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Tax Sale Atlas

Adams County, WA tax sales

How tax deed sales work in Adams County, seat of Ritzville: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.

New to tax sales? Read how Washington tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Next sale
The county publishes no fixed auction month.
Registration
The Treasurer publishes no bidder registration procedure online.
County office
509-659-3227
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Aug 16, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Adams County sells delinquent taxes

No tax lien certificate sale

Washington counties do not sell tax lien certificates to investors.

Tax deed sale

Run by
Adams County Treasurer
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
The county publishes no fixed auction month.
Registration
The Treasurer publishes no bidder registration procedure online.
Sale list
Tax Title Property list (county-held parcels, PDF)
When it runs
The county publishes no fixed auction month. Foreclosure starts once taxes are three full years delinquent: "In July, the Certificate of Delinquency is filed with the Adams County Superior Court," and the public auction follows the Superior Court judgment. Owners and lienholders can redeem "until the close of business on the day before the public auction."
Registration and deposit

The Treasurer publishes no bidder registration procedure online. To hear about upcoming sales, email [email protected] and ask to join the foreclosure notification list; notice and summons also run in the official county newspaper under RCW 84.64.050.

Sale format and venue
The Treasurer's pages name no online auction platform; the sale is described only as a public auction after the Superior Court foreclosure judgment, so plan on contacting the office before bidding. The annual foreclosure sale list is not posted online; the county distributes sale information through its email notification list and the official county newspaper. Parcels that do not sell become Tax Title Property held in trust by the county and are resold by application: an Application to Purchase County Property plus a $150 fee per parcel, the Board of Commissioners sets the minimum price, notice runs three consecutive weeks in the official county newspaper, and the auction is held the week after final publication. The posted tax title list is dated October 3, 2025 and shows parcel numbers, legal descriptions, acreage, year acquired, and the amount on the county's certificate. The county warns that deeds carry no guarantees: "There can be clouded titles or other problems that the County is neither aware of nor responsible for."
Source: Adams County Treasurer, Foreclosures· Verified Aug 16, 2026

Adams County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Adams 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.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Use Tax Title Property list (county-held parcels, PDF) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    The Treasurer publishes no bidder registration procedure online. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    The county publishes no fixed auction month. The auction platform is still being verified. Confirm the next sale date and registration window with the county before you bid.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Adams County Treasurer as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Adams County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Tax Title Property list (county-held parcels, PDF). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    The Treasurer publishes no bidder registration procedure online. To hear about upcoming sales, email [email protected] and ask to join the foreclosure notification list; notice and summons also run in the official county newspaper under RCW 84.64.050.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Washington due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.

  4. 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.

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

Washington counties keep no standing over-the-counter list. Parcels that draw no sufficient bid are struck to the county in trust for the taxing districts as tax-title property. The county resells that inventory under chapter 36.35 RCW, usually at a later sale at a minimum price fixed by the county legislative authority after three weeks of published notice, and in limited cases by direct sale without bids, including within twelve months after a failed auction. Whether any tax-title inventory exists, and how this county sells it, must be confirmed on the county's tax-title or surplus property page.

New to this path? Read how over-the-counter purchases work.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax sale office

Adams County Treasurer

509-659-3227

210 W Broadway, Suite 203, Ritzville, WA 99169

Official website

County notes

  • Adams County moved from co.adams.wa.us to co.adams.wa.gov in November 2025; the old .us addresses redirect to the .gov domain.
  • The Treasurer files the Certificate of Delinquency with Adams County Superior Court in July for parcels three full years delinquent, then sells under a court judgment; no auction month, date, or venue is published on the county site.
  • No online auction platform (Bid4Assets, GovEase, or similar) is named anywhere on the Treasurer's pages.
  • Unsold foreclosure parcels become Tax Title Property; the county resells them by application ($150 per parcel), a commissioner-set minimum bid, three weeks of published notice, and an auction the week after final publication.
  • Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to noon and 1 pm to 4:30 pm. Treasurer email: [email protected].

Washington rules

Redemption
Any property on which a certificate of delinquency has been issued may be redeemed at any time before the close of business the day before the day of the sale. Washington has no general post-sale redemption period: once the treasurer sells the parcel, the sale is final for a competent adult owner. The one exception protects minors and persons adjudicated legally incompetent, whose property may be redeemed at any time within three years after the date of sale, on payment of the amount for which the property was sold plus interest at the statutory delinquent-tax rate from the date of sale, plus the reasonable value of improvements made in good faith on the property, less the value of their use. No fee may be charged for any redemption.
Deed deposit
For an auction conducted by electronic media, prospective bidders must deposit funds with the treasurer to participate, deposits of non-winning bidders are refunded within ten business days, and payment is by electronic funds transfer. Deposit amounts for in-person sales are set county by county, so confirm the figure on the county treasurer page or the auction platform terms.
Surplus proceeds
If the winning bid exceeds the minimum bid due on the whole property, the excess is refunded to the record owner. The record owner is the person who held title on the date the certificate of delinquency was issued. Surplus unclaimed within three years of the sale date is deposited in the county current expense fund, after which the claim is extinguished.
Governing statute
RCW Chapter 84.64

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.

See the full Washingtonrules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Adams County, Washington sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax deeds. Washington sells no tax lien certificates to investors; the County Treasurer sells the property itself at a public tax sale.

How often does Adams County hold tax deed sales?

Adams County holds its tax deed sale once a year. The county publishes no fixed auction month. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.

I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Washington's redemption rule: Until the close of business the day before the sale; no redemption after the sale except for minors and legally incompetent persons. Call the Adams County Treasurer as early as possible for your exact payoff and options; deadlines are strict. Free help: lawhelp.org lists legal aid programs, and consumerfinance.gov lists HUD-approved housing counselors.

Where can I find the Adams County tax sale list?

Adams County posts its tax sale list at co.adams.wa.gov. Lists go up ahead of each sale and keep changing until the sale date, so confirm every parcel against the county's legal advertisement before you bid.

Verified Aug 16, 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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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.

Washington tax salesDue diligence guide
Call Adams County Treasurer