Caldwell County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Caldwell County, seat of Lockhart: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 27, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Texas tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Caldwell County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Caldwell County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff Mike Lane), with delinquent tax suits and property lists handled by Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP through the Caldwell County Appraisal District
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday of the month, starting at 10:00 a.m. Central. The Caldwell County Appraisal District states that "all tax sales in Caldwell County are held on the first Tuesday of the month" and that they are "usually held at 10:00 AM." The Notice of Sale dated April 6, 2026 set the sale for "the first Tuesday in May, 2026, the same being the 5th day of said month," running online "between the hours of 10 o'clock a.m. and 4 o'clock p.m. on said day, beginning at 10:00 AM."
- Sale list
- Sheriff's Tax Sale List with Maps
Registration and deposit
Bidding is online. Register on the Caldwell County Online Sheriff's Tax Sale Auction Site at least five business days before the auction; one account is established per bidder. A deposit equal to 5% of the intended total bid must be settled and allocated to Caldwell County before the auction starts, funded only by ACH or wire transfer (no cash, no international funds). ACH takes 5 business banking days to clear and wires can take 48 hours; wire deposits must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern two business days before the auction and must reference the account ID and county name. The balance of a winning bid is due within 24 hours of the close of the online sale, by wire transfer or counter payment by cashier's check. The county issues a tax sale deed roughly 3 to 5 weeks after payment.
Caldwell County sells redeemable tax deeds at a Sheriff's sale held the first Tuesday of the month, and the sale is now conducted entirely online. The April 6, 2026 Notice of Sale states the sale "shall be conducted as an ONLINE AUCTION at the following URL: https://caldwell.texas.sheriffsaleauctions.com," as provided in the "Resolution To Allow Online Auctions For Tax Foreclosure Sales And To Adopt Rules Governing Online Auctions" adopted by the Caldwell County Commissioners Court on August 24, 2021 and recorded as instrument 2021-007029. The platform FAQ confirms bidders no longer appear in person: "Tax sales are now conducted entirely online via this web site." Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP is the plaintiffs' attorney and in-office tax liaison (Sarah Haney, 512-686-2462); Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP handles property inside Luling ISD (512-302-0190). A property listing is posted about three weeks before each sale, at the appraisal district office at 211 Bufkin Ln and online under "Sheriff Tax Sale." Minimum bid is the lesser of the judgment amount plus interest and costs or the adjudged value, and all sales are subject to cancellation without prior notice. Buyers receive an ordinary sheriff's deed without warranty, title is not guaranteed, and every property bought at the sale is subject to the statutory right of redemption. Post-judgment taxes accrued since the foreclosure judgment remain the purchaser's responsibility.
Register on RealAuctionOver-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Texas has no over-the-counter certificate list. Parcels that draw no sufficient bid are struck off to the taxing unit that requested the order of sale, and that unit may resell them at any time by public or private sale. A public resale requested through the sheriff or constable may be sold for any amount. A private sale generally may not go below the lesser of the market value stated in the judgment or the total judgments against the property, unless every taxing unit entitled to proceeds consents. Ask the county or its delinquent-tax law firm for the current struck-off inventory.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Caldwell County
- Property taxes are not collected at the Tax Assessor-Collector's Lockhart office at 110 S. Main Street. That page directs taxpayers to the Luling office at 505 E. Fannin (830-875-9207) or to the Caldwell County Appraisal District at 211 Bufkin Ln, Lockhart, TX 78644 (512-398-5550), which is also where the tax sale, resale, and struck-off lists are published.
- The appraisal district's Sheriff's Tax Sale page still carries the older in-person language that Commissioners designated the sale location as "outside of the main entrance of the new Caldwell County Judicial Center located generally at 1703 S. Colorado Street, Lockhart, Texas 78644," while the current Notice of Sale and the county's own page point to the online auction. Confirm the format before any given sale date.
- Struck-off property is available between sales. Property struck off to the taxing units that has not yet gone to a resale auction can be bought at the appraisal district for the minimum bid plus subsequent years due, with a $30.00 deed filing fee. Property that failed to sell at a resale auction can draw a lesser bid, but every taxing entity must approve it.
- The tax resale auction happens roughly once a year, separate from the monthly first-Tuesday sale.
- The Realauction Manage Escrow module lets a bidder fund one account and allocate money across multiple Texas counties, but the bidder must first sign in to the Caldwell County site before allocating funds to it.
Texas statewide rules
- Redemption
- The redemption clock runs from the date the purchaser's deed is filed for record, not from the sale date. Property that was the owner's residence homestead or was land designated for agricultural use when the suit or the warrant application was filed, and any mineral interest, may be redeemed on or before the second anniversary of that filing. Every other property may be redeemed only through the 180th day after the deed is filed. When a parcel is struck off to a taxing unit instead, the period runs from the date the taxing unit's deed is filed for record. The former owner has no right to use, possess, or collect rent from the property while the redemption right runs, and the right of redemption cannot be sold or transferred: any instrument purporting to transfer it is void.
- Deed deposit
- The Tax Code sets no statewide deposit and no buyer premium. Section 34.01 directs the officer to conduct the sale the way similar property is sold under execution, so payment terms are set locally by the officer who runs the sale. Most Texas counties collect the full bid in cash or by cashier's check on the day of the sale. Confirm the terms with the county before you bid.
- Homestead deeds
- Texas sets no separate opening bid for a homestead. What changes on a homestead parcel is the exit: a residence homestead, land designated for agricultural use when the suit or warrant application was filed, and a mineral interest all carry a two-year redemption right instead of 180 days, and the premium the owner pays can reach 50 percent in the second year. Price a homestead parcel for that longer clock.
- Surplus proceeds
- The officer pays any excess proceeds to the clerk of the court that issued the order of sale. The clerk holds the excess for two years after the sale and notifies the former owner when the amount exceeds $25. A claim must be filed before the second anniversary of the sale. The court pays established claims in statutory priority: a purchaser at a sale later adjudged void, taxing units for post-judgment or omitted taxes, other lienholders, taxing units for unsatisfied judgment amounts, and then the former owner. Anything unclaimed is distributed to the taxing units.
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 Caldwell County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Caldwell County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Caldwell County hold tax deed sales?
- annual. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.
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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