Alpine County, CA tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •The Treasurer Tax-Collector sits inside the Alpine County Finance Department. Listed staff are Susan Lapin, Assistant Treasurer/Tax Collector (530-694-2286 x136) and Tiffany Maccagno, Deputy Treasurer/Tax Collector (530-694-2286 x137).
• •Office fax is 530-694-2285.
• •The county has no dedicated tax sale web page. The only county-published sale document found is the tax-defaulted land auction FAQ in the county Document Center, which names Bid4Assets as the platform and sets a $5,000 bidder deposit.
• •State law requires the notice of sale to be published in a county publication three times at successive seven-day intervals before the auction, so the local newspaper is the primary notice channel for a scheduled Alpine sale.
• •Property tax bill lookup runs through an external vendor at https://countytaxretriever.com/counties/county/16, linked from the Treasurer Tax-Collector page.
• •Timing data is stale. The only verified auction dates come from the November 2016 Bid4Assets storefront, and no Alpine County sale appears on the current Bid4Assets calendar. Treat the November window as historical precedent, not a confirmed recurring date.

California rules

Redemption

Tax-defaulted property may be redeemed until the right of redemption is terminated (section 4101). That right terminates at the close of business on the last business day prior to the commencement date of the tax sale, and the start of the auction counts as the sale date no matter when bidding closes. A redemption payment sent by mail must be received in the tax collector's office before that deadline. California has no post-sale redemption period: once the auction opens, a record owner who has not redeemed loses all legal and equitable interest in the property. Two situations revive the right of redemption. The right revives if the property is not sold, and it revives on the next business day if the tax collector approved a credit sale and the buyer did not pay in full by the deadline the tax collector set.California Revenue and Taxation Code 3707 - right of redemption terminates at close of business on the last business day before the saleCal. Rev. & Tax. Code 3707Verified Jul 25, 2026

Deed deposit

The tax collector may require a deposit and must give public notice before the sale of its amount, payment method, and due date, and of whether it is a condition of bidding or applies toward the purchase price. On a sale the tax collector approves as a deferred-payment transaction, the deposit may be $5,000 or 10 percent of the minimum bid price, whichever is greater. Counties set the specific figure, so confirm it on the county page or auction platform.California Revenue and Taxation Code 3706 - sale at public auction to the highest bidder, no bid below the approved minimum priceCal. Rev. & Tax. Code 3706Verified Jul 25, 2026

Surplus proceeds

Sale proceeds first cover statutory distributions, then taxes, assessments, and county costs. Anything left is excess proceeds held in the delinquent tax sale trust fund. A party of interest may file a claim at any time before one year after the tax collector's deed to the purchaser is recorded. Distribution runs first to lienholders of record before the tax deed was recorded, in order of their priority, then to persons with title of record. Excess proceeds not claimed within that year may be transferred to the county general fund.California Revenue and Taxation Code 4675 - claims for excess proceeds within one year of recordation of the tax deed, and claim priorityCal. Rev. & Tax. Code 4675Verified Jul 25, 2026

Governing statute

Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code, Division 1, Part 6 (sections 3351 to 3972)California Revenue and Taxation Code 3691 - power to sell tax-defaulted property after five years, three years for nonresidential commercialCal. Rev. & Tax. Code 3691Verified 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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