Matagorda County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Matagorda County, seat of Bay City: 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 Matagorda County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Matagorda County Sheriff's Office (online tax foreclosure sale), with bidder eligibility statements issued by the Matagorda County Tax Assessor-Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The Tax Assessor-Collector page states: "Tax Sales are the 1st Tuesday of Month." The auction site's own calendar listed a Tax Sale on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 10:00 AM CT with 20 items scheduled. The FAQ adds: "The sales are conducted between 10:00 a.m. CT and 4:00 p.m. CT. All sales will cease at 4:00 p.m. CT on the day of the sales and any sales not completed may be reposted for a future date."
Registration and deposit
Two separate steps are required. First, the bidder eligibility statement: complete and notarize the Request for Written Statement About Delinquent Taxes for Tax Foreclosure Sale (Comptroller Form 50-307) under Tax Code Section 34.015, and send it to the Matagorda County Tax Office, Attn: Pam Dekle, 1801 7th St, Bay City, TX 77414, by mail, by email to [email protected], or by fax to (979) 244-7678, together with a check, cashier's check, or money order for $10 payable to Becky Cook, Tax Assessor/Collector. The FAQ requires the certified statement at least 2 business days before the sale, while the county Tax Assessor-Collector page states "Written Statements must be turned in a week before the Sale Date." Allow 3 to 5 business days for issuance. The resulting Written Statement, also called a Bidder Certificate, is valid for 90 days, and a Sheriff's Deed will not be issued without a valid Bidder Certificate on file. Second, the auction account: register on the Realauction site and fund a deposit. The county's Online Tax Sale Instructions say to register and place the deposit for your max bid 5 to 7 business days prior to the sale. The FAQ requires registration at least five business days before the auction and a deposit equal to 5% of the anticipated total bid, funded by ACH or wire only (no cash, no international funds). Wire deposits must be received by 4:00 p.m. CT two business days before the auction; ACH debit deposits must be initiated by 3:00 p.m. CT five business days before the auction. Deposits must be settled and allocated before the auction starts. Realauction customer service: 877-361-7325 or [email protected].
Matagorda County sells redeemable tax deeds. The sale is conducted online, not on the courthouse steps. The county Tax Assessor-Collector page links to the auction with the line "Click here to be redirected to our Online Auctions - Hosted by Realauction.com," and the FAQ states "Tax sales are now conducted entirely online via this web site. It is no longer necessary to appear in person to participate in the sale." Bidding is proxy style: the system bids on your behalf in $100 increments up to your maximum, and any bid placed inside the final 30 seconds extends the clock. The winning deposit is applied to the bid and the balance is due within 24 hours of the sale by wire transfer or in person. Deeds take roughly 3 to 5 weeks to issue, and title on the auction account must be entered correctly because the buyer pays for any correction deed. All purchases remain subject to the statutory right of redemption under Texas Tax Code Section 34.21. Two caveats for researchers: the auction site's "Tax Foreclosure Sale Process" page is unedited boilerplate that still names San Patricio County, so the Matagorda-specific FAQ is the reliable page; and the Online Tax Sale Instructions PDF prints the auction address in the singular form "sheriffsaleauction.com" and misspells the support email as "reaalauction.com," while the working addresses are the plural sheriffsaleauctions.com host and [email protected]. The Tax Assessor-Collector page also links the county's delinquent tax law firms, Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP and Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins and Mott, LLP.
Register on RealAuctionOver-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 Matagorda County
- County seat is Bay City. The Tax Assessor-Collector office is at 1801 7th Street; the county courthouse is at 1700 7th Street.
- Office hours: Monday 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Tax Assessor-Collector email [email protected]; written statement submissions go to [email protected] or fax (979) 244-7678.
- Matagorda County Sheriff's Office: Sheriff Richard 'Rick' DeLeon III, 2308 Avenue F, Bay City, TX 77414, phone 979-245-5526.
- The auction platform's Manage Escrow module lets one funded Realauction account be allocated across multiple Texas counties using the same login.
- The County Clerk publishes separate 'Foreclosure Listings' PDFs (2021 through 2024). Those are general foreclosure notices, not the tax sale list, so investors should use the Realauction calendar.
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 Matagorda County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Matagorda County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Matagorda 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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