Cherokee County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Cherokee County, seat of Rusk: 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 Cherokee County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Cherokee County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff Brent Dickson), 272 Underwood St., Rusk, TX 75785, 903-683-2271; sale lists for Cherokee County are published by MVBA Law (McCreary, Veselka, Bragg & Allen, P.C.) per the Cherokee County Appraisal District referral
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- No Cherokee County sale is posted at this time. The county publishes no sale calendar of its own, and the MVBA list it refers buyers to runs on the Texas first-Tuesday schedule: the page currently heads its sections "August Tax Sales (Tuesday, August 4, 2026)" and "September Tax Sales (Tuesday, September 1, 2026)", with Cherokee County absent from both.
Registration and deposit
MVBA states that "In-Person Tax Sales will have registration on-site the day of the Tax Sale." Online auctions use a separate advance registration at https://www.mvbataxsales.com/register, which MVBA labels "This link is ONLY for Registering for Auctions that are conducted ONLINE." Texas Tax Code section 34.015 also requires a bidder to present a written statement from the county tax assessor-collector showing no delinquent county taxes; request it from the Cherokee County Tax Assessor-Collector at 903-683-5478.
Cherokee County's own website carries no tax sale page. The Tax Assessor-Collector page covers tax rates, truth-in-taxation notices and vehicle registration only, and the Sheriff's page carries no sale notices. The Cherokee County Appraisal District states: "As of 1/17/23 our office will no longer provide information for properties that are listed on a tax sale" and points buyers to https://mvbalaw.com/tax-sales/month-sales, which identifies MVBA Law as the firm handling the county's delinquent tax sale lists. That MVBA list shows no Cherokee County sale as of this research. MVBA runs some Texas counties in person, publishing a PDF bid sheet with on-site registration, and some online, either on its own mvbataxsales.com platform or on GovEase (McLennan County). Because no Cherokee County sale was posted, no auction platform is asserted here and no platform URL is given; check the MVBA monthly page or call the Tax Assessor-Collector before assuming an online format. Texas sales are conducted by the sheriff or constable at the county courthouse under Tax Code section 34.01, and the buyer receives a redeemable deed subject to the section 34.21 redemption period and premium. Sale and foreclosure notices affecting Cherokee County property are also recorded with the County Clerk and searchable at the clerk's online records portal.
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
Notes for Cherokee County
- Cherokee County (county seat Rusk) publishes no tax sale page on its official site; the Tax Assessor-Collector page lists only tax rates, truth-in-taxation documents and vehicle registration links.
- Cherokee County Appraisal District, 107 East Sixth Street, Rusk, TX 75785 (PO Box 494), 903-683-2296, hours Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, states it no longer provides information on properties listed for tax sale and refers buyers to MVBA Law's monthly tax sale list.
- MVBA Law (McCreary, Veselka, Bragg & Allen, P.C.) publishes Texas county sale lists on a first-Tuesday cycle; Cherokee County was not on the list at the time of research, so the sale format (in person versus online) could not be verified.
- Cherokee County Sheriff's Office: Sheriff Brent Dickson, 272 Underwood St., Rusk, TX 75785, 903-683-2271. Under Texas Tax Code section 34.01 the sheriff or a constable conducts the sale, but the office page carries no sale notices.
- Cherokee County Clerk: Laverne Lusk, P.O. Box 420, Rusk, TX 75785, 903-683-2350. Recorded foreclosure and sale notices are searchable through the clerk's real property records portal, with index and images from August 20, 1846 to current.
- Tax Assessor-Collector email listed by the Texas Comptroller: [email protected]. The county's tax payment site at tax.co.cherokee.tx.us returns HTTP 403 to automated requests and was not verified.
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 Cherokee County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Cherokee County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Cherokee 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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