Clay County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Clay County, seat of Henrietta: 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 Clay County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Clay County Sheriff's Office
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Not published by Clay County. No sale date, calendar, or notice of sale appears anywhere on the county website (the complete page sitemap was reviewed) or on the county Legal Notice page, and Clay County did not appear on the MVBA upcoming Texas tax sales list at the time of research. Texas Tax Code § 34.01 places tax foreclosure sales on the first Tuesday of the month, but that timing was not confirmed for Clay County by any county source.
Registration and deposit
Not published by Clay County. Texas Tax Code § 34.015 requires a bidder to present a written statement from the county assessor-collector showing no delinquent taxes owed; no Clay County registration page, form, or instructions were found online. Contact the Tax Assessor-Collector at (940) 538-4356 to confirm the current process.
No online auction platform was verified for Clay County, so none is listed. The county website has no tax sale, sheriff sale, or struck-off property page at all, and neither does the Clay County Appraisal District site. Clay County is small (roughly 10,200 residents) and the sale is most likely conducted in person at the courthouse in Henrietta, but no county source states this, so treat the venue as unconfirmed. One structural detail matters here: the Texas Comptroller's county directory states that the Clay County tax office does not collect property taxes, and notes that where the assessor-collector does not collect, the appraisal district may collect some or all local property taxes. The Clay County Appraisal District site does offer a Pay Taxes Online function. Confirm with the Tax Assessor-Collector (940-538-4356), the Sheriff's Office (940-538-5611), or the Appraisal District (940-538-4311) before relying on any sale detail.
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)
Clay County Tax Assessor-Collector
Clay County Courthouse Annex, 214 N. Main St., Henrietta, TX 76365-2850
Official websiteNotes for Clay County
- Tax Assessor-Collector: Patti Jackson, 214 N. Main St. (Courthouse Annex), Henrietta, TX 76365-2850, phone (940) 538-4356, fax (940) 538-4624. Office hours are Monday through Thursday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
- The Texas Comptroller's directory carries an explicit note on the Clay County entry: this tax office does not collect property taxes, and where the county assessor-collector does not collect, the appraisal district may be responsible for collecting some or all local property taxes.
- Clay County Appraisal District: P.O. Box 108, Henrietta, TX 76365-0108; street address 101 E. Omega St., Henrietta, TX 76365-3437; phone (940) 538-4311; fax (940) 538-4725; chief appraiser Lisa Murphy. The district site offers online property tax payment.
- Clay County Sheriff's Office: Sheriff Sidney 'Kirk' Horton, 215 W. Gilbert St., Henrietta, TX 76365, phone (940) 538-5611. The office page carries no sheriff sale or tax foreclosure sale notices.
- The Clay County Legal Notice page lists only administrative items such as subdivision rules, tax abatement policy, budget hearings and county holidays. No tax sale or foreclosure notices are posted there.
- Clay County did not appear on the McCreary, Veselka, Bragg & Allen (MVBA) upcoming Texas tax sales list, which showed sales for Bastrop, Bosque, Comal, Harrison, Hill, Jasper, Lampasas, McLennan, Runnels, Rusk and Eastland counties at the time of research. The county's delinquent tax law firm could not be identified from any official source.
- County seat and courthouse: Clay County Courthouse, 100 N. Bridge St. (on the square), Henrietta, TX 76365.
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 Clay County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Clay County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Clay 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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