Skip to content
Tax Sale Atlas

Louisa County, IA tax sales

Tax Sale Atlas maps the Louisa 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 the county’s own official pages on Jul 29, 2026.

How tax lien sales work in Louisa County, seat of Wapello: 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
GovEase
Registration
Pre-registration is mandatory and online only.
County office
319-523-4451
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Louisa 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)

GovEase
Run by
Louisa County Treasurer
Frequency
annual
Registration
Pre-registration is mandatory and online only.
Next expected
on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list
Louisa County Delinquent Tax List (PDF)
When it runs
Annual. The county states: "The Tax Sale is held the 3rd Monday of June of each year for all taxes that are delinquent as of that date." The treasurer's calendar lists "Third Monday of June: Annual Tax Sale." The 2026 terms and conditions set the sale for Monday, June 15, 2026 beginning at 9:00 a.m., with an adjourned sale held any business day afterward when bidders are present and parcels remain.
Registration and deposit

Pre-registration is mandatory and online only. The county states: "YOU MUST BE PRE-REGISTERED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL TAX SALE." Bidders register at www.govease.com; no mailed or emailed registrations are accepted. For 2026, registration opened Monday, May 18, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. and closed Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 11:59 p.m., with every step completed by that deadline. Registration requires a non-refundable $40.00 fee paid by ACH debit and an electronic W-9. Bidders must be 18 or older as of the sale date. A bidder that is not an individual must have a federal tax ID number plus either a designation of agent for service of process on file with the Iowa Secretary of State or a verified statement of trade name on file with the Louisa County Recorder. GovEase bidder support is listed at (769) 208-5050 ext. 2 and support@govease.com.

Sale format and venue
The sale is administered under Iowa Code Chapter 446 and is conducted online even though it is convened at the Louisa County Courthouse, 117 S Main Street, Wapello. The county states: "The annual Tax Sale will be held at the Louisa County Courthouse, Wapello, IA at 9:00 A.M. and bidders will place their bids online. Bidders need not be present at the Courthouse... Live bids will not be accepted." A limited number of courthouse computers and wireless access are available first come, first served. Bidding is the Iowa bid-down of undivided interest: parcels open at a 100% undivided interest and bid downs run in whole percentage points from 99% to 1%, with the certificate awarded to the smallest percentage bid and ties broken by random selection. Louisa County does not use batches. Winners are invoiced at close and an ACH debit for the full amount is initiated automatically from the account used for the registration fee, covering delinquent taxes, special assessments, interest, collection and publishing costs, and a $20.00 certificate fee per certificate. A dishonored payment must be cured with guaranteed funds within three business days or the certificate is canceled, and a $30.00 returned-payment fee applies. Certificates take roughly 7 to 15 days to issue. Redemption carries interest of 2% per month, counting each fraction of a month as a whole month. Subsequent taxes must be paid online through the Tax Sale login at www.iowatreasurers.org for a non-refundable $0.25 per parcel fee. The 90-day notice of right of redemption may issue one year and nine months after a regular tax sale, or nine months after a public bidder sale (parcels advertised for two years, flagged with an asterisk on the published list). The delinquent tax list is published the week of June 1 in the Wapello Morning Sun and the Columbus Gazette, and registered bidders can review parcels on the auction site.
Register on GovEase
Source: Louisa County Tax Sale, Louisa County Treasurer, louisacountyia.gov· Verified Jul 29, 2026

Louisa County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Louisa 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 Louisa County Delinquent Tax List (PDF) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Pre-registration is mandatory and online only. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Iowa holds no tax deed auction. Bidding runs on GovEase; check posted sale dates, registration status, and bidding windows there.

  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 Louisa County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Louisa County Delinquent Tax List (PDF). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Pre-registration is mandatory and online only. The county states: "YOU MUST BE PRE-REGISTERED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL TAX SALE." Bidders register at www.govease.com; no mailed or emailed registrations are accepted. For 2026, registration opened Monday, May 18, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. and closed Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 11:59 p.m., with every step completed by that deadline. Registration requires a non-refundable $40.00 fee paid by ACH debit and an electronic W-9. Bidders must be 18 or older as of the sale date. A bidder that is not an individual must have a federal tax ID number plus either a designation of agent for service of process on file with the Iowa Secretary of State or a verified statement of trade name on file with the Louisa County Recorder. GovEase bidder support is listed at (769) 208-5050 ext. 2 and support@govease.com.

  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)

Louisa County Treasurer

319-523-4451

117 S Main Street, PO Box 207, Wapello, IA 52653

Official website

County notes

  • The Treasurer's office describes its own role as: "Prepares and conducts the annual tax sale for the collection of delinquent taxes." Beth Hardin is listed as Treasurer.
  • Direct property tax line is 319-523-4452 and the office fax is 319-523-0184. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  • The county's tax sale page also links a terms and conditions packet, a publication notice cover letter, a bidder flyer, and a frequently asked questions sheet.
  • Certificate assignments are recorded at the Treasurer's office and carry a $100.00 assignment transaction fee, which is not added to the redemption amount. A replacement for a lost certificate costs $20.00.
  • If a certificate holder has not filed an affidavit of service under Iowa Code section 447.12 within three years of the sale, the Treasurer cancels the certificate.

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 Louisa 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 Louisa County tax certificate sale?

Annual. The county states: "The Tax Sale is held the 3rd Monday of June of each year for all taxes that are delinquent as of that date." The treasurer's calendar lists "Third Monday of June: Annual Tax Sale." The 2026 terms and conditions set the sale for Monday, June 15, 2026 beginning at 9:00 a.m., with an adjourned sale held any business day afterward when bidders are present and parcels remain. Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the County Treasurer before the sale.

How often does Louisa County hold tax deed sales?

Louisa 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 Louisa County tax sale list?

Louisa County posts its tax sale list at louisacountyia.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.

More Iowa counties

Browse all 99 Iowa counties

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

Iowa tax salesDue diligence guide
Call Louisa County TreasurerOpen auction