San Diego County, CA tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Platform verified: https://sdttc.mytaxsale.com/ loads and is branded SDTTC.MyTaxSale.com. The Bidder Registration page names the operator: bid deposits are paid "via an electronic debit (ACH debit) to Grant Street Group at sdttc.mytaxsale.com." No Bid4Assets or RealAuction involvement was found.
• •Timing caveat: as of this research the county Property Tax Sale page shows "The property tax auction for 2027 is not yet scheduled" and "Registration: TBA," while the auction site carries an announcement reading "Bidding on the next San Diego property tax auction will start on May 8," which appears to refer to the May 2026 re-offer sale and is likely stale. Treat March as the recurring primary-sale month and May as the recurring re-offer month, and re-verify exact dates each cycle.
• •Contact provenance: the 1600 Pacific Hwy, Room 162 mailing address and the 1-877-829-4732 tax collection line come from the Treasurer-Tax Collector Locations page (sdttc_locations). The sale-specific line (619) 531-5708 and PropertyTaxSales@sdcounty.ca.gov come from the Notice of Public Internet Auction 7102 (sdttc_notice_7102).
• •Volume context from the county's own Prior Sales Results table: 2025, 495 properties offered, 331 sold, $3,753,100 total, 2,596 registered bidders; 2024, 468 offered, 149 sold, $4,108,900, 4,694 bidders. San Diego moved from oral auctions (through Tax Sale 7056 in 2015) to online auctions starting with Tax Sale 7063 in 2017.
• •Encumbrance guidance is published by the office: mortgages, deeds of trust, judgments and child support liens are extinguished, but code violations survive, a recorded lis pendens may lead to a surviving lien, and street debt, irrigation assessments, IRS liens and abatement or nuisance liens may not be discharged. The office states it does not advise on dischargeability.

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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