Wahkiakum County, WA tax sales
How tax deed sales work in Wahkiakum County, seat of Cathlamet: 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
- Once a year in December.
- Format
- In person
- Registration
- No online platform.
- County office
- 360-795-8005
On this page
How Wahkiakum County sells delinquent taxes
Tax deed sale
- Run by
- Wahkiakum County Treasurer
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- Once a year in December.
- Registration
- No online platform.
When it runs
Registration and deposit
No online platform. Bidders or a representative must attend in person at the courthouse. The Foreclosure FAQ states: "Those wishing to bid must be present or have a representative present at the auction. This is an open, oral auction; not a sealed bid auction" and "Bidding cannot be done by phone or mail." Bids rise in increments of $50 or more. The winning bidder has 30 minutes after the close of the sale to pay in cash, cashier's check, or money order; personal and business checks are not accepted. A deed fee, recording fee, and sometimes advertising fees are added to the bid.
Sale format and venue
Wahkiakum County tax sale list and auction calendar
For Wahkiakum 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 2025 Foreclosure page (filed Certificate of Delinquency parcel list) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.Register to bid
Sale day
Once a year in December. The sale is live and in person; there is no online bidding platform. Confirm the venue and hour with the county office before you go.Confirm with the office
If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Wahkiakum County Treasurer as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.
Before you bid in Wahkiakum County
4 checks
Start with the live sale list
Pull the current advertised parcels from 2025 Foreclosure page (filed Certificate of Delinquency parcel list). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.Confirm registration and deposit
No online platform. Bidders or a representative must attend in person at the courthouse. The Foreclosure FAQ states: "Those wishing to bid must be present or have a representative present at the auction. This is an open, oral auction; not a sealed bid auction" and "Bidding cannot be done by phone or mail." Bids rise in increments of $50 or more. The winning bidder has 30 minutes after the close of the sale to pay in cash, cashier's check, or money order; personal and business checks are not accepted. A deed fee, recording fee, and sometimes advertising fees are added to the bid.
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.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
unsold properties
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
County notes
- The Treasurer holds one real property tax foreclosure auction per year, in December, at the Wahkiakum County Courthouse in Cathlamet.
- The auction is in person only: an open oral auction, no sealed bids, and no bidding by phone or mail; a bidder or representative must be present.
- Payment is due within 30 minutes of the close of the sale in cash, cashier's check, or money order only; bid increments are $50 or more.
- The minimum bid covers all unpaid taxes, costs, interest, and treasurer-collected assessments; foreclosure costs can exceed $800 per parcel.
- Redemption runs until close of business the day before the sale.
- The foreclosure list is published starting in mid-November; it can be viewed online, or requested from the Treasurer's Office with a self-addressed stamped envelope.
- Unsold parcels are deeded to the county and held as tax-title properties.
- The 2025 cycle's General Certificate of Delinquency (Case No. 25-2-00046-35, 2022 and prior year taxes) was filed with Superior Court on September 2, 2025.
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.
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 Wahkiakum County, Washington sell tax liens or tax deeds?
How often does Wahkiakum County hold tax deed sales?
I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?
Where can I find the Wahkiakum County tax sale list?
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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