Knox County, OH tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Sheriff sale questions go to (740) 397-3333, ext. 3907 or [email protected]. The Sheriff's Office is at 11540 Upper Gilchrist Road, Mount Vernon, OH 43050.
• •Knox County Treasurer: Connie Durbin, 117 East High Street, Suite 103, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050, phone (740) 393-6735, fax (740) 397-3153, open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Posted 2026 real estate due dates are February 13 for the first half and August 26 for the second half. The page lists payment options only and shows no certificate or lien sale.
• •Knox County Prosecuting Attorney, Delinquent Real Estate Tax Unit: 117 East High Street, Suite 234, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050, phone (740) 393-6720, fax (740) 397-7792. The page states the unit "collects unpaid real estate taxes on behalf of the County Treasurer, assists landowners willing to pay, and institutes foreclosure actions against those who fail to pay."
• •Knox County Clerk of Courts: 117 East High Street, Suite 201, Mount Vernon, OH 43050, phone (740) 393-6788, per the county offices directory. The Clerk handles the foreclosure case file and the writ of possession a buyer files after the deed is recorded.
• •The county posts tax foreclosure paperwork under Public Notices, Foreclosure Notices, grouped as Publication for Complaint, Notice by Publication and Notice of Sale, with individual case PDFs dated through August 2026. This is the place to read the actual notice of sale for a parcel before bidding.
• •The Knox County Auditor publishes the annual Delinquent Land Tax Notice under Ohio Rev. Code 5721.03. The edition posted on the Auditor's site is dated Saturday, November 15, 2025, covers current year delinquencies only, and lists parcel number, owner name and amount owed by taxing district. Auditor is Sarah Thorne, 117 East High Street, Suite 120, Mount Vernon, OH 43050, phone (740) 393-6750.
• •The Auditor's site still links sheriff sales to the older knoxcountysheriff.com address. That address now redirects to the current county Sheriff pages, so both routes land in the right place.
• •The Realauction auction site blocks generic crawlers with a 403 response but loads normally in a browser. Its August 2026 calendar confirmed a foreclosure auction on Friday, August 14, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

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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