McMullen County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in McMullen County, seat of Tilden: 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 McMullen County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- McMullen County Sheriff or Constable, selling under an order of sale at the McMullen County Courthouse. Delinquent tax collection for the county is handled by Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP, the firm the County Tax Assessor-Collector links under "Tax Sales Information."
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- McMullen County publishes no fixed tax sale calendar. The firm that handles its delinquent tax work 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. Public Auctions will be conducted at the courthouse of the county in which the property is located." Sales run only in months when the county has judgments ready, and this county rarely has any. Check the county notices page and the published newspaper notice for each sale.
Registration and deposit
No county-posted bidder registration process was found. Texas Tax Code 34.015 governs eligibility: the officer conducting the sale cannot deliver the deed until the winning bidder produces an unexpired written statement from the county assessor-collector showing no delinquent ad valorem taxes are owed to the county or to any school district or city in it. Request that statement from the McMullen County Tax Assessor-Collector at 361-274-3314 before the sale date. Confirm accepted payment methods with the officer conducting the sale, since Texas sets no statewide deposit or payment rule.
McMullen County runs its sales in person at the courthouse. No online tax sale auction platform was found for this county, and none is referenced by the county or by its delinquent tax law firm. The county's own notices page is the primary place sale notices appear, but most documents posted there are substitute trustee mortgage foreclosures rather than tax foreclosures, so read each notice to confirm the sale type. Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson publishes its Texas tax sale inventory at taxsales.lgbs.com; a check of that site's property listings in July 2026 returned no McMullen County properties, which matches a county of roughly 600 residents where tax foreclosure sales are uncommon. Because Texas sells a redeemable deed, a buyer here takes the property subject to the owner's statutory right to redeem. In person at the McMullen County Courthouse, 501 River Street, Tilden
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)
McMullen County Tax Assessor-Collector
P.O. Box 38, Tilden, TX 78072 (physical: 501 River Street, Tilden, TX 78072)
Official websiteNotes for McMullen County
- The County Tax Assessor-Collector is Bessilia "Bessie" Guerrero. The office is at the McMullen County Courthouse, 501 River Street in Tilden, with mail to P.O. Box 38, Tilden, TX 78072. Phone 361-274-3314, fax 361-274-3618. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- The Tax Assessor-Collector's page points bidders to Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP for tax sales information. That firm posts its Texas tax sale inventory at taxsales.lgbs.com. No McMullen County properties were listed there in July 2026.
- Sale notices are posted on the county's Property Tax Sale Notices and Notices of Sale page. Most current entries are substitute trustee mortgage foreclosures, not tax foreclosures. The county lists 361-274-3215 for questions about posted notices.
- Sales are held in person at the McMullen County Courthouse in Tilden. The courthouse main line is 361-274-3900. The Sheriff is Emmett Shelton at 361-274-3311, 401 Main Street, Tilden. The Constable for all four precincts is Marty Soward at 361-274-3900.
- McMullen County has roughly 600 residents, so months can pass with no tax sale. Call the Tax Assessor-Collector before planning a trip, and confirm the exact time and designated place of sale from the published notice rather than assuming a monthly auction.
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 McMullen County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- McMullen County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does McMullen 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.
Explore all 254 Texas counties
Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.