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Tax Sale Atlas

Butler County, IA tax sales

Tax Sale Atlas maps the Butler County, IA tax sale, one of 2,553 counties in 30 states. Iowa sells tax lien certificates paying up to 24%. Sale office, calendar and list locations read from state rules plus what the county publishes on Jul 29, 2026.

How tax lien sales work in Butler County, seat of Allison: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.

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

Next sale
Iowa holds no tax deed auction.
County office
319-346-6626
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Butler County sells delinquent taxes

From lien to deed

Iowa holds no separate tax deed auction. The county treasurer makes out a deed for each parcel sold and unredeemed immediately after 90 days have expired from the date of completed service of the notice of expiration of the right of redemption, once the holder returns the certificate of purchase and pays the deed and recording fees.

Tax certificate sale (lien)

Run by
Butler County Treasurer's Office
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
Third Monday in June.
Next expected
on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
When it runs
Third Monday in June. The Butler County Treasurer portal's Important Dates page states: "Third Monday in June annual tax sale of outstanding property taxes, manufactured homes, mobile homes, weed assessments, special assessments, rates or charges, and drainage taxes." The county's Property Tax Information page adds that "Publication of delinquent taxes are printed the first week in June in one of the four county newspapers."
Registration and deposit

Butler County does not publish bidder registration instructions or a registration packet online. Contact the Treasurer's tax department at 319-346-6626 or treasurer@butlercounty.iowa.gov ahead of the June sale to confirm forms, deadlines, deposit requirements, and whether bidding is in person at the courthouse or online. The Iowa county treasurer portal carries a statewide "Register and Bid for Tax Sales" link to the Iowa Tax Auction program operated by SRI, where bidders create a free account and then register separately for each county auction and wait for seller approval. That link appears on every Iowa county's portal page, so it does not confirm how Butler runs its own sale.

Sale format and venue
The Butler County Treasurer conducts the annual tax sale, which sells tax lien certificates on delinquent parcels under Iowa Code Chapter 446. Timing comes from the Important Dates page served in Butler's county portal context, which sets the sale on the third Monday in June. The county's Property Tax Information page says delinquent taxes are published in one of four county newspapers during the first week of June and tells taxpayers to call the office to learn which paper carries the notice, so the sale list is not posted on a county web page. No online auction platform is confirmed for this county, and the county website has no dedicated tax sale page. Verify the sale format, start time, registration packet, and deposit rules directly with the Treasurer's tax department at 319-346-6626 before committing funds.
Source: Important Dates for Property Tax, Butler County Treasurer portal· Verified Jul 29, 2026

Butler County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Butler 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.

  1. Get the advertised list

    Butler County publishes no tax sale list online. The County Treasurer advertises the parcels ahead of the sale rather than posting them, so the list reaches bidders through the county legal newspaper and the office itself. Call 319-346-6626 to ask for the current advertisement.

  2. Register to bid

    Ask the county office how and when to register; many counties close registration days or weeks before the sale.

  3. Sale day

    Iowa holds no tax deed auction. The auction platform is still being verified. Confirm the next sale date and registration window with the county before you bid.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use County Treasurer as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Butler County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    There is no online list to price against. Butler County advertises the parcels before the sale rather than posting them, so get the advertisement from the office on 319-346-6626 and price from the parcel numbers it carries.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Butler County does not publish bidder registration instructions or a registration packet online. Contact the Treasurer's tax department at 319-346-6626 or treasurer@butlercounty.iowa.gov ahead of the June sale to confirm forms, deadlines, deposit requirements, and whether bidding is in person at the courthouse or online. The Iowa county treasurer portal carries a statewide "Register and Bid for Tax Sales" link to the Iowa Tax Auction program operated by SRI, where bidders create a free account and then register separately for each county auction and wait for seller approval. That link appears on every Iowa county's portal page, so it does not confirm how Butler runs its own sale.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Iowa due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.

  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.

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

Two routes reach parcels after the June sale. Parcels that remain unsold for want of bidders are carried to adjourned sales, which the treasurer sets at intervals of not more than two months until the next annual sale. Separately, certificates struck to the county at the public bidder sale may be assigned by the county for the total amount due on the date of assignment, or for a compromised amount, under a written agreement filed with the treasurer and a 10 dollar assignment transaction fee. Ask the county treasurer which county-held certificates are available for assignment.

New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work. Every state has its own name for what goes unsold, so check what Iowa calls its leftover tax-sale inventory.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)

Butler County Treasurer's Office

319-346-6626

428 6th St., PO Box 327, Allison, IA 50602

Official website

County notes

  • No dedicated tax sale page exists on the Butler County website. The Treasurer section covers only the office overview, motor vehicle services, and property tax information, so sale specifics must come from the office directly.
  • The mailing address varies by official source. The county Treasurer page lists 428 6th St., PO Box 325, Allison, IA 50602, which is also the courthouse's general address, while the Treasurer's own portal page lists PO Box 327 for the Treasurer's Office. Confirm the box number before mailing registration or redemption funds.
  • The delinquent list is published in one of four county newspapers rather than posted online. Call 319-346-6626 to find out which paper carries the current year's notice.
  • Treasurer of record is Roxie Nicolaus, who took office in March 2021 according to the Treasurer's portal page.
  • Use the tax department line, 319-346-6626, for sale questions. The motor vehicle line, 319-346-6569, and the driver license line, 319-346-6553, do not handle tax sale matters. Office window hours are 7:30am to 4:30pm.
  • Certificate holders may pay subsequent delinquent taxes through the Treasurer's online portal after registering for that service, per the portal's subsequent tax registration page.

Iowa rules

Max interest rate
24% per year, fixed by statute (not bid down)
Minimum return
No statutory minimum return; what you earn is set by the share of ownership taken at the sale
Redemption
A parcel may be redeemed at any time before the right of redemption expires. After one year and nine months from the date of sale, the certificate holder may serve a notice of expiration of the right of redemption on the person in possession, the person in whose name the parcel is taxed, and every mortgagee, contract vendor, recorded lessor, and other party of record. The right of redemption then ends 90 days after that service is complete, which means the affidavit of service has been filed with the county treasurer. Three shortened tracks exist: nine months from a public bidder sale under section 446.18, and three months from an abandoned-property or public nuisance sale under section 446.19A or 446.19B. After the treasurer delivers the deed, redemption is possible only through an equitable action in district court, and only by a person who could have redeemed during the 90-day window.
Surplus proceeds
No surplus arises. The deed conveys the parcel to the certificate holder rather than selling it to the highest bidder, so there are no excess proceeds to distribute. Where the winning bid was less than 100 percent, the deed conveys only that undivided percentage interest in the parcel.
Governing statute
Iowa Code Chapter 446

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.

See the full Iowarules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does Butler County, Iowa sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax lien certificates. In Iowa investors buy the lien, not the property; the County Treasurer runs the sale.

When is the Butler County tax certificate sale?

Third Monday in June. The Butler County Treasurer portal's Important Dates page states: "Third Monday in June annual tax sale of outstanding property taxes, manufactured homes, mobile homes, weed assessments, special assessments, rates or charges, and drainage taxes." The county's Property Tax Information page adds that "Publication of delinquent taxes are printed the first week in June in one of the four county newspapers." Always confirm the exact date with the County Treasurer before the sale.

How often does Butler County hold tax deed sales?

Butler County holds its tax deed sale none. Iowa holds no tax deed auction. 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. Iowa's redemption rule: 1 year 9 months from the sale before the notice of expiration can be served, then 90 days after service is complete. Call the County Treasurer 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.

Verified Jul 29, 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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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.

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Call Butler County Treasurer's Office