Cumberland County, NC tax sales
How tax deed sales work in Cumberland County, seat of Fayetteville: 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 run year round rather than in one annual batch.
- Format
- In person
- Registration
- No registration is required.
- County office
- 910-678-7507
On this page
How Cumberland County sells delinquent taxes
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Cumberland County Tax Administration. The county's page states that tax foreclosure sales are conducted by an outside attorney on behalf of the Tax Office, and directs sale-date questions to the office of Attorney David B. Craig, who has handled Cumberland County tax foreclosures for over 20 years.
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Sales run year round rather than in one annual batch.
- Registration
- No registration is required.
When it runs
Registration and deposit
No registration is required. The attorney's FAQ states there are no registration requirements to attend the sale; you or an authorized representative must bid in person, with no phone or email bidding. The high bidder pays a deposit of 20 percent of the bid or $750, whichever is greater, at the time of bidding in cash or certified funds payable to David B. Craig, Attorney at Law. Upset bids are filed in person with the Clerk of Superior Court during the 10-day upset period, raised at least 5 percent, with a deposit of 5 percent or $750 (form AOC-CV-414) and a photo ID.
Sale format and venue
Cumberland County tax sale list and auction calendar
For Cumberland 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 Tax foreclosure sale list (owners, parcels, sale dates, opening and current bids) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.Register to bid
Sale day
Sales run year round rather than in one annual batch. 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 Cumberland County Tax Administration. The county's page states that tax foreclosure sales are conducted by an outside attorney on behalf of the Tax Office, and directs sale-date questions to the office of Attorney David B. Craig, who has handled Cumberland County tax foreclosures for over 20 years. as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.
Before you bid in Cumberland County
4 checks
Start with the live sale list
Pull the current advertised parcels from Tax foreclosure sale list (owners, parcels, sale dates, opening and current bids). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.Confirm registration and deposit
No registration is required. The attorney's FAQ states there are no registration requirements to attend the sale; you or an authorized representative must bid in person, with no phone or email bidding. The high bidder pays a deposit of 20 percent of the bid or $750, whichever is greater, at the time of bidding in cash or certified funds payable to David B. Craig, Attorney at Law. Upset bids are filed in person with the Clerk of Superior Court during the 10-day upset period, raised at least 5 percent, with a deposit of 5 percent or $750 (form AOC-CV-414) and a photo ID.
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
- Opening bids cover delinquent taxes plus attorney fees and foreclosure costs, and can also fold in City of Fayetteville assessments; one August 2026 listing included a $3,103.41 city assessment in its opening bid.
- If nobody raises the county's opening bid within the upset period, Cumberland County or the City of Fayetteville is confirmed as winning bidder and the parcel may resurface later on the county's surplus property list; surplus property questions go to the County Attorney's Office at 910-678-7762.
- The county page lists 910-223-3769 for the sale attorney's office while the attorney's own site prints 910-223-3768; both belong to David B. Craig, Attorney at Law.
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 Cumberland County, North Carolina sell tax liens or tax deeds?
How often does Cumberland County hold tax deed sales?
I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?
Where can I find the Cumberland 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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