Clermont County, OH tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Clermont County sells no tax lien certificates. The only investor entry points are the Sheriff's in-person tax foreclosure sale and the Auditor's forfeited land sale, so budget for taking title rather than for collecting interest on a certificate.
• •Sheriff's sale contacts: Clermont County Sheriff's Office, 4470 State Route 222, Batavia, OH 45103. Sale clerk 513-732-7087, main line 513.732.7500, [email protected]. The office states it cannot give legal advice.
• •The Clermont County Auditor holds forfeited land sales under Ohio Rev. Code Chapter 5723 for parcels that did not sell at foreclosure. As of this research the Auditor's page lists the next sale date as not yet set. There is no advance registration, all bidding happens at the sale, and the bidder or a representative must appear in person. The opening bid equals the unpaid taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest, and costs, and if no one takes the opening bid the Auditor opens the floor to lower offers. Winners pay the bid plus $45.25 for deed preparation and the certificate fee, $0.50 per parcel transfer fee, recorder fees of $34.00 for the first two pages and $8.00 for each additional page, and $0.75 postage, in cash with exact change or two separate checks. Buyers show identification, sign a transfer form, and sign an affidavit under RC 5723.06(A)(3) swearing they are not the prior owner of record or a member of that owner's immediate family. A Certificate of Sale is issued at the sale and the deed arrives by mail from the Recorder in roughly two to three weeks.
• •The Auditor publishes the certified delinquent real estate tax list, posted as current as of 12/15/2025 when checked, plus a separate mobile home delinquent tax list. The Treasurer's duties page confirms the Auditor is the office that publishes certified delinquent names in the newspaper as required by law.
• •Underwriting tip: the Sheriff posts a Sheriff Sales Tax Information PDF showing appraisal, opening bid, current-year taxes, prorated tax per day, and total taxes due for each scheduled parcel. That is unusual disclosure and worth pulling before a sale. The Sheriff notes the figures may exclude special assessments and fees and points to the Auditor for exact numbers.
• •The Sheriff states its sale list is informational only, that it has no information on foreclosures before the court orders the sale, and that it assumes no liability for erroneous information. The Auditor's Foreclosure / Sheriff's Sales page is a consolidation of Clerk of Courts, Recorder, and Sheriff data and carries the same disclaimer, so treat the Sheriff's own page as the authoritative list.
• •Delinquency timeline for planning: a 10 percent penalty under RC 323.121 the day after the due date, half of that if paid within 10 days, compounded penalty plus interest at a full year of delinquency, and referral to the Prosecuting Attorney at roughly a year and a half. The Treasurer says an additional $200.00 or more is added at foreclosure, the taxpayer receives a certified-mail summons with 28 days to respond, and after judgment an order of sale goes to the Sheriff to schedule a date.
• •After a Sheriff's sale the deed is prepared by the plaintiff's attorney about 7 calendar days after confirmation and recorded about 15 business days after payment. A purchaser who needs possession must obtain a Writ of Possession from the Clerk of Courts at the purchaser's expense, and the Sheriff holds no keys.

Ohio rules

Max interest rate

18% per year, bid down in 0.25% stepsOhio Revised Code 5721.30 - Tax certificate definitionsR.C. 5721.30Verified Aug 6, 2026

Minimum return

6% floor at redemptionOhio Revised Code 5721.30 - Tax certificate definitionsR.C. 5721.30Verified Aug 6, 2026

Redemption

Ohio has no post-sale redemption window. On the certificate track the owner or any other person entitled to redeem may pay the county treasurer at any time before the certificate holder pays to start foreclosure, and after that up until the entry of confirmation of sale, the expiration of the 28-day alternative redemption period, or the decree that conveys title to the certificate holder. On the direct foreclosure track, delinquent land may be redeemed before proceedings begin, and afterwards up to the entry of confirmation of sale or the end of the alternative redemption period. The alternative redemption period is 28 days after an adjudication of foreclosure is journalized, and when it expires the right and equity of redemption terminate without any further order. Once title vests, a decree conveying the parcel to a certificate holder is a permanent bar to redemption.Ohio Revised Code 5721.38 - Right to redeemR.C. 5721.38Verified Aug 6, 2026

Deed deposit

For residential property the deposit is fixed by statute: $2,000 if the appraised value is $10,000 or less, $5,000 if it is above $10,000 and up to $200,000, and $10,000 if it is above $200,000. A judgment creditor buying at its own sale posts no deposit. For commercial property the deposit follows whatever requirements the sale sets. Deposit timing is set by the court or the officer conducting the sale and printed in the sale advertisement, and an online sale may take the deposit by card or other financial transaction device.Ohio Revised Code 5721.19 - Finding; appraisal and saleR.C. 5721.19Verified Aug 6, 2026

Surplus proceeds

Sale proceeds pay costs first, then the certificate holder or the taxing districts, and any residue goes to the clerk of the court within 45 days after confirmation. The clerk notifies the former owner. Residue left unclaimed 90 days after that final notice is paid into the county treasury and held for the owner, who may demand it within three years. After three years it is forfeited to the county's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund, or to the county land reutilization corporation fund where one exists.Ohio Revised Code 5721.20 - Excess foreclosure proceedsR.C. 5721.20Verified Aug 6, 2026

Governing statute

R.C. Chapter 5721Ohio Revised Code 5721.30 - Tax certificate definitionsR.C. 5721.30Verified Aug 6, 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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