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Tax Sale Atlas

Putnam County, GA tax sales

Tax Sale Atlas maps the Putnam County, GA tax sale, one of 2,553 counties in 30 states. Georgia sells redeemable deeds carrying a 20% penalty in the first year. Sale office, calendar and list locations read from the county’s own official pages on Jul 27, 2026.

Putnam County Tax Commissioner tax sale news, sale calendar, courthouse auction rules, redemption, and office contacts

New to tax sales? Read how Georgia tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Next sale
Annual, on the first Tuesday in July.
Format
In person
Registration
Register in person on sale day at the courthouse.
County office
(706) 485-5441
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 27, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Putnam County sells delinquent taxes

No tax lien certificate sale

Georgia counties sell the property under a tax execution rather than auctioning tax lien certificates.

Tax deed sale

In person
Run by
Putnam County Tax Commissioner (Office of Terrell E. Abernathy), who also serves as Ex-Officio Sheriff of Putnam County
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
Annual, on the first Tuesday in July.
Registration
Register in person on sale day at the courthouse.
Sale list
Tax sale notices (search Putnam County under tax sales)
When it runs
Annual, on the first Tuesday in July. The Tax Commissioner's FAQ states: "We generally conduct one tax sale every year, on the first Tuesday in July, at the Putnam County Courthouse." The Purchaser's Guide adds that sales run "between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm, on the steps of the Putnam County Courthouse," and that if the first Tuesday falls on a legal holiday the sale moves to the next day, Wednesday (O.C.G.A. 9-13-161).
Registration and deposit

Register in person on sale day at the courthouse. The FAQ states: "Registration opens at 9:00 o'clock AM, and the publicly-cried auction will occur between 10:00 o'clock AM and 4:00 o'clock PM. There is no electronic bidding option, so if you can't attend in person you must send a friend to act as your agent." Bidders must present a government-issued photo ID at registration. Property sells to the highest bidder, with the opening bid set at taxes due plus penalties, interest, fi. fa. cost, levy cost, administrative levy fee, certified mail cost, advertising cost, and tax deed recording fees. Winning bids are payable in full by 4:00 PM the same day in certified funds only: cash, cashier's check, certified check, or money order.

Sale format and venue
Putnam County runs its tax sale IN PERSON on the courthouse steps in Eatonton. The Tax Commissioner states plainly that "There is no electronic bidding option," so an investor who cannot attend must send an agent. Sales are held once a year, the first Tuesday in July, with registration at 9:00 AM and bidding between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. The Tax Commissioner of Putnam County also serves as Ex-Officio Sheriff and may appoint Ex-Officio Deputy Sheriffs, who hold full power to advertise and bring property to sale (O.C.G.A. 48-2-55 and 48-3-6). Properties are advertised every Thursday for four consecutive weeks before the sale in the legal section of The Eatonton Messenger, and an updated list is available at the Tax Commissioner's office. What sells is a redeemable tax deed: the guide warns that tax deeds convey only defeasible title, so a buyer must foreclose the right to redeem after 12 months and often file a quiet title action in Superior Court. Excess funds are handled by the Tax Commissioner under O.C.G.A. 48-4-5 and an excess funds list is posted on the office website. In person, publicly cried auction on the Putnam County Courthouse steps. No online auction platform.
Source: Putnam County Tax Commissioner, Frequently Asked Questions (tax sale timing, registration, bidding, payment)· Verified Jul 27, 2026

Putnam County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Putnam 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. If the parcels on this list are vacant land rather than houses, what buying land at a tax sale hands you is the place to start.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Use Tax sale notices (search Putnam County under tax sales) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Register in person on sale day at the courthouse. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Annual, on the first Tuesday in July. 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.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use Putnam County Tax Commissioner (Office of Terrell E. Abernathy), who also serves as Ex-Officio Sheriff of Putnam County as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Putnam County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Tax sale notices (search Putnam County under tax sales). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Register in person on sale day at the courthouse. The FAQ states: "Registration opens at 9:00 o'clock AM, and the publicly-cried auction will occur between 10:00 o'clock AM and 4:00 o'clock PM. There is no electronic bidding option, so if you can't attend in person you must send a friend to act as your agent." Bidders must present a government-issued photo ID at registration. Property sells to the highest bidder, with the opening bid set at taxes due plus penalties, interest, fi. fa. cost, levy cost, administrative levy fee, certified mail cost, advertising cost, and tax deed recording fees. Winning bids are payable in full by 4:00 PM the same day in certified funds only: cash, cashier's check, certified check, or money order.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Georgia due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth. Which liens survive is state law, so read what survives a tax deed in Georgia before you price the title work.

  4. 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.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax sale office

Office of Terrell E. Abernathy, Putnam County Tax Commissioner

(706) 485-5441

100 South Jefferson Avenue, Suite 207, Eatonton, GA 31024

Official website

County notes

  • Sale is in person only. The Tax Commissioner's FAQ states there is no electronic bidding option, so do not expect an online portal for Putnam County.
  • One sale per year, the first Tuesday in July, on the Putnam County Courthouse steps. Registration opens 9:00 AM, bidding 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
  • Payment is due in full by 4:00 PM the same day, in certified funds only: cash, cashier's check, certified check, or money order.
  • Bidders must present a government-issued photo ID at registration.
  • The Tax Commissioner serves as Ex-Officio Sheriff of Putnam County and may appoint Ex-Officio Deputy Sheriffs to advertise and levy (O.C.G.A. 48-2-55, 48-3-6).
  • Notices run every Thursday for four consecutive weeks before the sale in the legal section of The Eatonton Messenger (https://www.msgrnews.com), the county legal organ. Notices are also mirrored on georgiapublicnotice.com, which is reference only.
  • An updated list is available in person at the Tax Commissioner's office, 100 S. Jefferson Ave., Suite 207, Eatonton.
  • The office publishes a Prospective Tax Sale Purchaser's Guide and an Excess Funds list on putnamgatax.com.
  • The guide states tax deeds convey defeasible title only. A purchaser must bar the right to redeem after 12 months and frequently needs a quiet title action in Superior Court to reach fee simple.
  • Opening bid equals taxes due plus penalties, interest, fi. fa. cost, levy cost, administrative levy fee, certified mail cost, advertising cost, and tax deed recording fees.
  • Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Fax (706) 485-2527, email PCTC117@Yahoo.com.
  • The Purchaser's Guide prints the office address as 100 N. Jefferson Ave., while the contact and hours pages both say 100 South Jefferson Avenue. The South Jefferson address matches the courthouse and is used here.

Georgia rules

Redemption
The right to redeem runs for 12 months from the date of the sale and does not end there. It continues after the year until the tax deed purchaser forecloses it by serving and publishing the statutory barment notice, which cannot be started until 12 months have passed. The purchaser delivers the notice to the sheriff at least 45 days before the redemption deadline named in it, and publishes it once a week for four consecutive weeks in the six months immediately before that deadline. Redemption puts title back in the defendant in fi. fa. subject to the liens that existed at the sale, and the purchaser must execute and record a quitclaim deed. Title under a tax deed recorded on or after July 1, 1996 ripens by prescription four years after recording. Judicial in rem foreclosures under Article 5 run on a different clock: the owner has 60 days after the sale to redeem by paying the minimum bid price into the superior court.
Deed deposit
Georgia sets no statewide percentage deposit. A purchaser at a judicial sale may tender cash or a cashier's or certified check drawn for the purchase price and issued or certified by a federally insured financial institution. Counties publish their own payment terms, and many require payment in full at the close of the sale, so confirm the terms with the tax commissioner before bidding.
Surplus proceeds
Excess funds left after taxes, costs, and the expenses of the sale belong to the former owner and to recorded lienholders in order of priority. The officer who sold the property must mail notice of the excess funds by first-class mail within 30 days to the record owner at the time of the sale, to the holder of each security deed, and to every other party with a recorded equity interest or claim, and may file an interpleader action in superior court. Funds still unclaimed five years after the sale are paid over to the Georgia Department of Revenue, after which only a court order from an interpleader action releases them.
Governing statute
O.C.G.A. Title 48, Chapter 4

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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Frequently asked questions

Does Putnam County, Georgia sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax deeds. Georgia sells no tax lien certificates to investors; the county sells the property itself at a public tax sale.

How often does Putnam County hold tax deed sales?

Putnam County holds its tax deed sale once a year. Annual, on the first Tuesday in July. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.

I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Georgia's redemption rule: 12 months from the date of the sale, and after that until the purchaser bars the right to redeem. Call the Putnam County Tax Commissioner (Office of Terrell E. Abernathy), who also serves as Ex-Officio Sheriff of Putnam County as early as possible for your exact payoff and options; deadlines are strict. Free help: lawhelp.org lists legal aid programs, and consumerfinance.gov lists HUD-approved housing counselors.

Where can I find the Putnam County tax sale list?

Putnam County posts its tax sale list at georgiapublicnotice.com. Lists go up ahead of each sale and keep changing until the sale date, so confirm every parcel against the county's legal advertisement before you bid.

Verified Jul 27, 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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