Frederick County, VA tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Frederick County sells delinquent real estate through a judicial sale in the Circuit Court of Frederick County, so there is no annual auction calendar to plan around. The Treasurer posts the date and time on the Tax Sales page once the Court orders a sale, and the formal notice runs in the Winchester Star.
• •Bidding is live on the steps of the Frederick County/Winchester Joint Judicial Center, 5 North Kent Street, Winchester, on the Kent Street side. Recent sales started at 11:30 a.m. and there is no online bidding platform, so plan to attend in person with certified funds.
• •Winchester is an independent city and a separate government from Frederick County, even though it is the county seat and the two share the Joint Judicial Center. A parcel inside the Winchester city limits is handled by the City of Winchester Treasurer, not by Frederick County.
• •An owner may redeem a listed parcel at any time before the sale date by paying all accumulated taxes, penalties, reasonable attorneys' fees, interest and costs, including the cost of publication. Parcels therefore drop off the advertised list right up to the day of the auction.
• •The Tax Sales page also lists parcels referred for legal proceedings under Va. Code 58.1-3965 that have no sale date yet, which is the earliest public warning that a parcel may reach auction. Watch that list for names and tax map numbers, then wait for a scheduled date and a linked sale ad.
• •Back taxes are paid out of the sale proceeds and the property is conveyed by Special Warranty Deed free and clear of other liens and judgments. Every sale is still subject to confirmation by the Circuit Court, and settlement is due within thirty days of that confirmation.

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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