject to a 3.6% processing fee. Failing to pay the amount bid triggers a 25% penalty on the bid plus a prosecuting attorney fee under RSMo 140.280. The Collector issues, records and mails the Certificate of Purchase, which must be surrendered on redemption or when a collector's deed is requested. Parcels reaching a subsequent-to-third offering are sold under RSMo 140.260.8. To redeem, the owner pays the bid amount for back taxes plus 10%, any subsequent-year taxes the holder paid plus 8% annual interest, and a 25 cent redemption charge, and the office asks for 24 hours notice to schedule the payoff. Any surplus bid above the delinquent taxes and sale costs is held for the owner of record through the Moniteau County Treasurer, with disputed claims heard by the Moniteau County Commission. Liens against the property are not extinguished at the sale or during the redemption period. In person at the Moniteau County Courthouse
Source: Delinquent Tax Certificate Sale, Moniteau County Collector· Verified Aug 22, 2026

Tax deed sale

Run by
County Collector
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
There is no separate deed auction.
When it runs
There is no separate deed auction. Deeds come out of the same August sale once a parcel has cycled past the third offering, and unsold post third offering parcels are re-offered at least once every 30 days. A purchaser at a post third offering sale takes an immediate collector's deed with no redemption period.
Sale format and venue
A first or second offering buyer holds a certificate and must wait out the one year redemption period, obtain a title search, serve the 90 day notice of the right to redeem on the owner and every recorded claimant by both first class and certified mail, file the affidavit with the collector, pay all subsequent taxes and the recording fee, and get the deed executed and recorded within 18 months of the sale. Miss the 18 months and the amount due the purchaser stops being a lien. A third offering buyer follows a shorter version, with a 90 day redemption period and notice to recorded claimants within 45 days of the sale. Counties that have elected the Land Tax Collection Law in Chapter 141 pull those parcels out of the collector's offering lists entirely and foreclose in court, and the sheriff sells them there, so confirm which chapter this county runs.
Source: Missouri Revised Statutes 140.405 - Purchaser of property at delinquent land tax auction, deed issued to, when, notice of right of redemptionMo. Rev. Stat. 140.405· Verified Aug 18, 2026

Moniteau County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Moniteau 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

    A county sale-list URL is still being verified. Use the office and platform details on this page before relying on a copied list.

  2. Register to bid

    There is no online registration portal. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    There is no separate deed auction. 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 County Collector as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Moniteau County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    The county sale-list URL is still being verified. Use the county office contacts below and confirm the advertised parcels directly before you price a bid.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    There is no online registration portal. Bidders sign in at the sale and must be present in person to bid. Every bidder signs a notarized affidavit stating they are not currently delinquent on any property tax, and the affidavit form is available at the Collector's office ahead of the sale; bring a valid driver's license or other government-issued photo ID. A non-resident of Missouri must execute a Designation of Resident Agent form and have that agent sign an Agent Appointment Acceptance form before the sale, and the Collector asks non-residents to arrange this with the office in advance.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Missouri 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

Missouri publishes no standing over the counter certificate list. The equivalent route is the post third offering sale. Parcels that draw no buyer at a third offering must be advertised or offered again once every 30 days, and where the county's appointed trustee declines to take a parcel the collector may sell it at any time and for any amount. A buyer at any of these sales gets an immediate collector's deed, no redemption period, and must first pay every tax that fell due after the taxes named in the advertisement. Parcels the trustee did take are held for the taxing funds and sold on order of the county commission. Ask the collector for the current post third offering list and its bidding terms, because the format varies by county.

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)

Moniteau County Collector of Revenue

(573) 796-4521

Moniteau County Courthouse, 200 E. Main Street, California, MO 65018

Official website

County notes

  • Moniteau County runs a Chapter 140 delinquent tax certificate sale through the County Collector, so a winning bidder receives a certificate of purchase rather than immediate title.
  • The list of properties subject to sale is published in the California Democrat for three consecutive weeks, the last publication two weeks before the sale, and a copy is available at the Collector's office during regular hours. The county does not post the list on its website, so work from the newspaper or call the Collector at (573) 796-4521.
  • The Collector's office sits on the main level of the Moniteau County Courthouse, the first office on the left through the south entrance, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and staffed through the lunch hour.

Missouri rules

Max interest rate
10% per year, set by statute (bidding is on price)
Minimum return
No statutory minimum return; what you earn is set by the price at the sale
Redemption
After a first or second offering sale, the owner and other interested parties hold an absolute right to redeem for one year, then a defeasible right that lasts until the purchaser actually acquires the deed. A purchaser must serve the 90 day notice of the right to redeem before the date on which the deed can be acquired, so the practical window usually runs past the one year mark. After a third offering sale, redemption runs 90 days, and the purchaser must give notice to recorded claimants within 45 days of the sale. After a post third offering sale, there is no redemption period and the deed issues immediately. Minors and incapacitated or disabled persons have a longer right, running five years from the last payment of taxes by that person or a predecessor. The right also ends if the certificate lapses because the purchaser failed to record the deed within 18 months.
Deed deposit
The winning bidder must pay the full amount of the bid to the collector immediately at the sale. Chapter 140 sets no advance bidder deposit and no balance due window. A bidder who fails to pay forfeits a penalty of 25 percent of the bid to the county school fund and the parcel is offered again at once as though no sale had been made. Counties running an online or registered sale may impose their own deposit and registration terms on top of the statute, so confirm them with the collector.
Surplus proceeds
Any amount above the taxes and costs is surplus. The collector pays it into the county treasury, where the treasurer holds it in trust for the lesser of three years or 90 days after the redemption period expires. It is distributed first to the former lienholders of record in the priority their liens held on the date of the sale, then to the former owner. No distribution other than through the redemption process may occur until 90 days after the redemption period ends, and a claimant must file a written claim with the county commission within those 90 days, referencing the recorded lien it rests on. The county pays no interest on the fund. Anything still unclaimed at three years becomes the permanent school fund of the county.
Governing statute
Mo. Rev. Stat. Chapter 140

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 Missourirules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Moniteau County, Missouri sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Moniteau County follows Missouri's tax lien state system.

When is the Moniteau County tax certificate sale?

Annually on the fourth Monday in August. The Collector's tax sale page states the sale "is held annually on the fourth Monday in August," and delinquent taxes with penalty, interest and costs may be paid to the Collector at any time before the sale begins to keep a parcel out of it. Published start times differ across the Collector's own materials, with the tax sale page giving 10:00 a.m. and the printed tax sale brochure giving 1:00 p.m., so confirm the hour with the office before you travel. The sale is held in person. Always confirm the exact date with the County Collector before the sale.

How often does Moniteau County hold tax deed sales?

Moniteau County holds its tax deed sale once a year. There is no separate deed auction. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.

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

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Missouri's redemption rule: 1 year from a first or second offering sale, 90 days from a third offering sale, and none after a post third offering sale. Call the County Collector 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.

Verified Aug 22, 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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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.

Missouri tax salesDue diligence guide
Call Moniteau County Collector of Revenue