Muskingum County, OH tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Muskingum County does not sell tax lien certificates. The Sheriff's Office states the county "does not sell tax liens because it cannot do so" and that Ohio law permits the practice only in a few larger counties, so the only investor entry point is the Sheriff's tax foreclosure sale.
• •The Sheriff's sale is fully online through RealForeclose at muskingum.sheriffsaleauction.ohio.gov, operated by Realauction.com LLC. Both foreclosed real estate and delinquent tax sales run there on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.
• •The Sheriff's Delinquent Tax Sales page contains outdated language describing in person sales in the courthouse lobby and stating there is no registration or mail bidding. The About page, the FAQ and the live auction calendar contradict it, so the online process with pre-registration is the current one.
• •The SalesWeb page at salesweb.civilview.com is the Sheriff's published notice list, linked from both the county site and the Treasurer as "Tax Foreclosure Sales". It carries a disclaimer that it is general summary information provided as a public service and it does not run the auction.
• •The Treasurer's "Delinquent List" navigation link returned a page not found error when checked, so the published delinquent list was not reachable from the site menu at the time of research.
• •The Muskingum County Auditor's site shows no forfeited land sale page, so the Sheriff's foreclosure sale is the only deed side auction identified for this county.
• •Sale notices are advertised in the Zanesville Times Recorder once a week for at least three consecutive weeks and posted at the Clerk of Courts office on the second floor of the courthouse.
• •Neither the Sheriff's Office nor the Treasurer's Office maintains a mailing list of scheduled properties, and the Sheriff's Office states it does not return calls about sales.

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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