Halifax County, VA tax sales
How tax deed sales work in Halifax County, seat of Halifax: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
New to tax sales? Read how Virginia tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.
- Next sale
- Halifax County holds online only timed auctions that open and close about two weeks apart.
- Format
- County site
- County office
- (434) 476-3318
On this page
How Halifax County sells delinquent taxes
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Halifax County Treasurer's Office, with Virginia Auction Co., Inc. of Suffolk as the auctioneer. The Treasurer certifies the delinquency and confirms the nonjudicial sales; attorney James J. Reid of Newport News takes the money on the county's second, attorney-administered tax auction.
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Halifax County holds online only timed auctions that open and close about two weeks apart.
When it runs
Registration and deposit
Bidding is online only through Virginia Auction Co. at vaauctionco.com, which also offers a bidding app. Create a bidder account and clear approval before the auction opens, because approval is not instant; the auctioneer asks bidders still pending approval on the morning bidding opens to call 757-538-0123. Every Halifax auction uses auto-extend bidding, so the closing time rolls forward while bids keep arriving. Payment terms differ by track. On the Treasurer's nonjudicial sale the winner owes the bid price plus a 15 percent buyer's premium plus a $200 deed recordation fee, in cash, cashier's check, money order or wire, delivered to Virginia Auction Co., 3533 Pruden Blvd., Suffolk, VA 23434 within 2 hours of the close, with $15 added for wire transfers. On the attorney-administered Halifax auction there is no buyer's premium, a 20 percent deposit is due at the close, and the balance is due within 10 days, paid to James J. Reid, Esq., 12610 Patrick Henry Dr., Suite D, Newport News, VA 23602.
Sale format and venue
Halifax County tax sale list and auction calendar
For Halifax County tax sale 2026 searches, use the county-run sources below rather than a copied parcel list, and confirm the parcel, registration cutoff, deposit, and payment deadline against the county before you bid.
Get the advertised list
Use Current Halifax County tax auction lots for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.Register to bid
Ask the county office how and when to register; many counties close registration days or weeks before the sale.Sale day
Halifax County holds online only timed auctions that open and close about two weeks apart. Bidding runs on County site; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.Confirm with the office
If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Halifax County Treasurer's Office, with Virginia Auction Co., Inc. of Suffolk as the auctioneer. The Treasurer certifies the delinquency and confirms the nonjudicial sales; attorney James J. Reid of Newport News takes the money on the county's second, attorney-administered tax auction. as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.
Before you bid in Halifax County
4 checks
Start with the live sale list
Pull the current advertised parcels from Current Halifax County tax auction lots. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.Confirm registration and deposit
Bidding is online only through Virginia Auction Co. at vaauctionco.com, which also offers a bidding app. Create a bidder account and clear approval before the auction opens, because approval is not instant; the auctioneer asks bidders still pending approval on the morning bidding opens to call 757-538-0123. Every Halifax auction uses auto-extend bidding, so the closing time rolls forward while bids keep arriving. Payment terms differ by track. On the Treasurer's nonjudicial sale the winner owes the bid price plus a 15 percent buyer's premium plus a $200 deed recordation fee, in cash, cashier's check, money order or wire, delivered to Virginia Auction Co., 3533 Pruden Blvd., Suffolk, VA 23434 within 2 hours of the close, with $15 added for wire transfers. On the attorney-administered Halifax auction there is no buyer's premium, a 20 percent deposit is due at the close, and the balance is due within 10 days, paid to James J. Reid, Esq., 12610 Patrick Henry Dr., Suite D, Newport News, VA 23602.
Check the state rules that change the bid
Read the Virginia due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.Set a walk-away number
Work out what the parcel is actually worth with the rural land value estimator, then turn it into a ceiling with the tax deed max-bid calculator.
Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.
County offices
Tax sale office
Halifax County Treasurer's Office
1030 Mary Bethune Street, Suite 103, Halifax, VA 24558 (mailing: P.O. Box 825, Halifax, VA 24558)
Official websiteCounty notes
- Halifax County runs two separate tax auctions and their terms are not the same. The Treasurer's nonjudicial sale under Va. Code 58.1-3975 carries a 15 percent buyer's premium and a $200 deed recordation fee and is payable in full within 2 hours of the close. The county's other tax auction, handled through the office of attorney James J. Reid in Newport News, carries no buyer's premium, takes a 20 percent deposit at the close and allows 10 days for the balance. Read the terms attached to the specific auction you are bidding in.
- The nonjudicial sale is confirmed by the Halifax County Treasurer rather than by a circuit court judge. The county notice states the sale is "subject to confirmation by the Treasurer of Halifax County, Virginia," and the auctioneer's terms name Treasurer Shana Hetzell as the confirming officer. That is a shorter path to a recorded deed than the court-supervised route, but the same as is risks apply.
- Budget the full cost rather than the hammer price. On the nonjudicial track a $5,000 winning bid becomes $5,950 once the 15 percent buyer's premium and the $200 deed recordation fee are added, and a wire payment adds another $15.
- Halifax County identifies sale parcels by owner name, Property Record Number and Map ID rather than by street address, so map every PRN in the county GIS and walk the boundaries before you bid. Parcels sell in gross and not by the acre, so acreage stated in the notice is not warranted.
- Sale notices are posted under the Treasurer's department page on the county site, and the lots themselves appear on the auctioneer's listings. Bidder approval takes time, so register several days ahead of the opening bell rather than the morning of.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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 Halifax County, Virginia sell tax liens or tax deeds?
How often does Halifax County hold tax deed sales?
I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?
Where can I find the Halifax County tax sale list?
Verified Aug 23, 2026 against official county and state sources.
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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