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Tax Sale Atlas

Muscatine County, IA tax sales

Tax Sale Atlas maps the Muscatine 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 Muscatine County, seat of Muscatine: 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
Tax sale scheduled for June 21, 2027.Monday · 2027
Format
County site
Registration
Registration is online only at iowataxauction.com.
County office
563-263-7113 (property tax); 563-263-6764 (main Treasurer line)
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Jul 29, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How Muscatine 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)

Online auction
Run by
Muscatine County Treasurer
Frequency
annual
Next sale
Tax sale scheduled for June 21, 2027.
Registration
Registration is online only at iowataxauction.com.
Next expected
on the third Monday in June, 2027 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Sale list
Official tax sale parcel list on Iowa Tax Auction (posted around June 1; registration required to view the data)
When it runs
The county states "The Annual Tax Sale takes place the 3rd Monday in June each year." The 2026 sale is set for Monday, June 15, 2026, and the terms document states it begins "at 9:00 a.m." with bidding closing at 10:30 a.m. An adjourned sale "may be held any business day following the annual tax sale in which there are bidders present and there are parcels still available for sale."
Registration and deposit

Registration is online only at iowataxauction.com. The county's 2026 terms state "No mailed or emailed registrations will be accepted" and that "Registration will begin Monday, May 18, 2026 and ends Thursday, June 11, 2026. All steps in the registration process must be completed by 11:59 on June 11, 2026." Bidders pay a non-refundable $40.00 registration fee by e-check, complete an online W-9, and must be at least 18 years old as of June 15, 2026. Entity bidders need 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 trade name on file with the Muscatine County Recorder. Platform registration support is listed as (800) 800-9588 or support@iowataxauction.com.

Sale format and venue
Muscatine County runs its annual tax sale online. The Treasurer conducts the sale at the County Administration Building, but per the 2026 terms "Bidders will place their bids online" through iowataxauction.com, which brands itself as the Zeus Auction Program. Bidding is a bid-down of undivided interest: each parcel opens at a 100% undivided interest and "Bid downs will range in whole percentage points from 99% to 1%." The county confirms it "will not be utilizing batches." At the 10:30 a.m. close the certificate goes to the bidder naming the smallest percentage, with ties resolved by random selection. Winning bidders are invoiced and an ACH debit is automatically initiated from the account used to pay the registration fee; the total includes delinquent taxes, special assessments, interest, publishing costs, and a $20.00 certificate fee per parcel. Certificates arrive roughly 7 to 15 days after the sale. Redemption interest runs at 2% per month, each partial month counted as a whole month. Assignment of a certificate carries a $100.00 transaction fee, and a Treasurer's tax sale deed costs $25.00 per parcel. Subsequent taxes must be paid online through iowatreasurers.org (a $0.25 per parcel fee applies); the county warns that payments made outside that module "will be treated as voluntary payments and will be omitted from redemption calculations." Parcels advertised twice carry an asterisk on the list and qualify as public bidder tax sales, where the 90-day notice of right of redemption may issue nine months after the sale instead of one year and nine months. The delinquent tax list is published in the Muscatine Journal; the county gives a 2026 publication date of May 27, 2026, and notes the publication fee attaches on May 1 regardless of when the ad runs. Deadlines to avoid the sale in 2026: pay online by midnight June 13, 2026, or in office through June 12, 2026; to stay out of the newspaper, pay by May 15, 2026; guaranteed funds are required after May 8, 2026. Confirm the current year's dates with the Treasurer before relying on them.
Register on Online auction
Source: Muscatine County Treasurer, Tax Sale page· Verified Jul 29, 2026

Muscatine County tax sale list and auction calendar

For Muscatine 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 Official tax sale parcel list on Iowa Tax Auction (posted around June 1; registration required to view the data) for the current advertised parcels, then recheck it before the auction.

  2. Register to bid

    Registration is online only at iowataxauction.com. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Tax sale scheduled for June 21, 2027. Bidding runs on County site; 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 Muscatine County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    Pull the current advertised parcels from Official tax sale parcel list on Iowa Tax Auction (posted around June 1; registration required to view the data). Lists can change before the sale, so recheck the county source before you price a parcel.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    Registration is online only at iowataxauction.com. The county's 2026 terms state "No mailed or emailed registrations will be accepted" and that "Registration will begin Monday, May 18, 2026 and ends Thursday, June 11, 2026. All steps in the registration process must be completed by 11:59 on June 11, 2026." Bidders pay a non-refundable $40.00 registration fee by e-check, complete an online W-9, and must be at least 18 years old as of June 15, 2026. Entity bidders need 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 trade name on file with the Muscatine County Recorder. Platform registration support is listed as (800) 800-9588 or support@iowataxauction.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)

Muscatine County Treasurer

563-263-7113 (property tax); 563-263-6764 (main Treasurer line)

Muscatine County Administration Building, 414 E. Third St., Suite 102, Muscatine, IA 52761

Official website

County notes

  • The Treasurer's office is closed on the second Tuesday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to noon, per the department alert on the Treasurer page.
  • The Treasurer of record on the 2026 tax sale terms document is Amy L. Zybarth. The office email listed there is treasurer@muscatinecountyiowa.gov.
  • Property tax installments are due September 30 and March 31, with delinquent notices mailed November 1 and May 1 each year. Late payments accrue 1.5% interest per month as penalty.
  • Iowa Code section 447.12 requires the certificate holder to file an affidavit of service within three years of the sale or the Treasurer cancels the certificate. The county states electronic submission of the affidavit will not be accepted.
  • The certificate of purchase, the $25.00 deed issuance fee, and recording fees must reach the Treasurer within 90 calendar days after the redemption period expires or the certificate is cancelled.

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 Muscatine 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 Muscatine County tax certificate sale?

The county states "The Annual Tax Sale takes place the 3rd Monday in June each year." The 2026 sale is set for Monday, June 15, 2026, and the terms document states it begins "at 9:00 a.m." with bidding closing at 10:30 a.m. An adjourned sale "may be held any business day following the annual tax sale in which there are bidders present and there are parcels still available for sale." 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 Muscatine County hold tax deed sales?

Muscatine 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 Muscatine County tax sale list?

Muscatine County posts its tax sale list at iowataxauction.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 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 Muscatine County TreasurerOpen auction