Orange County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Orange County, seat of Orange: 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 Orange County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Orange County Tax Assessor-Collector
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- The county FAQ states "Orange County tax sales are generally held two to three times a year" and "Tax sales may only be held on the first Tuesday of each month. Sales are held online @ orange.texas.sheriffsaleauctions.com, and begin at 10:00 am." The auction site adds that "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." Sales are advertised in the Orange Leader classifieds for three consecutive weeks before the sale date. As of late July 2026 the auction calendar on the platform showed no scheduled sale, so check it before planning a trip.
Registration and deposit
Bidding is entirely online and open to the public. Register on the auction site through the Registration Wizard at least one business day before the auction; one account per bidder. A deposit equal to 5% of the bidder's intended total bid must be settled and allocated to Orange County before the auction starts, funded by ACH or wire only (no cash, no international funds). Wire deposits must arrive by 5 p.m. Eastern two business days before the auction; ACH debits must be initiated by 4 p.m. Eastern five business days before. Bidding is proxy-style, with the system advancing your bid in $100 increments up to your maximum. A written statement from the county Tax Assessor-Collector certifying no delinquent taxes is not needed to bid but is required before the officer can execute and deliver a deed, and it expires on the 90th day after issuance. The balance of a winning bid is due within 24 hours of the sale, by wire or by certified funds payable to Orange County delivered to the Orange County Tax Office.
Texas sells a redeemable deed, so the former owner keeps the Sec. 34.21 right of redemption after the sale. The county conducts the auction online under Texas Property Tax Code Sec. 34.01(a-1) and 34.05(d); appearing in person is no longer necessary. Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, L.L.P. handles all delinquent property tax accounts for Orange County, with delinquent real property accounts turned over July 1 and personal property accounts April 1. The minimum opening bid is the lesser of the total judgment amount or the appraised value. All purchases are final and are not subject to rescission for a purchaser's mistake. Properties that did not sell are carried as county trust property; the Tax Assessor-Collector currently accepts only bids at the original minimum bid amount, bid forms and procedures are supplied on request, and bids are refused if the bidder owes delinquent taxes.
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
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Notes for Orange County
- Auction platform confirmed as Realauction.com LLC: the site at orange.texas.sheriffsaleauctions.com carries the page title "RealForeclose- Orange County" and the footer "© 2026 Realauction.com LLC". The county's own Property Tax Sale Listing PDF says "Our tax foreclosure sales are now online. Please visit: https://orange.texas.sheriffsaleauctions.com for information on when and how to register and bid at our next online auction."
- Escrow funds are pooled across Realauction's Texas county sites, so a bidder can make one deposit and allocate it to Orange County, but funds must be allocated to Orange County specifically before that county's sale opens.
- The Tax Assessor-Collector's mailing address on the county trust property list is P.O. Box 1568, Orange, TX 77631, with fax (409) 882-7912 and email [email protected].
- The county directory page names Karen Fisher as Tax Assessor-Collector while the February 26, 2026 trust property list letterhead names Octavia Guzman, PCC CTOP. The officeholder name is left out of the record because the two official sources disagree.
- The trust property list dated February 26, 2026 shows struck-off parcels in Orange, Vidor, and Bridge City, evidence of an active Sec. 34.05 resale inventory between auctions.
- The county links its delinquent tax attorney website as https://www.lgbs.com/ and cites Texas Property Tax Code Chapter 34 at http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/TX/htm/TX.34.htm. Neither was fetched for this record.
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 Orange County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Orange County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Orange 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.