Accomack County, VA tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Accomack runs two paths to a deed. Small parcels are sold nonjudicially by special order of Treasurer James A. Lilliston, Sr. under Va. Code 58.1-3975 and are auctioned online by Virginia Auction Co., Inc. Other parcels go through a judicial sale under Va. Code 58.1-3965 et seq., where attorneys serving as special commissioners file suit in the circuit court and the court confirms the sale.
• •The first newspaper advertisement, headed NOTICE OF JUDICIAL SALE OF REAL PROPERTY, is not a bid list. The Treasurer's page explains it is notice to owners that judicial sale proceedings are about to start, and most parcels named there are redeemed before any auction. The advertisement that actually announces bidding is headed COMMISSIONERS SALE OF VALUABLE REAL ESTATE.
• •Parcels become eligible for judicial sale in most cases when taxes are delinquent on December 31 following the second anniversary of the date the taxes became due, per Va. Code 58.1-3965 et seq.
• •Bargain expectations should stay modest. Virginia law requires the circuit court to ensure the property sells for a fair and reasonable price, and the Treasurer reserves the right to reject any bid that does not cover all taxes due and the costs of the sale.
• •Excess proceeds from a tax sale are held by the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Accomack County and published in the monthly liability index on the Clerk's page. The Clerk's office is at 23316 Courthouse Ave., Accomac, VA 23301, reachable at 757-787-5776.
• •Pre-registering with the auctioneer is the practical way to track this county, since sale dates are set parcel by parcel rather than on an annual calendar and registered bidders are notified by email and text when a schedule and parcel list are published.
• •Sale and delinquency questions go to the Treasurer's Office at 757-787-5738 or 757-824-6451, open Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, at 23296 Courthouse Avenue, Suite 101, Accomac.

Virginia rules

Redemption

An owner listed in the published notice, or the owner's heirs, devisees, successors, and assigns, may redeem the real estate at any time before the date set for the judicial sale by paying into court everything due. The right ends when the sale happens; Virginia gives no redemption window after the hammer falls and no redemption window after the deed is recorded. Partial payment does not redeem the property and does not suspend, invalidate, or moot the suit. The treasurer may instead suspend the sale by entering an installment agreement with the owner running no more than 72 months, and an owner who defaults on such an agreement cannot enter a second one for the same property for three years. The same before-the-sale-only cutoff applies on the nonjudicial track under 58.1-3975. What does exist after the sale is not redemption but a challenge: a party served only by publication may petition for a rehearing for good cause within 90 days of the order confirming the sale.Va. Code 58.1-3974 - Redemption of land by owner; lien for taxes paidVa. Code 58.1-3974Verified Aug 23, 2026

Deed deposit

No statewide deposit percentage exists. Article 4 leaves the terms of sale to the special commissioner and the confirming court, so the deposit is whatever the advertised terms of that sale require. Read the terms of sale published with each auction and confirm accepted funds with the commissioner before bidding.Va. Code 58.1-3967 - How proceedings instituted; parties; title acquired; disposition of surplus proceeds of saleVa. Code 58.1-3967Verified Aug 23, 2026

Surplus proceeds

The former owner and the owner's heirs, devisees, successors, or assigns are entitled to the surplus received from the sale above the taxes, penalties, interest, reasonable attorney fees, costs, and any liens chargeable on the parcel, and the burden is on the claimant to prove entitlement. If no claim is made within two years after the date the sale is confirmed, the clerk pays the money to the locality that received the sale proceeds. On the nonjudicial track, excess proceeds sit in an interest-bearing escrow account held by the treasurer, a claimant has two years from the date of sale to schedule a hearing in circuit court, and unclaimed money goes to the locality's general fund.Va. Code 58.1-3967 - How proceedings instituted; parties; title acquired; disposition of surplus proceeds of saleVa. Code 58.1-3967Verified Aug 23, 2026

Governing statute

Va. Code Title 58.1, Chapter 39, Article 4Code of Virginia Title 58.1, Chapter 39 - Enforcement, Collection, Refunds, Remedies and Review of Local TaxesVa. Code Title 58.1, Ch. 39Verified Aug 23, 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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