Michigan sells no tax lien certificates to investors. To buy a Michigan tax deed you bid on the property itself, at a county auction run by the County Treasurer as the foreclosing governmental unit, or its authorized agent. The winning bid conveys the county's interest in the parcel, not a lien against it.
Each step below is drawn from Michigan statute, not general advice. The exact sale dates, platform, and deposit amounts are set county by county, so confirm the specifics on your county page before you register.
New here? There is no certificate step in Michigan. You bid on the property itself, so the money is at risk on the parcel from day one and the research has to happen before the auction, not after. Not sure which is for you? Start with tax lien vs tax deed.
Learn the timeline and lien priority
Amounts assessed for state, county, village, or township taxes on an interest in real property become a lien on the real property on December 1, or on a day set by a city or village charter or by section 40a, and the lien continues until paid. On March 1 in each year, taxes levied in the immediately preceding year that remain unpaid are returned as delinquent for collection. On return, a county property tax administration fee of 4 percent is added, along with interest at a noncompounded 1 percent per month or fraction of a month on the taxes originally returned as delinquent, computed from the date those taxes originally became delinquent. A further $15 fee is added on the October 1 immediately after the return. If the last day taxes are payable before being returned as delinquent falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. Understand this before you commit any money.
Know when the redemption right ends
Not applicable to investors. Interest runs to the county, not to a private certificate holder. It accrues at a noncompounded 1 percent per month or fraction of a month from the date the taxes originally became delinquent under section 78a(3), and once the property is forfeited an additional noncompounded 1/2 percent per month runs from the March 1 preceding the forfeiture under section 78g(3)(b). The combined redemption rate after forfeiture is 1.5 percent per month, which is 18 percent a year, and none of it is compounded. A buyer at a Michigan tax deed auction earns no interest of any kind; the return comes from the property. Michigan has no post-sale redemption. The right to redeem runs during the forfeiture year and ends when the foreclosure judgment takes effect. Property forfeited to the county treasurer may be redeemed at any time on or before the March 31 immediately succeeding entry of a judgment foreclosing it, or within 21 days of entry in a contested case. On that date all redemption rights expire and fee simple title vests absolutely in the foreclosing governmental unit. Measured from the March 1 the taxes were returned as delinquent, that is about 25 months, and roughly three years from the year the taxes were levied. A circuit court may withhold a property from foreclosure for one year, or enter an order extending the redemption period as it finds equitable, if the owner is a minor heir, is incompetent, is without means of support, or is undergoing substantial financial hardship, so a parcel can drop off an auction list late. To redeem, the owner pays The total unpaid delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and fees for which the property was forfeited, plus additional interest at a noncompounded 1/2 percent per month or fraction of a month on the taxes originally returned as delinquent computed from the March 1 preceding the forfeiture, which sits on top of the 1 percent per month already running under section 78a(3), plus all recording fees and all fees for service of process or notice. That brings the post-forfeiture rate to 1.5 percent per month, which is 18 percent a year, uncompounded. The $175 forfeiture fee added under section 78g(1), the $15 fee added on October 1 under section 78d, and the 4 percent county property tax administration fee added under section 78a(3) are part of the amount owed. A redemption before that deadline pulls the parcel off the auction list, so confirm it is still scheduled before you travel or bid.
Learn what sends a parcel to the auction
A statutory clock, not a certificate holder's application. Unpaid taxes are returned as delinquent to the county treasurer on March 1. On the March 1 that follows twelve months later, property still delinquent for taxes, interest, penalties, and fees is forfeited to the county treasurer for the full unpaid amount and a $175 fee is added. Forfeiture alone transfers no title and gives no right of possession. The foreclosing governmental unit then files a single petition for foreclosure by June 15 of the forfeiture year, the circuit court hears it no more than 30 days before the following March 1, and the judgment of foreclosure vests absolute fee simple title in that unit if the amounts due are not paid by the March 31 immediately succeeding entry of the judgment, or within 21 days of entry in a contested case. Property is sold to the person bidding the minimum bid, or if a bid is higher, to the highest amount above the minimum bid. The minimum bid is the amount set by the foreclosing governmental unit and must include all delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and fees due on the property. It may also include the unit's additional expenses for the forfeiture, foreclosure, maintenance, repair, or remediation of the property or the administration of the act, including foreclosure avoidance, mailing, publication, personal service, legal, personnel, outside contractor, and auction expenses. Parcels may be offered individually or as a group, and the minimum bid for a group equals the sum of the minimum bids of the parcels in it.
Bid at the tax deed auction
The County Treasurer as the foreclosing governmental unit, or its authorized agent. A county board of commissioners could elect instead to have the state foreclose property forfeited to the county treasurer, in which case the Department of Treasury is responsible for conducting the sale. sells the property at public auction to the highest bidder. Michigan fixes no statutory deposit. The foreclosing governmental unit may adopt its own procedures governing the conduct of the sale and payment for conveyance, so registration deposits, refunds, and any bidding caps are set county by county and by the auction platform. On Tax-Sale.info, the platform most Michigan counties use, bidding requires a $1,000 pre-authorization hold on a major credit card rather than a cash deposit. Confirm the figure in the county's published auction terms before registering. The foreclosing governmental unit must require full payment at the close of each day's bidding or by a date not more than 21 days after the sale. Before conveyance, the buyer must also give the unit proof that any property taxes owed on the parcel at the time of the sale were paid to the local tax collecting unit. If those taxes are not paid within 21 days of the sale the unit must cancel the sale, and it may then offer the property to the next highest bidder. Once all required amounts are paid, the deed must be conveyed within 14 days. Tax-Sale.info sets a tighter contractual deadline than the statutory ceiling, giving winning online bidders 5 business days after the sale ends to submit payment and notarized paperwork.
One more step: clear the title
Winning a tax deed does not hand you marketable title. Before you can resell to a normal buyer or insure the parcel, you will usually need a quiet title action, which takes months and costs money. Fold that cost into your maximum bid and read what you actually own after a tax deed before you bid. A tax deed also does not wipe out everything: select governmental and municipal liens can survive, and a federal tax lien carries a 120-day IRS redemption right, so check what survives a tax deed too.
Buying tax deeds in Michigan: common questions
How do you buy a tax deed in Michigan?
Can you buy Michigan tax deeds online?
More Michigan answers, including redemption and statute detail, are on the Michigan tax sale FAQ.
New to this? Start with tax lien vs tax deed and the full Michigan walkthrough, then value a parcel with the due diligence guide.
Steps verified Aug 6, 2026 against Michigan statutes.
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.