Buncombe County, NC tax sales
How tax deed sales work in Buncombe County, seat of Asheville: 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
- No fixed month.
- Format
- In person
- Registration
- No advance registration.
- County office
- 828-250-4910
On this page
How Buncombe County sells delinquent taxes
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Buncombe County Tax Department, Tax Collections Division. In rem foreclosures are handled by the Tax Department and the County Attorney's office; mortgage-style foreclosures go to an outside attorney. The sale itself is conducted by the assigned commissioner.
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- No fixed month.
- Registration
- No advance registration.
When it runs
Registration and deposit
No advance registration. Per the county: "You can bid on any property by attending the sale on the courthouse steps the day the sale is to take place." The high bidder pays a deposit of up to 20 percent of the bid following the sale, with the balance due at the end of the 10-day upset bid period. Upset bids are filed with the Clerk of Court (828-259-3400) and must raise the bid by 5 percent or $750, whichever is greater, backed by a deposit of 5 percent of the new high bid or a $750 minimum, paid by cash, certified check, or cashier's check.
Sale format and venue
Buncombe County tax sale list and auction calendar
For Buncombe 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 Buncombe County tax foreclosure listings (map and search of current sales with bid dates) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.Register to bid
Sale day
No fixed month. 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 Buncombe County Tax Department, Tax Collections Division. In rem foreclosures are handled by the Tax Department and the County Attorney's office; mortgage-style foreclosures go to an outside attorney. The sale itself is conducted by the assigned commissioner. as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.
Before you bid in Buncombe County
4 checks
Start with the live sale list
Pull the current advertised parcels from Buncombe County tax foreclosure listings (map and search of current sales with bid dates). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.Confirm registration and deposit
No advance registration. Per the county: "You can bid on any property by attending the sale on the courthouse steps the day the sale is to take place." The high bidder pays a deposit of up to 20 percent of the bid following the sale, with the balance due at the end of the 10-day upset bid period. Upset bids are filed with the Clerk of Court (828-259-3400) and must raise the bid by 5 percent or $750, whichever is greater, backed by a deposit of 5 percent of the new high bid or a $750 minimum, paid by cash, certified check, or cashier's check.
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
Buncombe County Tax Department, Tax Collections Division
182 College Street, Asheville, NC 28801 (mailing: P.O. Box 3140, Asheville, NC 28802)
Official websiteCounty notes
- Buncombe County runs its own tax foreclosure program in house: the Tax Department and County Attorney's office handle in rem foreclosures (G.S. 105-375) while mortgage-style cases (G.S. 105-374) go to an outside attorney, and a court-assigned commissioner conducts each sale. The Kania Law Firm, though based in Asheville, does not list Buncombe among its client counties.
- The county publishes current foreclosure sales on its own portal at taxforeclosures.buncombenc.gov, a map-based list with bidding dates; official upset bids are held at the Clerk of Courts office (828-259-3400).
- The county moved its website from buncombecounty.org to buncombenc.gov, so use the buncombenc.gov addresses for tax and foreclosure pages; older buncombecounty.org links may no longer work.
- Deposit mechanics from the county page: up to 20 percent of the bid due after the sale, balance due at the end of the 10-day upset bid period; an upset bid must exceed the standing bid by 5 percent or $750, whichever is greater.
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 Buncombe County, North Carolina sell tax liens or tax deeds?
How often does Buncombe County hold tax deed sales?
I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?
Where can I find the Buncombe 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.
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