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Tax Sale Atlas

Holmes County, OH tax sales

Holmes 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 on parcels whose certificates go unredeemed, from the county seat in Millersburg, under R.C. Chapter 5721.

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

Next sale
The Sheriff's office states that "Sales will be scheduled for Thursday's at 10:00a.m.
Format
In person
County office
(330) 674-5871
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Aug 7, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Holmes County sells delinquent taxes

Tax certificate sale (lien)

Run by
Holmes County Treasurer
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
No tax certificate sale date or annual sale month is published by Holmes County.
Registration
No registration process for a Holmes County tax certificate sale is published.
Sale list
Holmes County Auditor delinquent property tax list
When it runs
No tax certificate sale date or annual sale month is published by Holmes County. The Treasurer's pages describe collection of real estate and manufactured home taxes, work with enforcement agencies to collect delinquent taxes, and special payment arrangements, but list no certificate sale calendar.
Registration and deposit

No registration process for a Holmes County tax certificate sale is published. Contact the Treasurer at (330) 674-5871 to confirm whether certificates are offered before planning a bid.

Sale format and venue
Holmes County publishes no tax certificate sale. The Treasurer's overview, contact and document library pages carry no certificate sale notice, list or bidder terms, and the county document library holds only ACH forms, a penalty remission form and historical tax rate sheets. The one county-published reference to certificate sales appears on the Sheriff's sales page, which states that "Tax sales, Tax Lien Certificate Sales and Probate Sales will continue to be sold on location until further notice at the Holmes County Courthouse, 1 East Jackson Street, Third (3) Floor, Millersburg, Ohio 44654." No online platform is confirmed for a certificate sale in this county, so verify with the Treasurer's office before assuming one exists. The closest usable inventory is the Auditor's delinquent list, which filters by tax year (2025 payable 2026 back to 2023 payable 2024), by real estate versus manufactured home, and by each of the county's 21 townships and 4 municipalities; that page showed a last-updated stamp of 08/06/2026.
Source: Holmes County Treasurer, Overview· Verified Aug 7, 2026

Tax deed sale

In person
Run by
Holmes County Sheriff's Office (sales ordered by the Holmes County Court of Common Pleas)
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
The Sheriff's office states that "Sales will be scheduled for Thursday's at 10:00a.m.
Sale list
Current Sheriff Sale Listings
When it runs
The Sheriff's office states that "Sales will be scheduled for Thursday's at 10:00a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)" and that auctions run one property at a time. Properties are open for proxy bidding "at least seven days immediately prior to the date of sale." Each property is advertised with two sale dates: the first sale requires two thirds of the appraised value, and if there are no bids the property moves to the second date and sells at a minimum bid set by local rules of the Holmes County Common Pleas Court. That two thirds rule does not apply to tax foreclosure sales.
Registration and deposit

For tax foreclosure sales the Sheriff requires "100% of the successful bid price by cash or cashier's check by 3pm the day of the sale," and states that "Tax foreclosure proceedings do not allow for the collection of a 10% down payment." Tax foreclosure parcels sell for all delinquent taxes owed up to the day of the sale plus all sale costs including deed processing, and any taxes accruing after the sale fall to the new owner. Tax foreclosure parcels are not appraised unless the court orders it. For the Sheriff's mortgage foreclosure auctions, which run online, bidders must register with Realauction, complete the Purchaser Information Form, and post a deposit of $2,000 (appraisal of $10,000 or less), $5,000 ($10,001 to $200,000) or $10,000 ($201,000 and above) by bank wire or ACH only, with wire deposits received by 5 p.m. EST two business days before the sale date. Judgment creditors post no deposit under Ohio Revised Code 2329.211 but must send the court order and a bidding style choice to Realauction at least one business day before the sale.

Sale format and venue
Two paths run through the same office and they are conducted differently. Since August 22, 2022 the Sheriff has sold real estate subject to mortgage foreclosure on the Official Public Sheriff's Sale Website operated by Realauction under a contract with the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, at https://holmes.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov. Tax foreclosure sales are carved out: the same page carries a notice that "Tax sales, Tax Lien Certificate Sales and Probate Sales will continue to be sold on location until further notice at the Holmes County Courthouse, 1 East Jackson Street, Third (3) Floor, Millersburg, Ohio 44654." Treat tax foreclosure parcels as live courthouse auctions and confirm the venue with the Sheriff before travelling, since the notice is open ended and the carve out could be lifted. Sales are advertised in the Holmes County Bargain Hunter for at least three consecutive weeks before the sale date, with ads also viewable in the classified section at www.holmesbargainhunter.com. Since House Bill 390 took effect on 09/28/2016 a plaintiff may use either the Sheriff's Office or a private selling officer, and a private selling officer sets its own sale location. Everything sells as is with no inspection, the Sheriff holds no keys and gives no warranty, and buyers are told to search the County Recorder's federal tax lien index because a federal lien may survive the sale. Sale questions go to Sergeant Roger Sprowl at (330) 674-1936, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Case dockets are searchable through the Clerk of Courts at http://courts.co.holmes.oh.us/eservices. In person at the Holmes County Courthouse for tax foreclosure sales
Source: Holmes County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Sales· Verified Aug 7, 2026

Holmes County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Holmes 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 Current Sheriff Sale Listings for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Ask the county office how and when to register; many counties close registration days or weeks before the sale.

  3. Sale day

    The Sheriff's office states that "Sales will be scheduled for Thursday's at 10:00a.m. 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 Holmes County Sheriff's Office (sales ordered by the Holmes County Court of Common Pleas) as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Holmes County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Current Sheriff Sale Listings. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    For tax foreclosure sales the Sheriff requires "100% of the successful bid price by cash or cashier's check by 3pm the day of the sale," and states that "Tax foreclosure proceedings do not allow for the collection of a 10% down payment." Tax foreclosure parcels sell for all delinquent taxes owed up to the day of the sale plus all sale costs including deed processing, and any taxes accruing after the sale fall to the new owner. Tax foreclosure parcels are not appraised unless the court orders it. For the Sheriff's mortgage foreclosure auctions, which run online, bidders must register with Realauction, complete the Purchaser Information Form, and post a deposit of $2,000 (appraisal of $10,000 or less), $5,000 ($10,001 to $200,000) or $10,000 ($201,000 and above) by bank wire or ACH only, with wire deposits received by 5 p.m. EST two business days before the sale date. Judgment creditors post no deposit under Ohio Revised Code 2329.211 but must send the court order and a bidding style choice to Realauction at least one business day before the sale.

  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)

Holmes County Treasurer

(330) 674-5871

75 E. Clinton St. Suite 105, Millersburg, OH 44654

Official website

County notes

  • Holmes County has an active deed side path and no published lien or certificate side sale. The Sheriff conducts the tax foreclosure auctions; the Treasurer publishes no certificate sale.
  • The two official pages describing Sheriff sales disagree. The county portal page at https://www.co.holmes.oh.us/35-sheriff/86-sheriff-sheriff-sales still describes every sale as held in person at the Holmes County Courthouse, 1 East Jackson Street, 3rd Floor, Room 302 Common Pleas Courtroom, with a 10% cash or cashier's check deposit and advertising in the Holmes County Journal. The Sheriff's own site at https://www.holmescountysheriff.org/sales-bids describes online sales through Realauction since August 22, 2022 and advertising in the Holmes County Bargain Hunter. The Sheriff's own site is the current one; the county portal page appears stale.
  • Two Treasurer addresses appear on the county site. The Treasurer overview page gives 75 E. Clinton St. Suite 105, Millersburg, OH 44654; the Treasurer contact page gives 1 E. Clinton St. Suite 105. The Auditor is listed at 75 East Clinton Suite 107 in the same building, so 75 E. Clinton St. Suite 105 is the address used here. Treasurer fax is (330) 674-5860 and hours are 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday.
  • Sale listings seen on the Sheriff's page at the time of research were both mortgage foreclosures scheduled online for 08-27-2026 and 09-10-2026 at 10:00 a.m.: 32 Hillside Drive, Millersburg (appraised $250,000, case 25-CV-064) and 14846 Township Road 4, Gambier (3.833 acres, appraised $100,000). No tax foreclosure parcels were listed.
  • Holmes County Sheriff: Tim Zimmerly, 8105 TR 574, Holmesville, OH 44633, (330) 674-1936. Holmes County Auditor: Jackie McKee, 75 East Clinton Suite 107, Millersburg, OH 44654, (330) 674-1896. Holmes County Clerk of Courts: Ronda P. Steimel, 1 E. Jackson St., Millersburg, OH 44654, (330) 674-1876.
  • The Realauction site at https://holmes.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov returns HTTP 200 and titles itself "RealForeclose - Holmes County Sheriff", footer "2026 Realauction.com LLC", with START HERE, REGISTER and AUCTION CALENDAR entry points and a county selector covering most Ohio counties. It intermittently returns 403 to automated fetchers, which is a firewall response and not a dead link.
  • No forfeited land sale under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5723 is advertised on the Holmes County Auditor site or the county portal.

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 Holmes County, Ohio sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Holmes 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 Holmes County tax certificate sale?

No tax certificate sale date or annual sale month is published by Holmes County. The Treasurer's pages describe collection of real estate and manufactured home taxes, work with enforcement agencies to collect delinquent taxes, and special payment arrangements, but list no certificate sale calendar. Always confirm the exact date with the County Treasurer before the sale.

How often does Holmes County hold tax deed sales?

Holmes County holds its tax deed sale once a year. The Sheriff's office states that "Sales will be scheduled for Thursday's at 10:00a.m. 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 Holmes County Sheriff's Office (sales ordered by the Holmes County Court of Common Pleas) 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 Holmes County tax sale list?

Holmes County posts its tax sale list at holmescountysheriff.org. 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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