Madison County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Madison County, seat of Madisonville: 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 Madison County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Sale conducted by the Madison County sheriff or a constable under Tex. Tax Code § 34.01, administered by Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP, the county's delinquent tax law firm named by the Madison County Tax Assessor-Collector. The Madison County Tax Assessor-Collector handles struck-off property inquiries.
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday of the month, 2:00 PM, at the courthouse. Linebarger's Madison County record states sales are "typically scheduled for: 2:00 PM" and gives the sale location as "at the North Door, Madison County Courthouse of the Courthouse of the said County, in the City of Madisonville, Texas." Linebarger's general FAQ states: "Public Tax Sales may only be conducted on the first Tuesday of the month except when January 1 or July 4 occurs on the first Tuesday. Then Sales may be conducted on the first Wednesday of the month." Notice of sale is "typically posted on or in" the Madisonville Meteor, and Linebarger's FAQ says sales are "advertised three times prior to the auction in a newspaper published in the county." As of this research no Madison County sale date was scheduled on the Linebarger list.
Registration and deposit
Per Linebarger's Madison County record: "Individuals wishing to bid on property at the sale must register with the Linebarger representative attending the sale prior to the start of the sale." Texas Tax Code § 34.015 separately requires a bidder to furnish the officer conducting the sale a written statement from the county tax assessor-collector that the bidder owes no delinquent property taxes; contact the Madison County Tax Assessor-Collector to obtain it. Payment is accepted by personal check, cashier's check or money order, payable to "Linebarger Law Firm." Bidding is open oral outcry to the highest bidder starting at the announced minimum bid.
Madison County's own government site has no tax sale page: the Bids and Foreclosures sections carry no content, and the Sheriff's page lists no sale notices. The county Tax Assessor-Collector page names Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP as the delinquent tax attorney and directs struck-off property questions to the firm or to the tax office, so the firm's Tax Sale Properties site is the operative list. Sales are held in person at the north door of the Madison County Courthouse in Madisonville; there is no online bidding platform. At the time of this research the Linebarger list showed one Madison County parcel, a struck-off tract carrying a $7,180 minimum bid and status "Available for Future Sale," with no scheduled sale date. Struck-off parcels are held in trust by the taxing units and may be re-offered later; Linebarger's FAQ directs struck-off bidders to "contact the local tax collection office for the county," which here is the Madison County Tax Assessor-Collector. Purchasers receive a sheriff's or constable's deed roughly four to six weeks after the auction. The specific officer who conducts the Madison County sale, sheriff or constable, was not stated on any page fetched; confirm with the tax office before bidding. Texas sells a redeemable deed, so the former owner may redeem under § 34.21. In person, live oral bidding at the courthouse. No online auction platform.
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 Madison County
- County seat is Madisonville. The Madison County Courthouse is at 101 West Main Street, Madisonville, TX 77864; main county phone (936) 241-6200.
- Tax office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Fax 936-348-2655.
- Delinquent tax counsel is Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP, named on the county Tax Assessor-Collector page.
- Madison County Appraisal District (madisoncad.org) is the source for parcel values and legal descriptions; Linebarger listings reference the appraisal roll account number.
- No online auction platform is used. Bidders must attend the sale in person at the courthouse north door.
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 Madison County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Madison County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Madison 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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