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Tax Sale Atlas

Cuyahoga County, OH tax sales

Cuyahoga County, Ohio sells both tax lien certificates and tax deeds. The County Treasurer runs the certificate sale (18% maximum, bid down), and the County Sheriff holds the tax deed sale online via RealAuction on parcels whose certificates go unredeemed, from the county seat in Cleveland, under R.C. Chapter 5721.

New to tax sales? Read how Ohio tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Format
RealAuction
Registration
Bidding is online only through the Sheriff's RealAuction site.
County office
216-443-7400 (Taxpayer Services, Option 1)
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Aug 7, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Cuyahoga County sells delinquent taxes

Tax certificate sale (lien)

Run by
Cuyahoga County Treasurer's Office
Frequency
annual
When it runs
The Treasurer's page states that "taxes that remain unpaid following the Second Half (July) tax collection are certified as delinquent, advertised by the Fiscal Office, and are then eligible for a tax lien certificate sale." The county's Delinquent Tax Policies and Procedures say a certified presale notice goes out when a sale is scheduled, giving the owner 30 days to pay or set up a contract, and that "A tax lien sale may follow this letter in the Fall." The same policy notes an unresolved delinquency makes the parcel eligible for foreclosure or a tax lien certificate sale the following year. The Treasurer holds a sale at its discretion rather than on a fixed statutory date.
Registration and deposit

There is no public bidder registration portal, because certificates are not offered parcel by parcel. Prospective purchasers deal directly with the Treasurer's Office on a negotiated bulk transaction. The office states it may adopt rules governing purchaser eligibility, including income disclosure, and that no person or entity delinquent on any tax owed to the county, or affiliated with such a person, may purchase certificates at sale. Purchasers are told to familiarize themselves with Ohio Rev. Code 5721.30 to 5721.43 before bidding.

Sale format and venue
Cuyahoga sells tax lien certificates in bulk through a negotiated sale, not through an online or in person auction, so no auction platform is involved and no per parcel bidding is available. The Treasurer's page states certificates "are offered in bulk via a negotiated sale, and are not offered for sale on an individual basis," that certificate terms are limited by contract to three years, and that the average sale ranges from 10 million to 17 million dollars covering several thousand parcels. The Treasurer's Office keeps full discretion to select, remove, and bundle certified delinquent parcels. The county sells only the right to collect the delinquency, not the property. If the lien is not redeemed within twelve months, the certificate holder may file a foreclosure action; the owner may redeem any time before confirmation of the foreclosure sale, and may enter a redemption payment plan under Ohio Rev. Code 5721.38. The county does not guarantee parcels are free of other encumbrances and directs purchasers to do their own diligence. Payments on parcels with liens sold or pending must be in certified funds. Servicing is outsourced: the Treasurer directs questions on certificates sold in 2026 to NAR Ohio at 1-866-960-0067 and on certificates sold 2018 through 2023 to Finch Investment Group at 1-844-729-5436. No public list of parcels going into a certificate sale is posted online; the Fiscal Office advertises certified delinquencies in a newspaper of general circulation.
Source: Cuyahoga County Treasurer's Office, Tax Lien Certificate Sales· Verified Aug 7, 2026

Tax deed sale

RealAuction
Run by
Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department, Civil Division (Civil Land Sales)
Frequency
annual
Registration
Bidding is online only through the Sheriff's RealAuction site.
Sale list
Sheriff sale auction calendar and scheduled property list
When it runs
The Sheriff's published Terms of Sale state: "All foreclosure sales, other than tax delinquent sales, are conducted every Monday at 9:00 am., unless said Monday is a holiday then the sale will be conducted on the next legal business day at 9:00 am. Tax Delinquent sales (County Treasurer as Plaintiff), when scheduled, will be held on a Wednesday beginning at 9:00 am." The county's foreclosure FAQ adds that "The Sheriff will assign a sale date approximately six weeks from the date an order of sale is issued to the Sheriff by the Clerk of Courts." The live auction calendar shows weekly foreclosure auctions at 09:00 AM ET.
Registration and deposit

Bidding is online only through the Sheriff's RealAuction site. Bidders register for a username and password and complete the Ohio Real Estate Judicial Sale Purchaser Information Form, which transmits to the Sheriff's office once the sale closes. To qualify, a bidder must post a deposit covering every property they intend to bid on. Statutory deposit tiers are 2,000 dollars if the appraised value is 10,000 dollars or less, 5,000 dollars if the value is above 10,000 up to 200,000 dollars, and 10,000 dollars above 200,000 dollars; for tax lien and delinquent tax cases the deposit is set by the Treasurer instead, and no appraisal is performed (the value shown on the site reflects taxes owed). Deposits are made by wire, due by 5 p.m. Eastern two business days before the auction, or by ACH debit, initiated by 4 p.m. Eastern five business days before the auction. Cash and international funds are not accepted. Bidding is proxy based in 100 dollar increments above the opening bid.

Sale format and venue
This is the deed side path: the Treasurer and Prosecutor bring the tax foreclosure in the Court of Common Pleas or through the Board of Revision for abandoned property, but the Sheriff conducts the auction under court order. The county states "All Cuyahoga County Sheriff Foreclosure Sales are held online only" and that sales "cannot be attended in person." Effective April 9, 2025, under Ohio Rev. Code 5721.19(J), a purchaser at a tax delinquent sale must submit a notarized Affidavit of Non-delinquency for each property, swearing they do not own Ohio property with unpaid delinquent taxes; the county will not transfer title without it, and original affidavits must be delivered to the Civil Division by mail or in person. Bidders on tax cases must otherwise comply with Ohio Rev. Code 5721.19. Payment to the Sheriff must be a certified bank check or cashier check (no credit union checks), a money order up to 10,000 dollars total, or a plaintiff's law firm check, payable to the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department; the Civil Administrative Unit accepts payments 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays. The balance is due within 30 days of confirmation, and interest of 10 percent per annum accrues from the sale date unless paid in full within 15 days for tax delinquency sales or 8 days for other sales. Successful bidders also owe a Recorder's fee of 47 dollars for the first three pages, a 75 dollar Sheriff's recording fee, the Auditor's conveyance fee, a 50 dollar Sheriff's deed fee, and a 5 dollar Fiscal Officer's deed fee on tax delinquent and tax lien certificate sales. Property viewing before the sale is not permitted. A parcel that draws no bids is marked unsold and may be re-offered at a second sale two weeks later. Legal notices of foreclosure and tax delinquent property are published before the sale in the Saturday edition of The Daily Legal News. Auction results are searchable at the Clerk of Courts sheriff sale search. Questions about a scheduled parcel go to the Sheriff's Civil Land Sales Department at (216) 443-6000 extension 1226; the Civil Division is at 1215 West 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, Cleveland, OH 44113. Account and registration questions go to RealAuction, not the county.
Register on RealAuction
Source: Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department, Terms of Sale (PDF)· Verified Aug 7, 2026

Cuyahoga County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Cuyahoga 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 Sheriff sale auction calendar and scheduled property list for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Bidding is online only through the Sheriff's RealAuction site. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Bidding runs on RealAuction; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department, Civil Division (Civil Land Sales) as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Cuyahoga County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Sheriff sale auction calendar and scheduled property list. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Bidding is online only through the Sheriff's RealAuction site. Bidders register for a username and password and complete the Ohio Real Estate Judicial Sale Purchaser Information Form, which transmits to the Sheriff's office once the sale closes. To qualify, a bidder must post a deposit covering every property they intend to bid on. Statutory deposit tiers are 2,000 dollars if the appraised value is 10,000 dollars or less, 5,000 dollars if the value is above 10,000 up to 200,000 dollars, and 10,000 dollars above 200,000 dollars; for tax lien and delinquent tax cases the deposit is set by the Treasurer instead, and no appraisal is performed (the value shown on the site reflects taxes owed). Deposits are made by wire, due by 5 p.m. Eastern two business days before the auction, or by ACH debit, initiated by 4 p.m. Eastern five business days before the auction. Cash and international funds are not accepted. Bidding is proxy based in 100 dollar increments above the opening bid.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Ohio 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.

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

Ohio has no over-the-counter tax certificate channel. The equivalent inventory is the county auditor's forfeited land list, made up of parcels that drew no qualifying bid at two foreclosure sales. The auditor offers that list at public auction at least annually, and a tract that still receives no bid meeting the statutory minimum may then be sold for the best price obtainable.

New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)

Cuyahoga County Treasurer's Office

216-443-7400 (Taxpayer Services, Option 1)

Cuyahoga County Administrative Headquarters, 2079 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, OH 44115

Official website

County notes

  • Cuyahoga County runs both Ohio paths, but they look very different in practice. The certificate side is a bulk negotiated sale closed directly with the Treasurer's Office, so individual investors cannot buy single certificates here. The deed side is a conventional online sheriff sale open to any registered bidder.
  • Deed side auctions run weekly. General mortgage foreclosure sales are held Mondays at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, and tax delinquent sales with the County Treasurer as plaintiff are held on Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. Eastern when scheduled.
  • Since April 9, 2025, a tax delinquent sale purchaser must file an Affidavit of Non-delinquency under Ohio Rev. Code 5721.19(J) before the county will transfer title. This is a hard gate for investors who hold other Ohio property with unpaid taxes.
  • Tax foreclosure cases carry no appraisal. The value shown on the auction site for a tax case reflects taxes owed, not market value, so bidders should not read it as an appraisal.
  • The Sheriff's Civil Division office (1215 West 3rd Street, Cleveland, OH 44113, (216) 443-6000 extension 1226) handles deed side questions; the Treasurer's Office at 2079 East Ninth Street handles delinquency and certificate questions.
  • Certificate servicing is outsourced. Payoff questions on 2026 certificates go to NAR Ohio and on 2018 through 2023 certificates to Finch Investment Group, per the Treasurer's page.
  • Treasurer is Brad Cromes; Cuyahoga is the only Ohio county whose Treasurer is appointed by the County Executive and approved by County Council rather than elected.

Ohio rules

Max interest rate
18% per year, bid down in 0.25% steps
Minimum return
6% floor at redemption
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.
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.
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.
Governing statute
R.C. Chapter 5721

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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Frequently asked questions

Does Cuyahoga County, Ohio sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Cuyahoga County follows Ohio's hybrid system. The County Treasurer sells tax lien certificates, and the County Sheriff handles the tax deed sale on parcels whose certificates go unredeemed.

When is the Cuyahoga County tax certificate sale?

The Treasurer's page states that "taxes that remain unpaid following the Second Half (July) tax collection are certified as delinquent, advertised by the Fiscal Office, and are then eligible for a tax lien certificate sale." The county's Delinquent Tax Policies and Procedures say a certified presale notice goes out when a sale is scheduled, giving the owner 30 days to pay or set up a contract, and that "A tax lien sale may follow this letter in the Fall." The same policy notes an unresolved delinquency makes the parcel eligible for foreclosure or a tax lien certificate sale the following year. The Treasurer holds a sale at its discretion rather than on a fixed statutory date. Always confirm the exact date with the County Treasurer before the sale.

How often does Cuyahoga County hold tax deed sales?

Cuyahoga County holds its tax deed sale once a year. 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. Ohio's redemption rule: 1 year after the certificate sale before the holder can request foreclosure; redemption then stays open until confirmation of sale. Call the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department, Civil Division (Civil Land Sales) 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 Cuyahoga County tax sale list?

Cuyahoga County posts its tax sale list at cuyahoga.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov. 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 7, 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 Cuyahoga County Treasurer's Office