Orange County, VT tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Orange County has no county tax sale. Each town's collector of delinquent taxes runs its own sale.
• •Tunbridge: the Collector of Delinquent Taxes held a public auction on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at the Tunbridge Town Office, 271 Vermont Route 110.
• •Tunbridge: the property list, property descriptions and the collector's letter for that sale are posted on the town's Collector of Delinquent Taxes page. The collector's mailing address is P.O. Box 252, Tunbridge, VT 05077, phone 802-280-8382.
• •Williamstown: the Town Manager serves as Delinquent Tax Collector, at 2470 Vermont Route 14, P.O. Box 646, Williamstown, VT 05679, phone 802-433-6671 x101.
• •Williamstown: under the town's written policy, a sale follows 32 V.S.A. § 5252 when no repayment plan is in place after 60 days, and sale costs, including legal fees up to 15% of the delinquent tax, are charged to the taxpayer.
• •Williamstown: the list of delinquent taxpayers as of December 31 is published in the Williamstown Annual Report.
• •Bradford: the Delinquent Tax Collector is reached at 802-222-4727 ext. 200, Town Office, 172 North Main Street, Bradford, VT 05033.
• •Randolph: property tax questions go to the Town Treasurer at 7 Summer Street, Drawer B, Randolph, VT 05060, phone 802-728-5433 ext. 11. Taxes unpaid after the March 31 due date carry an 8% penalty.
• •Chelsea: tax questions go to the Town Treasurer at 802-685-7801, 301 VT Route 110, P.O. Box 266, Chelsea, VT 05038.
• •Braintree, Brookfield, Corinth, Fairlee, Newbury, Orange, Strafford, Thetford, Topsham, Vershire, Washington and West Fairlee post no sale on their town websites. Their sale notices and lists appear in the local newspaper and at the town clerk's or collector's office.

Vermont rules

Redemption

The owner, a lienholder or a mortgagee, or their representatives or assigns, may redeem within one year from the day of sale by paying or tendering to the collector who made the sale (or to the town clerk if the collector has died or left town) the sum for which the land was sold plus 1 percent a month, with a part month counted as a full month. The money is paid over to the buyer on demand and no deed is made. Between 90 and 120 days before the year ends the collector must send the owner, by certified mail, and post a warning stating the date redemption ends and the amount due. If no one redeems, the collector executes a deed to the buyer.32 V.S.A. § 5260, redemption within one year from the day of sale at 1 percent a month or fraction on the sum for which the land was sold; notice 90 to 120 days before the end32 V.S.A. § 5260Verified Sep 27, 2026

Deed deposit

No statute sets a deposit or registration requirement. The statutory return form records the sale as made 'for cash' to the highest bidder (§ 5255). Each town sets its own payment terms; read them in the town's notice.32 V.S.A. § 5252, collector's warrant and levy on real estate: $1,500 and more-than-one-year delinquency threshold, repayment-plan offer, recording, advertising and mailed notice32 V.S.A. § 5252Verified Sep 27, 2026

Surplus proceeds

No Vermont statute addresses what happens to the part of a winning bid above the taxes, costs and fees when the property is not redeemed. §§ 5251 to 5263 are silent, and no act of 2023 through 2026 amends §§ 5253 to 5263. If the property is redeemed, the whole sale price comes back to the buyer with interest (§ 5260(a)). 2024 Act 106 Sec. 7 created a working group to recommend whether an owner whose property passes by collector's deed should be able to recoup the equity above the tax debt; as of the 2026 session no such change has been enacted. By contrast, a sale on distraint of personal property returns the balance to the taxpayer (§ 5193), and in a court foreclosure of the tax lien the commissioner disposes of any residue with the court's approval (§ 5061(b)). Tyler v. Hennepin County (2023) bears on this, so ask the town how it handles excess proceeds before bidding.2024 Acts and Resolves No. 106 (H.629), an act relating to changes to property tax abatement and tax sales: repayment-plan offer, notice changes, and a working group on whether owners should recoup equityVerified Sep 27, 2026

Governing statute

32 V.S.A. § 477232 V.S.A. § 4772, collector mails the tax notice at least 30 days before the payment date32 V.S.A. § 4772Verified Sep 27, 2026

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.

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