Clarke County, AL tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Clarke County runs a tax LIEN auction, not a tax deed sale, under its Section 40-10-180 election filed by the Revenue Commissioner in August 2022.
• •The auction is held in person at the Clarke County Courthouse door in Grove Hill. There is no online bidding platform, and no bids are accepted by phone, email, fax or mail.
• •Payment is due on the day of the auction in cash or money order only. No checks or credit cards.
• •Bidding runs the interest rate down from 12% in 1% increments to the lowest rate bid.
• •Real and personal property taxes are due October 1 and become delinquent after December 31 each year, which sets up the following spring's lien auction.
• •The parcel list is published only as a legal notice in the Clarke County Democrat, typically for three consecutive weeks in April. No list is posted on the county website.
• •The Alabama DOR state-held transcript for Clarke County was empty as of the 07/20/2026 transcript date, so there is currently no state-held inventory to buy by price quote.
• •Since the county sells liens, the purchaser does not receive a tax deed at the end of redemption and must file a foreclosure action in Circuit Court to obtain a clerk's deed.
• •Property values, payment status and ten years of appraisal history are searchable on the county's AssuranceWeb portal, though online payments were shown as disabled at the time of review.

Alabama rules

Max interest rate

12% per year, bid down at auctionCode of Alabama 1975, Section 40-10-184 - Auction procedures; winning bidsAla. Code § 40-10-184Verified Jul 25, 2026

Minimum return

No statutory minimum; interest accrues at your bid rateCode of Alabama 1975, Section 40-10-184 - Auction procedures; winning bidsAla. Code § 40-10-184Verified Jul 25, 2026

Redemption

A tax lien can be redeemed at any time before the circuit court enters judgment in a foreclosure action, and the holder cannot file that action until four years after the auction or the tax official's private sale. If the holder does not commence a foreclosure action within ten years of the auction or sale, the certificate expires and the lien becomes void. A certificate holder has no right to enter or possess the property, make repairs, or charge rents before it receives the circuit clerk's deed. In a county that uses the Article 1 property tax sale instead, land sold to a purchaser other than the state may be redeemed within three years from the date of sale, and land bid in for the state may be redeemed at any time before title passes out of the state.Code of Alabama 1975, Section 40-10-193 - Redemption of a tax lienAla. Code § 40-10-193Verified Jul 25, 2026

Surplus proceeds

In a court-ordered auction the proceeds pay the cost of the auction first, then the certificate holder up to the redemption amount plus taxes it paid before filing and the court-allowed costs and fees. Any surplus goes to the owner or the owner's heirs or successors as the court determines, and Alabama's unclaimed property law applies to whatever is left. In a county that instead uses the Article 1 property tax sale, the excess over the decree is held in a separate county account for three years for a party who redeems, and Section 40-10-28 opens later windows in which the owner or a redeeming party can claim it.Code of Alabama 1975, Section 40-10-28 - Disposition of excess arising from saleAla. Code § 40-10-28Verified Jul 25, 2026

Governing statute

Ala. Code § 40-10-180Code of Alabama 1975, Section 40-10-180 - Purpose; choice of remedy by tax collecting officialAla. Code § 40-10-180Verified Jul 25, 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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