Hamilton County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Hamilton County, seat of Hamilton: 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 Hamilton County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Hamilton County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff Brad Boulton). Texas tax foreclosure sales are conducted by the sheriff or a constable under Tax Code § 34.01, but no Hamilton County page names the conducting officer or a sale.
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Not published by Hamilton County. Texas tax foreclosure sales fall on the first Tuesday of the month under Tax Code § 34.01. No county page states a sale date, start time, or sale location, and the only dated sale notices posted are substitute trustee sales for August 4, 2026 and September 1, 2026, which are private deed of trust foreclosures rather than tax sales.
Registration and deposit
No county-published bidder registration process. Texas Tax Code § 34.015 requires a bidder to present a written statement from the county tax assessor-collector showing no delinquent property taxes are owed. Hamilton County's assessor-collector page states in capitals that "THIS OFFICE DOES NOT HANDLE PROPERTY TAXES" and directs taxpayers to the Hamilton County Appraisal District, so request the statement through both offices well ahead of any sale date.
Hamilton County publishes no tax sale page, sale calendar, bidder packet, or delinquent property list. The county website, its Public Notices page, its Notice of Foreclosure Sales page, the Sheriff page, and the Hamilton Central Appraisal District website all carry no tax sale, resale, or struck-off property content. The Notice of Foreclosure Sales page lists only substitute trustee notices and states that "The County Clerk's personnel do not conduct the sale or have any information about the specifics of the sale. The sale is conducted by the trustees on behalf of the lenders." No online auction platform is advertised on any official Hamilton County page, so do not assume an online sale. Confirm by phone whether a sale is scheduled, where the notice is posted, and whether bidding is in person at the courthouse (102 N Rice Street, Hamilton, TX 76531). Property tax collection here sits with the appraisal district, not the tax assessor-collector, which changes who to call about payoff amounts and bidder statements.
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)
Notes for Hamilton County
- Hamilton County's tax assessor-collector does not collect property taxes. The office page states "THIS OFFICE DOES NOT HANDLE PROPERTY TAXES" and refers taxpayers to the Hamilton County Appraisal District. The Texas Comptroller county directory confirms it: the assessor's office "does not collect property taxes" and the appraisal district handles collection for the county. [county-tax-office, comptroller-directory]
- Hamilton Central Appraisal District is the collecting office: 401 E Main St., Hamilton, TX 76531, mailing PO Box 352, Hamilton, TX 76531, phone (254) 386-8945, open Monday through Thursday 7:30am to 4:30pm and Friday 7:30am to 1:30pm. Chief appraiser Codi Ann McCarn. Its site has no tax sale, delinquent, or struck-off section anywhere in the navigation. [hamilton-cad, comptroller-directory]
- Tax assessor-collector staff: Terry Payne Short (assessor-collector), Stephanie Guthrie (chief deputy, 254-386-1237), Kylie Bradburn (deputy, 254-386-1236). Fax 254-386-1233. Hours Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm. The office primarily handles Texas DMV motor vehicle transactions. [county-tax-office]
- Hamilton County Sheriff Brad Boulton, 1108 South Rice, Hamilton, TX 76531, phone 254-386-8120. The sheriff page posts no sale notices, only an estray notice. [county-sheriff]
- Hamilton County Courthouse is at 102 N Rice Street, Hamilton, TX 76531. County non-emergency line is (254) 386-3300. [county-home]
- The delinquent tax law firm for Hamilton County could not be confirmed from official pages. Hamilton County is absent from MVBA's monthly Texas tax sale list for August and September 2026 and from the Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson tax sale property feed. [mvba-month-sales, lgbs-map]
- Practical takeaway for investors: Hamilton County is a small, offline county for tax sales. Call the appraisal district at (254) 386-8945 for delinquency and payoff data and the sheriff's office at 254-386-8120 for sale scheduling, and check the courthouse posting board and the local newspaper of record, because nothing is published online.
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 Hamilton County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Hamilton County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Hamilton 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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