Lawrence County, OH tax sales
Lawrence 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 Ironton, under R.C. Chapter 5721.
New to tax sales? Read how Ohio tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.
- Next sale
- Sales run on Fridays.
- Format
- RealAuction
- County office
- (740) 532-3525
On this page
How Lawrence County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Lawrence County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
When it runs
Registration and deposit
Bidders file a registration form with the county treasurer before the auction starts and pay a $500 cash registration fee, refunded at the end of bidding unless the bidder wins, in which case it may be applied to the deposit. The treasurer may also require a letter from a financial institution confirming available funds. The winning bidder pays at least 10 percent of the certificate purchase price in cash by the close of business on the sale day and the balance plus the treasurer's fee within five business days.
Sale format and venue
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Lawrence County Sheriff's Office
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Sales run on Fridays.
- Sale list
- Sheriff sale auction calendar
When it runs
Registration and deposit
Register on the auction site 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; changes must be made before the sale date. To become a qualified bidder you must deliver a deposit to the Sheriff's Office by the posted deadline. The standard deposit is $2,000 when appraised value is $10,000 or less, $5,000 when it is above $10,000 up to $200,000, and $10,000 above $200,000, unless a judge orders otherwise. On tax lien and delinquent tax foreclosure cases the Treasurer sets the deposit instead, no appraisal is performed, and the value shown on the site reflects taxes owed rather than an appraisal. Bidders on tax cases must follow Ohio Revised Code 5721.19 and cannot buy if they owe delinquent taxes on other Ohio property; some counties also require an affidavit under 5721.19(J). Judgment creditors register separately and are not required to post a deposit under Ohio Revised Code 2329.211.
Sale format and venue
Lawrence County tax sale list and auction calendar
For Lawrence 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.
Get the advertised list
Use Sheriff sale auction calendar for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.Register to bid
Ask the county office how and when to register; many counties close registration days or weeks before the sale.Sale day
Sales run on Fridays. Bidding runs on RealAuction; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.Confirm with the office
If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Lawrence County Sheriff's Office as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.
Before you bid in Lawrence County
4 checks
Start with the live sale list
Pull the current advertised parcels from Sheriff sale auction calendar. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.Confirm registration and deposit
Register on the auction site 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; changes must be made before the sale date. To become a qualified bidder you must deliver a deposit to the Sheriff's Office by the posted deadline. The standard deposit is $2,000 when appraised value is $10,000 or less, $5,000 when it is above $10,000 up to $200,000, and $10,000 above $200,000, unless a judge orders otherwise. On tax lien and delinquent tax foreclosure cases the Treasurer sets the deposit instead, no appraisal is performed, and the value shown on the site reflects taxes owed rather than an appraisal. Bidders on tax cases must follow Ohio Revised Code 5721.19 and cannot buy if they owe delinquent taxes on other Ohio property; some counties also require an affidavit under 5721.19(J). Judgment creditors register separately and are not required to post a deposit under Ohio Revised Code 2329.211.
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.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
unsold liens and deeds
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)
County notes
- Lawrence County has no single county government portal covering every office. The Board of Commissioners site at lawrencecounty.org carries the department directory, and the Sheriff, Auditor, Treasurer, Recorder, and Clerk of Courts each run separate sites.
- The Sheriff's Office draws a clear line between the two paths: its sales page says the department does not generally handle the sale of property for non-payment of property taxes and refers those questions to the Treasurer, while the auction platform's rules explicitly cover tax lien and delinquent tax foreclosure cases under Ohio Revised Code 5721.19. Expect most tax-driven inventory here to arrive as judicial foreclosure cases sold by the Sheriff online.
- The Lawrence County Treasurer and Auditor websites could not be consulted for this record, so certificate sale details and any forfeited land sale run by the Auditor under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5723 remain unverified. Contact those offices directly to confirm.
- The auction platform's contact page lists a different phone number for the Clerk of Courts than the county's own department directory. The county directory number, (740) 533-4352, is the one to use.
- Third-party foreclosure listing sites publish Lawrence County sheriff sale inventory. None of them conduct the sale. Bidding happens only on the county's RealForeclose site after registration and a deposit with the Sheriff's Office.
- Lawrence County also has a county land bank in Ironton, which can take tax-delinquent parcels outside the auction. Land bank inventory is a separate acquisition channel from the Sheriff's sale.
Ohio rules
- 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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Does Lawrence County, Ohio sell tax liens or tax deeds?
When is the Lawrence County tax certificate sale?
How often does Lawrence County hold tax deed sales?
I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?
Where can I find the Lawrence County tax sale list?
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.
More Ohio counties
Browse all 88 Ohio counties
Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.