Defiance County, OH tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Defiance County runs the deed path, not an investor certificate path. The Treasurer certifies parcels one or more years delinquent to the Prosecutor for tax foreclosure, and the resulting real estate sales run through the Sheriff's online auction.
• •Sheriff sales are online only for Orders of Sale received after August 1, 2022, on the RealAuction platform at defiance.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov, Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. with a seven day proxy bid window.
• •Deposits are appraised value tiered ($2,000 / $5,000 / $10,000) and must clear by wire two business days out or by ACH five business days out, so registration and funding need to happen well before the sale date.
• •Unresolved item: the Sheriff's page says tax sales are held at the Treasurer's Office, but no schedule, location, or list for such a sale appears anywhere on the county site. Verify by phone with the Treasurer.
• •Real estate tax due dates are February 5 and July 20; the second half 2026 deadline was extended to July 31, 2026. The courthouse is under construction with limited parking and limited annex access.
• •Office contacts verified on the county site: Treasurer (419) 782-8741 at 500 W. Second St., Suite 101; Sheriff 419-784-1155 at 113 Biede Ave.; Clerk of Courts (419) 782-1936 at 221 Clinton Street; Auditor (419) 784-3111 at 500 Second Street, Suite 301.

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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