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Annual Public Auction Tax Sale

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1. How can I obtain a list of properties to be offered at the tax sale?

A list of tax-defaulted properties to be offered for sale is available on the Tax Collector’s website at least 21 days prior to the tax sale. Visit our website regularly for tax sale announcements.  

Remember--because property owners have the right to redeem their property prior to the sale, the final list of parcels to be offered for sale will not be available until the day of the sale. Auction list sales are final. Updated information on properties that remain in the sale is available online or at the Tax Collector’s office.

2. How do I find or see a property I'd like to bid on at the tax sale?

Vacant ("unimproved") land (which accounts for most property offered at our tax sales) usually has no address and therefore its approximate geographic location can be determined through the use of County Assessor plat maps. Exact boundary lines of a property can be determined only by a survey of the property initiated at the purchaser’s expense. "Improved" properties frequently (but not always) will bear a "situs" (street) address, making it quite simple to assess the location. A "situs" (street) address does not mean there are improvements on the property or that the improvements are included in the sale.

3. Is a tax sale publicly advertised?

Yes. State law dictates that the event of a tax sale must be published three times in successive seven day intervals before the tax sale date in a newspaper, or newspapers of general circulation within Contra Costa County. All parcels in the next tax sale will be advertised in local newspapers, the first publication date being not less than 21 days prior to the date of the sale.  These parcels will also be listed on the Tax Collector’s website during the same time period.

4. How do I enroll in a tax sale?

Please review the Registration Information handout available in our office or on our web site, www.cctax.us, for additional information and requirements and application deadlines. Prospective purchasers are required to register as a bidder on the GovEase.com website. Each bidder will have to electronically sign or fill out any registration documents. In addition, a single $5,000.00 deposit and a $35.00 registration fee is required to get approved to bid in the auction. The registration fee is non-refundable. All deposits and registrations must be received by GovEase no later than the Friday two weeks before the date the sale begins. If you need help, you can email [email protected] or call 769-208-5050, ext. 2. Credit cards are not an acceptable form of payment.  Registration can be done online at www.GovEase.com.  All unused deposits will be refunded by GovEase within seven to ten business days after the sale. Please review the California training articles and videos on the GovEase.

5. Can I mail in or submit a sealed bid for a property in the public auction sale?

No. The tax sale will be conducted online.

6. Can I obtain a property available at the public auction tax sale by paying the delinquent taxes thereon prior to the tentative tax sale date?

No. Legal title to tax-defaulted property subject to power of sale can be obtained through the Treasurer and Tax Collector only by being the successful bidder at the tax sale.

7. What guarantees do I have that the property is in good condition and can be used for my purposes?

The sale of these properties should not, in any way, be equated to real estate sales by licensed salespeople, brokers or realtors. The Treasurer-Tax Collector cannot guarantee the condition of the property nor assume any responsibility for conformance to codes, permits or zoning ordinances. 

The burden is on the purchaser to thoroughly research, before the sale, any matters relevant to his or her decision to purchase, rather than on the county, whose sole interest is the recovery of back taxes. It is also recommended that bidders consult with the zoning and planning departments of any city within which a particular parcel lies. ALL PROPERTIES ARE SOLD "AS IS" AND ALL SALES ARE FINAL.

8. Do all properties with an address have a home on them?

No. An address does not mean there is or was a structure on the property. It does not guarantee that the address shown in the tax sale list is correct or that the structure is part of the sale.

9. How soon can I take possession of a property after my purchase at the tax sale?

The successful bidder may take possession of a property after the Tax Deed to Purchaser has been recorded.

10. How is the minimum bid on a tax sale property determined?

State law dictates that the minimum bid for property offered at a public auction tax sale be an amount not less than the total amount necessary to redeem the tax default, plus cost. Except pursuant to Section 3698.5(c) of the California Revenue and Taxation Code, when property interests have been offered at a previous sale and no acceptable bids were received, the Tax Collector may offer that property or property interest at a minimum bid that is less than the amount of the tax default, plus cost.

11. When does the right of redemption on a tax-defaulted parcel subject to the power to sell cease?

The right of redemption on a tax-defaulted parcel subject to the Tax Collector’s power to sell ceases at the close of business on the last day prior to the date of sale. There is no extended right of redemption in the State of California.  Redemption by mail with Certified or Cashier’s Check must be received in our office by the last business day prior to the date of the sale. Our mailing address is Tax Collector, Attn: Redemption, P.O. Box 631, Martinez, CA 94553. 

12. How soon may I begin improvement of the property after my purchase?

There is a one year period of time, after the date the tax deed is executed that a proceeding based on alleged invalidity or irregularity can be commenced, pursuant to Section 3725 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code.

13. What happens to the properties that do not sell at the auction? Can tax sale properties be purchased directly from the County?

If no acceptable bids are received for a property, it may be offered again at a future Tax Sale. Legal title to tax-defaulted property subject to power of sale can be obtained through the Treasurer - Tax Collector only by being the successful bidder at the tax sale. Additionally, pursuant to Section 3698.5(c) of said code, the Tax Collector may re-offer the property at any time for a minimum bid that is set at the discretion of the Tax Collector and approved by the County Board of Supervisors.

14. What are the conditions of payment for property at the Tax Sale?

Payment in full by wire transfer or ACH will be required within 24 hours of the close of the auction. No business checks, personal checks or credit cards will be accepted. A 3% Buyers Premium will be included during the live bidding and will reflect in the final purchase price.

Purchasers of property at the tax sale must also pay a Documentary Transfer Tax on the amount of the bid. The tax is based on the rate of $.55 for each $500 or fractional part of each $500 when the bid exceeds $100.

Purchasers of property within the city of Richmond must also pay a City Transfer Tax in addition to the Documentary Transfer Tax. The rate for this city tax is $7 per $1,000 of the purchase price.

Purchasers of property within the city of El Cerrito must also pay a city Transfer Tax in addition to the Documentary Transfer Tax. The rate for this city tax is $12 per $1,000 or fraction thereof.

15. Do liens or encumbrances on Tax Sale properties transfer to the new owner through a Tax sale property purchase?

Chapter 7, Section 3712 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code states: “The deed conveys title to the purchaser free of all encumbrances of any kind existing before the sale, except:

(a) Any lien for installments of taxes and special assessments, which installments will become payable upon the secured roll after the time of sale.

(b) The lien for taxes or assessments or other rights of any taxing agency which does not consent to the sale under this chapter.

(c) Liens for special assessments levied upon the property conveyed which were, at the time of the sale under this chapter, not included in the amount necessary to redeem the tax-defaulted property, and, where a taxing agency which collects its own taxes has consented to the sale under this chapter, not included in the amount required to redeem from sale to the taxing agency.

(d) Easements constituting servitude upon or burdens to the property; water rights, the record title to which is held separately from the title to the property; and restrictions of record.

(e) Unaccepted, recorded, irrevocable offers of dedication of the property to the public or a public entity for a public purpose, and recorded options of any taxing agency to purchase the property or any interest therein for a public purpose.

(f) Unpaid assessments under the Improvement Bond Act of 1915 (Division 10 [commencing with Section 8500] of the Streets and Highways Code) which are not satisfied as a result of the sale proceeds being applied pursuant to Chapter 1.3 (commencing with Section 4671) Part 8.

(g) Any federal Internal Revenue Service liens which, pursuant to provisions of federal law, are not discharged by the sale, even though the tax collector has provided proper notice to the Internal Revenue Service before that date.”

(h) Unpaid special taxes under the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 (Chapter 2.5 [commencing with Section 53311] of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code) that are not satisfied as a result of the sale proceeds being applied pursuant to Chapter 1.3 (commencing with Section 4671) of Part 8.”

Note: A title search initiated at the prospective purchaser(s)’ expense should reveal any liens or encumbrances on a property in the tax sale.

16. How can I determine what use I can make of a Tax Sale property before I purchase it?

Consult the zoning and planning departments of any city within which a property lies or the County’s Building Inspection Department for property in unincorporated areas regarding use of the parcel. The County Recorder’s records should be consulted for any recorded easements on a property.

17. How do I obtain information on Tax Lien Certificate Sales?

The Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector does NOT offer tax lien certificates.

18. How can I get parcel maps of the properties?

Copies of the parcel maps can be purchased from the County Assessor's Office.

19. How will the title in the deed to the purchaser be vested?

Title is vested in the name of the actual purchaser at the sale as provided at the time of registration to the GovEase.com website. If title is to be vested differently, we require a notarized letter from the individual you are acting as an agent for, stating the manner in which title is to be vested.

20. Are properties sold at auction on an "AS IS" basis?

YES! Should the successful purchaser desire a survey of the property, it will be at the purchaser's own initiative and expense. No warranty is made by the County, either expressed or implied, relative to the usability, the ground location, or property lines of the properties. The exact location, desirability, and usefulness of the properties must be determined by the prospective purchaser.

The County assumes no liability for any other possible liens, encumbrances or easements, recorded or not recorded. When property is sold at tax sale on which the IRS holds a tax lien, the United States has the right of redemption for 120 days from the date of such sale (26 USC Sec. 3712(g) and 7425(d)). The IRS will pay the actual amount paid for the property by the bidder, plus interest at 6% per annum from the date of sale, plus the expenses of sale that exceed any income received from the property.