San Patricio County, TX tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in San Patricio County, seat of Sinton: 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 San Patricio County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
Details are being verified for this county.
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- San Patricio County Sheriff's Office
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- First Tuesday of the month at 10:00 AM CT, held only in months when foreclosed properties are posted. The county auction calendar shows past San Patricio tax sales on February 4, 2025, July 1, 2025, September 2, 2025, December 2, 2025 and April 7, 2026, each labeled "Tax Sale" with a start time of "10:00 AM CT" (the April 7, 2026 sale carried 73 scheduled items). The FAQ states "The sales are conducted between 10:00 a.m. CT and 4:00 p.m. CT." As of late July 2026 no future sale date was posted on the calendar.
- Sale list
- Preview Items For Sale (Realauction)
Registration and deposit
Register on the county's Realauction site before the sale. The sale-process page states "Anyone may bid on the properties by registering on this site at least five (5) business days before the auction." Fund a deposit equal to 5% of the intended total bid by ACH or wire transfer; ACH takes five business banking days and wires can take 48 hours, and deposits must be settled and allocated before the auction starts. Cash deposits and international funds are not accepted. Separately, download the Request for Written Statement, complete and notarize it, then email it to [email protected] or mail it to Marcela Thormaehlen, San Patricio County Tax Assessor-Collector, PO Box 280, Sinton, TX 78387. The Tax Assessor-Collector issues a certified Written Statement (bidder certificate) valid 90 days from issuance; allow 3 to 5 business days. That certificate must be submitted to the San Patricio County Sheriff's Office on or before the day of the sale, and the site warns a Sheriff's Deed will not be issued without a valid bidder certificate on file. The deposit is applied to the winning bid and the balance is due by 4:00 PM CT the day of the sale by wire transfer.
San Patricio County runs its tax foreclosure sale entirely online, not on the courthouse steps. The sale-process page cites Texas Property Tax Code sections 34.01(a-1) and 34.05(d) plus a Commissioners Court resolution adopted February 17, 2020 and recorded as instrument number 696317, authorizing the Sheriff to conduct tax foreclosure sales and resales by online bidding. Realauction.com, LLC provides the platform; the Sheriff's Office conducts the sale. 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." Properties are auctioned in sale-number order to the highest bidder, and the County may pull a property from the auction at any time without notice. Sales cease at 4:00 p.m. CT and anything not completed may be reposted for a future date. After full payment the county issues a tax sale deed, and the page says to "allow 3 to 5 weeks for issuance of the deed." The page also states "All property purchased at tax sale is subject to a statutory right of redemption." Bidders are pointed to Texas Property Tax Code sections 34.011 and 34.015. For questions about the tax foreclosure sale process the county's bidder letter directs bidders to Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP at (361) 888-6898; Realauction customer service is (877) 361-7325. The Tax Assessor-Collector page links to the auction site under the label "Online Tax Sales."
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)
San Patricio County Tax Assessor-Collector
P.O. Box 280, Sinton, TX 78387 (physical office: 1301 E. Sinton Street, Suite C, Sinton, TX 78387)
Official websiteNotes for San Patricio County
- The elected Tax Assessor-Collector is Marcela Thormaehlen. The main office is at 1301 E. Sinton Street, Suite C, Sinton, with substations in Aransas Pass (225 W. Wheeler), Mathis (600 N. Frio Street) and Portland (900 Austin St.). Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm.
- The Sheriff conducts the sale. Sheriff Oscar Rivera signs the bidder letter on the auction site. The Sheriff's Office is at 300 North Rachal, Sinton, TX 78387, phone 361-364-9600.
- The bidder certificate and the auction account are two separate steps. The Tax Assessor-Collector issues the certified Written Statement confirming no delinquent taxes are owed in the county, and the Sheriff's Office must have it on file before a deed will issue.
- Deposits use Realauction's shared escrow. A single deposit can be allocated across multiple Texas county sites that use the same login, but a bidder must sign in to the San Patricio site before allocating funds to it.
- Sale frequency is irregular. Sales appear on the calendar only when properties are posted, so several first Tuesdays pass with no sale.
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 San Patricio County, Texas sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- San Patricio County follows Texas's redeemable deed state system.
How often does San Patricio 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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