Runnels County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Runnels County, seat of Ballinger: 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 Runnels County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Runnels County Sheriff, at the Runnels County Courthouse. The delinquent tax suits and the bid sheet are handled by the county's delinquent tax law firm, MVBA. Winning bids are paid to the Runnels County Tax Assessor-Collector, and buyers receive a Sheriff's Deed.
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday of the month at 10:00 AM, when a sale is scheduled. The current bid sheet is headed "DELINQUENT TAX SALE - THE COUNTY OF RUNNELS, TEXAS" and "August 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM," held at the "Runnels County Court House, 613 Hutchings, Ballinger, Texas." MVBA's upcoming-sales calendar lists Runnels County only for that August 4, 2026 date, so sales are posted month by month as foreclosure judgments come ready rather than held every month.
Registration and deposit
Register on site before bidding starts. The bid sheet states: "Prior to the beginning of the tax sale, a person intending to bid is required to register with the person conducting the sale and present a valid driver's license or identification card issued by a state agency or the United States government." Anyone bidding for a corporation or entity "must provide documentation showing that the person is authorized to bid on behalf of that corporation or entity as an owner, manager, member or other duly authorized agent," and the grantee named in the deed must match the successful bidder (Section 34.015, Texas Tax Code). Bidders must not be barred from acquiring Texas real property under Section 5.253 of the Texas Property Code. MVBA's site confirms "In-Person Tax Sales will have registration on-site the day of the Tax Sale," and its online registration link is only for auctions conducted online. A Bidder's Acknowledgement form on the bid sheet is meant to be completed before arrival. MVBA also notes a buyer "may be required to present to the officer conducting the tax sale a written statement from the County Tax Assessor-Collector stating that the purchaser does not owe any delinquent taxes to the County, school districts or cities in the County." Payment is due at the sale in cash or a cashier's check payable to the Runnels County Tax Assessor-Collector; a bidder who fails to pay is liable for 20 percent of the property value plus costs under Rule 652 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, and a person registering for an entity is personally liable for the bid.
Runnels County runs a live, in-person redeemable tax deed sale on the courthouse steps, not an online auction, so there is no bidding platform. The bid sheet says property "will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder based on oral bids," with a minimum bid printed beside each tract that covers taxes delinquent through the judgment date but not the current tax year; the buyer pays taxes accruing after judgment. Buyers get "an ordinary type of Sheriff's Deed which is WITHOUT WARRANTY, express or implied," with title not guaranteed and title insurance possibly hard to obtain. Every purchase is subject to redemption running from the date the purchaser's deed is recorded: two years for homestead property, agricultural-appraised land, and mineral interests, and 180 days for all other property, with a redemption premium of 25 percent of the aggregate total in the first year or 50 percent in the second. Possession begins 20 days after the deed is recorded. Property sells by legal description, "AS IS" with all faults, all sales final, no refunds, and it may carry city or property owners association liens for demolition, mowing, or maintenance that the buyer has to pay. The August 4, 2026 bid sheet listed tracts in the City of Winters with minimum bids starting around $1,400. MVBA also maintains a Runnels in-trust (struck-off) list for property that did not sell; that list names one tract and directs questions to Julie Keller at (325) 672-4870. MVBA's tax sale office for Runnels County questions is in Abilene at (325) 597-1412, per the bid sheet. In person, oral bidding at the Runnels County Courthouse
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
Notes for Runnels County
- Sale is in person on the courthouse steps at 613 Hutchings, Ballinger. No online auction platform is used, so there is no bidding site to register on ahead of time.
- MVBA, the county's delinquent tax firm, publishes the Runnels bid sheet as a dated PDF on its upcoming-sales calendar. The August 4, 2026 sheet is at https://mvbalaw.com/wp-content/TaxUploads/0826_Runnels.pdf and the file name changes each sale, so start from the calendar page.
- Struck-off inventory is available between sales through MVBA's Runnels In-Trust Property list, which points buyers to Julie Keller at (325) 672-4870.
- The county's own domain co.runnels.tx.us no longer serves content; it redirects to a Texas state host that returns 403. Tax office contact details here come from the Runnels Central Appraisal District site, which states the appraisal district does not handle payments or collections and refers taxpayers to the tax office.
- Runnels Central Appraisal District itself is a separate office at 505 Hutchings Avenue, Ballinger, phone (325) 365-3583, useful for legal descriptions, plats, and account lookups before bidding.
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 Runnels County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Runnels County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does Runnels 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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