Calhoun County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Calhoun County, seat of Port Lavaca: 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 Calhoun County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Calhoun County Sheriff's Office conducts the sale. The delinquent tax sale is styled and noticed by the Calhoun County Appraisal District, which also serves as the county's consolidated tax office and handles collections.
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Sales run on the statutory first Tuesday at the courthouse, and only in months when Calhoun County has judgments ready. The most recent published notice heads: "DELINQUENT TAX SALE CALHOUN COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT CALHOUN COUNTY, TEXAS MAY 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM CALHOUN COUNTY COURTHOUSE 211 S Ann St., Port Lavaca, TX 77979." Watch the CAD Tax Sale Information page rather than assuming a monthly auction.
Registration and deposit
Register at the courthouse on sale day, not online. The notice states: "Prior to the beginning of the tax sale, a person intending to bid is required to register with the person conducting the sale and present a valid Driver's License or identification card issued by a State agency or the United States government." Bidding is oral and the property goes to the highest bidder for cash. Winners pay with cash, money order, or a cashier's check payable to the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office. A bidder who fails to pay is liable for 20 percent of the value of the property plus costs under Rule 652 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. The published notice does not mention the Section 34.015 written statement of no delinquent taxes, so confirm with the sheriff's office whether one is required before the deed is delivered.
Calhoun County runs its redeemable tax deed sale IN PERSON at the Calhoun County Courthouse, 211 S Ann St., Port Lavaca. No online auction platform is used, and the county publishes no online bidding site. The sale notice and the tract list are posted as a dated PDF on the Calhoun CAD Tax Sale Information page (the May 5, 2026 notice is at https://calhouncad.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/May-5th-Tax-Sale.pdf). The notice sets a minimum opening bid under each tract and states that bidding must start at that figure or higher, that the minimum covers taxes delinquent at the date of judgment, and that it does not include the current tax year. Buyers receive an ordinary Sheriff's Deed without warranty, express or implied, title is not guaranteed, and a policy of title insurance may be difficult to obtain. Property is sold by legal description, AS IS with all faults, and all sales are final with no refunds. Questions go to the CAD office in Port Lavaca at (361) 552-4560 extension 106.
Over-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)
Calhoun County Appraisal District (Consolidated Tax Office), Collections
426 W. Main St., Port Lavaca, TX 77979. Mailing: P.O. Box 49, Port Lavaca, TX 77979
Official websiteNotes for Calhoun County
- The Calhoun County Appraisal District states on its home page that "The Calhoun CAD also serves as the Consolidated Tax Office for the aforementioned Entities," so property tax collection and the delinquent tax sale notice both run through the CAD rather than a separate county collections office. CAD office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- The separate Calhoun County Tax Assessor/Collector office (Azalia Bonuz) sits at 211 S. Ann Street, Port Lavaca, TX 77979, mailing address P.O. Drawer 6, phone 361-553-4433, open 8am to 4:30pm.
- The sale notice repeats the statutory redemption terms: the period runs from the date the purchaser's deed is filed for record, two years for homestead property and property appraised as agricultural land, 180 days for all other property, with a redemption premium of 25 percent of the aggregate total during the first year and 50 percent during the second year.
- Right of possession begins 20 days after the purchaser's deed is filed in the deed records, per the notice citing Sec. 33.51 Tax Code. The notice warns buyers not to make unnecessary repairs or renovations during the redemption period because only reasonable maintenance, preservation, and safekeeping costs are recoverable.
- Property bought at this sale may still be subject to liens for demolition, mowing, or maintenance fees owed to the city or a property owners association.
- Deeds, maps, and plats sit with the County Clerk's office or the Appraisal District, and the lawsuit files behind the sale sit with the District Clerk. Any street address on the bid sheet comes from tax records and may not be accurate.
- Several tracts on the May 5, 2026 list were stamped WITHDRAWN before the sale, so confirm each tract is still being offered on sale day.
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 Calhoun County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Calhoun County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Calhoun 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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