Alamance County, NC tax sales
How tax deed sales work in Alamance County, seat of Graham: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
New to tax sales? Read how North Carolina tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.
- Next sale
- Sales are scheduled periodically rather than on a fixed monthly calendar.
- Format
- In person
- County office
- (336) 228-1312
On this page
How Alamance County sells delinquent taxes
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Alamance County Tax Department (in rem foreclosures handled with the County Attorney's Office; the Alamance County Sheriff executes the deed after confirmation)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Sales are scheduled periodically rather than on a fixed monthly calendar.
When it runs
Registration and deposit
No advance registration or deposit is required to bid at the sale; bidding is live at the Historic Courthouse. The high bidder must pay the full bid amount, not a deposit, in cash or certified funds payable to the Alamance County Tax Department within 2 hours after the sale, and later pays any excise tax and recording fees. During the 10 day upset-bid window, upset bids are filed in person at the Clerk of Superior Court's Civil Division on the first floor of the Historic Courthouse with a deposit of 5 percent of the bid, minimum $750 (the county states $750 covers bids of $15,000 and under). A defaulting bidder forfeits the deposit and can face a judgment for any resale shortfall.
Sale format and venue
Alamance County tax sale list and auction calendar
For Alamance 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 Properties to be sold at the next tax foreclosure sale 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
Sales are scheduled periodically rather than on a fixed monthly calendar. 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.Confirm with the office
If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Alamance County Tax Department (in rem foreclosures handled with the County Attorney's Office; the Alamance County Sheriff executes the deed after confirmation) as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.
Before you bid in Alamance County
4 checks
Start with the live sale list
Pull the current advertised parcels from Properties to be sold at the next tax foreclosure sale. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.Confirm registration and deposit
No advance registration or deposit is required to bid at the sale; bidding is live at the Historic Courthouse. The high bidder must pay the full bid amount, not a deposit, in cash or certified funds payable to the Alamance County Tax Department within 2 hours after the sale, and later pays any excise tax and recording fees. During the 10 day upset-bid window, upset bids are filed in person at the Clerk of Superior Court's Civil Division on the first floor of the Historic Courthouse with a deposit of 5 percent of the bid, minimum $750 (the county states $750 covers bids of $15,000 and under). A defaulting bidder forfeits the deposit and can face a judgment for any resale shortfall.
Check the state rules that change the bid
Read the North Carolina 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
- Alamance County runs its own in rem tax foreclosures under GS 105-375 through the Tax Department and County Attorney's Office rather than contracting the sales to an outside law firm; the foreclosure contact is Robin Isley, Paralegal for Alamance County, (336) 570-4049.
- Unlike counties that take a deposit at the podium, Alamance requires the winning bidder to pay the entire bid in cash or certified funds within 2 hours of the sale.
- The county publishes three foreclosure pages worth watching: the main In Rem Tax Foreclosures page with the next sale date and property list, a Future Sales page with parcels in the pipeline, and an Upset Bids page showing current upset-bid amounts and deadlines per property.
- Sale results can move substantially in the upset-bid window; the county's Upset Bids page shows a parcel that sold for $4,590.75 on May 27, 2026 and was upset to $27,300.00 by August 10, 2026.
- Tax Administrator is Brad Fowler; general tax questions go to [email protected], and the office is open M-F 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
North Carolina rules
- Redemption
- North Carolina has no fixed redemption period of the certificate-state type and no post-sale redemption right. In a G.S. 105-374 foreclosure, redemption is allowed before confirmation of the foreclosure sale: paying the taxes, penalties, interest, and costs discontinues the action, and the clerk may confirm the sale once 10 days pass after the report of sale with no upset bid or exception. In an in rem foreclosure, payment in full of the docketed judgment with interest and costs requires the tax collector to certify the payment and cancel the judgment. Because every sale also sits through the 10-day upset bid window, an owner in either path retains a last window to pay after the auction itself but before the sale is final.
- Deed deposit
- At a G.S. 105-374 sale the commissioner may require the successful bidder to make a deposit of up to 20 percent of the bid; no deposit may be required of a taxing unit. An upset bidder always files a deposit of 5 percent of the upset bid, minimum $750, with the clerk.
- Surplus proceeds
- Sale proceeds are applied first to the costs of the action, including the commissioner's and attorneys' fees, then to the taxes, penalties, and interest of the foreclosing unit, then to special assessments and the taxes of other taxing units. Any surplus is paid as the court directs or held by the clerk of superior court, where the former owner, junior lienholders, and other claimants can file a special proceeding under G.S. 1-339.71 to establish ownership of the funds.
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 Alamance County, North Carolina sell tax liens or tax deeds?
How often does Alamance County hold tax deed sales?
I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?
Where can I find the Alamance County tax sale list?
Verified Aug 18, 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.
More North Carolina counties
Browse all 100 North Carolina counties
Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.