Johnson County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Johnson County, seat of Cleburne: 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 Johnson County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Johnson County Constable's Office (tax foreclosure sales are conducted by the Sheriff or a Constable of Johnson County)
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday of the month, when properties are posted. The county's Constable Sale page states: "BY VIRTUE OF ORDERS OF SALE ISSUED OUT OF THE COURTS IN THE CAUSE NUMBERS INDICATED, THE FOLLOWING REAL PROPERTIES ARE TO BE SOLD AT THE CONSTABLE'S SALE AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH." The current posting under "Tax Sales in Precinct 1 & Precinct 2" is "August 4th 2026", and the sale list PDF is headed "JOHNSON COUNTY SALES FOR AUGUST 4, 2026 SCHEDULED FOR 10:00 A:M". That PDF adds that sales "are held on the first Tuesday of the month between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the courthouse steps at a place designated by the commissioners' court."
Registration and deposit
In person on sale day, plus an advance eligibility statement. The Constable Sale page states: "If you wish to bid on property at the Tax Sale, you will need to come to the Constable's Office, Room 112, to register prior to 10:00AM on the day of the sale." Bidders must also obtain a written statement from the Johnson County Tax Assessor-Collector showing no delinquent taxes are owed (Tax Code Sec. 34.015). The Tax Office requires a printed, notarized Request for Written Statement form with a $10 fee (cash or certified funds only) presented at least 5 business days before the sale, mailed to Johnson County Tax Office, Attn: Tax Sale Written Statement, PO Box 75, Cleburne, TX 76033, or hand delivered to 2 N Mill Street, Cleburne. The Constable Sale page says issuance takes approximately two weeks from request, so allow lead time. Purchases are paid by cashier's check or money order made payable to the Johnson County District Clerk.
Johnson County runs a live, in-person redeemable tax deed sale on the courthouse steps, not an online auction. No online bidding platform is used. Lists are posted as PDFs on the county's Constable Sale page, grouped as "Tax Sales in Precinct 1 & Precinct 2" and "Tax Sales in Precinct 3 & Precinct 4", and the county offers an email subscription for Constable sale lists and updates. The August 4, 2026 list was published by Constable Precinct One (Matt Wylie) and prepared by the county's delinquent tax firm, Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott, L.L.P.; it shows cause numbers, legal descriptions, appraisal district account numbers, estimated minimum bids, and taxpayer names. The list states each sale is "without warranty of any kind and subject to the prior owner's statutory right of redemption" and that purchasers receive a Sheriff or Constable's deed without warranty. It also warns that taxes may be due beyond the minimum bid amounts and must be paid independently of the bid. Properties can be withdrawn without being removed from the posted list, so the Constable's office asks bidders to call (817) 556-6163 to confirm. Property addresses can be researched through the Johnson County Central Appraisal District at johnsoncad.com. Johnson County's two delinquent tax attorneys are Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott, LLP (817-461-3344, Arlington) and Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP (817-877-4589, Fort Worth).
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)
Johnson County Tax Office (Tax Assessor-Collector Scott Porter)
Mailing: PO Box 75, Cleburne, TX 76033. Physical (main office, Cleburne Annex): 2 N Mill Street, Cleburne, TX 76033
Official websiteNotes for Johnson County
- Johnson County (county seat Cleburne) sells redeemable tax deeds at a live, in-person Constable's sale on the courthouse steps. There is no online auction platform.
- Sales run on the first Tuesday of the month at approximately 10:00 a.m., between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., at a place designated by the commissioners' court. The current posted sale is August 4, 2026 for Precincts 1 and 2.
- Bidders register in person at the Constable's Office, Room 112, before 10:00 a.m. on sale day, and must present a written statement from the Johnson County Tax Assessor-Collector showing no delinquent taxes owed. That statement costs $10, must be requested on a notarized form, and should be submitted at least 5 business days ahead; the Constable's page says issuance takes about two weeks.
- Winning bids are paid by cashier's check or money order made payable to the Johnson County District Clerk.
- Sale lists are posted as PDFs on the county's Constable Sale page and are prepared by the county's delinquent tax firm, Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott, L.L.P. The county also offers an email subscription for Constable sale lists and updates.
- Constable Precinct 1 (Matt Wylie) is at 3390 FM 1434, Cleburne, TX 76033, phone (817) 556-6163. Call that number to confirm whether a listed property has been withdrawn before the sale.
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 Johnson County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Johnson County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Johnson 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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