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Tax Sale Atlas

Cherokee County, NC tax sales

How tax deed sales work in Cherokee County, seat of Murphy: 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 annual schedule.
Format
In person
Registration
No advance registration is described.
County office
828-837-2421 ext. 2124
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Aug 18, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Cherokee County sells delinquent taxes

No tax lien certificate sale

North Carolina counties do not sell tax lien certificates to investors; the taxing unit holds its own lien and enforces it by judicial foreclosure.

Tax deed sale

In person
Run by
Cherokee County Tax Collector; foreclosure sales of real property are handled by The Kania Law Firm, and in rem foreclosures under G.S. 105-375 are auctioned by the Sheriff on the courthouse steps
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
No fixed annual schedule.
Registration
No advance registration is described.
Sale list
Kania Law Firm foreclosure listings (linked from the county's Tax Foreclosures page)
When it runs
No fixed annual schedule. Sales are set case by case as individual foreclosures mature, and the county's foreclosure page read NO CURRENT SALES AT THIS TIME as of August 2026. Every sale is followed by a 10-day upset bid period that restarts with each new upset bid.
Registration and deposit

No advance registration is described. Bid live at the courthouse sale; the winning bidder pays a deposit of the greater of 5 percent or $750 in cash or certified funds payable to The Kania Law Firm, and personal checks are not accepted. Upset bids with the same deposit (5 percent or $750) are filed with the Clerk of Court during the 10-day upset period.

Sale format and venue
Sales are conducted in person, so no online auction platform applies to this county. The county page warns this is a buyer-beware sale, all sales are final, and property sells as-is and where-is with no county warranties. For in rem sales under G.S. 105-375 the Sheriff auctions on the courthouse steps, the deposit is $750 or 5 percent of the bid (cash, certified funds, or money order), and final payment is due to the Sheriff within 10 days of confirmation; the in rem contact number is 828-837-5527. Confirm upcoming sale dates with Tax Collections at 828-837-2421 ext. 2124 or on the Kania Law Firm listings page. In person at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St, Murphy
Source: Cherokee County NC, Tax Foreclosures page· Verified Aug 18, 2026

Cherokee County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Cherokee 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

    Use Kania Law Firm foreclosure listings (linked from the county's Tax Foreclosures page) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    No advance registration is described. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    No fixed annual schedule. 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 Cherokee County Tax Collector; foreclosure sales of real property are handled by The Kania Law Firm, and in rem foreclosures under G.S. 105-375 are auctioned by the Sheriff on the courthouse steps as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Cherokee County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Kania Law Firm foreclosure listings (linked from the county's Tax Foreclosures page). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    No advance registration is described. Bid live at the courthouse sale; the winning bidder pays a deposit of the greater of 5 percent or $750 in cash or certified funds payable to The Kania Law Firm, and personal checks are not accepted. Upset bids with the same deposit (5 percent or $750) are filed with the Clerk of Court during the 10-day upset period.

  3. 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.

  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.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax sale office

Cherokee County Tax Collector

828-837-2421 ext. 2124

County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St, Suite 225, Murphy, NC 28906

Official website

County notes

  • Cherokee County publishes its own In Rem Foreclosure Process page citing G.S. 105-375: about 90 days after docketing the judgment, a Request of Execution is filed and a sale date is scheduled, with notice posted at the courthouse and in the tax collections office.
  • The county's Tax Foreclosures page names The Kania Law Firm (828-252-8010, Asheville) as handling all real property sales; the firm's listings page is the official notice channel for scheduled and upset-bid-period parcels.
  • Enforced collections can begin any time after January 5, and unpaid real estate taxes are advertised in the newspaper during April with an advertising fee added.

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.
Governing statute
N.C.G.S. Chapter 105, Article 26

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 North Carolinarules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Cherokee County, North Carolina sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax deeds. North Carolina sells no tax lien certificates to investors; the Court-appointed commissioner sells the property itself at a public tax sale.

How often does Cherokee County hold tax deed sales?

Cherokee County holds its tax deed sale once a year. No fixed annual schedule. 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. North Carolina's redemption rule: Until the foreclosure sale becomes final; no redemption after confirmation. Call the Cherokee County Tax Collector; foreclosure sales of real property are handled by The Kania Law Firm, and in rem foreclosures under G.S. 105-375 are auctioned by the Sheriff on the courthouse steps 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.

Where can I find the Cherokee County tax sale list?

Cherokee County posts its tax sale list at kanialawfirm.com. Lists go up ahead of each sale and keep changing until the sale date, so confirm every parcel against the county's legal advertisement before you bid.

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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Call Cherokee County Tax Collector