Chatham County, NC tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •The county's Tax Foreclosure Sales page announces the next sale as September 16, 2026 with the parcel list not yet posted; lists appear once the attorney sends the Notices of Tax Foreclosure, usually 5 to 10 days before the sale.
• •Sale notices are posted at the Clerk of Superior Court's office on the ground level of the Justice Center on Chatham Street in Pittsboro, at the Tax Appraisal, Tax Collector, and GIS/Tax Mapping offices, and published in the Chatham News and Chatham Record for two consecutive weeks before the sale; the auction itself is held in the Justice Center lobby.
• •Foreclosures proceed under G.S. 105-374 (mortgage-style) through Zacchaeus Legal Services; each sale is subject to the 10-day upset bid period at the Clerk of Superior Court (919-545-3500) under G.S. 1-339.25, and the upset window restarts with each new upset bid.
• •Deposit is 20 percent of the high bid, cash or certified check payable to Zacchaeus Legal Services, due immediately at the sale; balance, recording fees, and revenue stamps are due before a judge confirms the sale, and the owner can redeem until confirmation under G.S. 1-339.28.
• •Sales are free and clear of other liens except taxes not included in the tax judgment; the purchaser owes any subsequent-year taxes after the deed records, and all parcels sell as is with no warranty of title or habitability.
• •The ZLS listings grid (behind a disclaimer click at zls-nc.com/listings, the redirect target of the county's www.zls-nc.com/property-for-sale link) showed a Chatham County Tax Office parcel in pending-confirmation status from a June 17, 2026 sale, confirming Chatham sales flow through that list.
• •The county Tax Administration office notes Darrell Butts as Interim Tax Administrator; the Listing Division (919-542-8250) and Appraisal Division (919-542-8211) sit at 12 East St., Pittsboro, mailing PO Box 908, with general email [email protected].

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.N.C. General Statutes 105-374 - Foreclosure of tax lien by action in nature of action to foreclose a mortgageN.C.G.S. 105-374Verified Aug 16, 2026

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.N.C. General Statutes 105-374 - Foreclosure of tax lien by action in nature of action to foreclose a mortgageN.C.G.S. 105-374Verified Aug 16, 2026

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.N.C. General Statutes 105-374 - Foreclosure of tax lien by action in nature of action to foreclose a mortgageN.C.G.S. 105-374Verified Aug 16, 2026

Governing statute

N.C.G.S. Chapter 105, Article 26N.C. General Statutes Chapter 105, Article 26 - Collection and Foreclosure of TaxesN.C.G.S. Ch. 105, Art. 26Verified Aug 16, 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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