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Tax Sale Atlas

Clarke County, IA tax sales

Tax Sale Atlas maps the Clarke 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 Clarke County, seat of Osceola: 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.
Format
In person
Registration
The county page publishes no bidder registration form, deadline, or fee.
County office
641-342-3311
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Clarke 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)

In person
Run by
Clarke County Treasurer's Office
Frequency
annual
Registration
The county page publishes no bidder registration form, deadline, or fee.
Next expected
on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list
Clarke County tax sale page: how to obtain the delinquent parcel list
When it runs
The county states: "The Annual Tax Sale takes place in June of each year at the Clarke County Courthouse." No specific June date or start time is posted on the county page, so confirm the exact date with the Treasurer's office.
Registration and deposit

The county page publishes no bidder registration form, deadline, or fee. It describes the sale as an open competitive bidding process governed by Iowa Code chapter 446 and states that "The investor is responsible for all research on parcels available for auction." Call the Treasurer's office at 641-342-3311 to confirm registration steps, required paperwork, and any deposit before the June sale.

Sale format and venue
Clarke County holds its annual tax sale in person at the Clarke County Courthouse in Osceola. The county tax sale page names no online auction platform, so no platform is confirmed for this county and any online listing you see elsewhere should be verified with the office. Delinquent parcels subject to sale are advertised in the Osceola Sentinel-Tribune. The Treasurer also supplies the delinquent list directly: paper reports cost $15.00 per listing and can be picked up at the office or mailed, and electronic downloadable computer reports of delinquent items are available on request. Requests go to Clarke County Treasurer, Attn: Tax Administrative Supervisor, P.O. Box 157, Osceola, IA 50213, fax (641) 342-6269, email clarketr@iowatelecom.net. No exact sale date, registration deadline, or deposit is published online.
Source: Clarke County, Iowa - Tax Sale· Verified Jul 29, 2026

Clarke County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Clarke 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

    Use Clarke County tax sale page: how to obtain the delinquent parcel list for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    The county page publishes no bidder registration form, deadline, or fee. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Iowa holds no tax deed auction. 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 County Treasurer as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in Clarke County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Clarke County tax sale page: how to obtain the delinquent parcel list. Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    The county page publishes no bidder registration form, deadline, or fee. It describes the sale as an open competitive bidding process governed by Iowa Code chapter 446 and states that "The investor is responsible for all research on parcels available for auction." Call the Treasurer's office at 641-342-3311 to confirm registration steps, required paperwork, and any deposit before the June 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)

Clarke County Treasurer's Office

641-342-3311

Clarke County Treasurer, P.O. Box 157, Osceola, IA 50213 (Clarke County Courthouse, 100 South Main Street, Osceola, IA 50213)

Official website

County notes

  • Clarke County's own tax sale page confirms a June sale held in person at the Clarke County Courthouse and names no online auction platform.
  • The delinquent parcel list is not published online. It runs in the Osceola Sentinel-Tribune, and the Treasurer sells a paper listing for $15.00 or provides an electronic file on request.
  • No specific June date, start time, registration deadline, or deposit amount is posted, so verify those with the Treasurer's office at 641-342-3311 before bidding.
  • The Treasurer is Jessica Smith. Property tax window hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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 Clarke 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 Clarke County tax certificate sale?

The county states: "The Annual Tax Sale takes place in June of each year at the Clarke County Courthouse." No specific June date or start time is posted on the county page, so confirm the exact date with the Treasurer's office. The sale is held in person. Always confirm the exact date with the County Treasurer before the sale.

How often does Clarke County hold tax deed sales?

Clarke 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.

Where can I find the Clarke County tax sale list?

Clarke County posts its tax sale list at clarkecounty.iowa.gov. 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 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.

Iowa tax salesDue diligence guide
Call Clarke County Treasurer's Office