Washington County delinquent tax sale goes online, slated for March 4

JONESBOROUGH – Washington County will conduct its Delinquent Property Tax Sale online this year.

COVID-19 concerns led the county to explore its options regarding the sale, which will include at least 250 properties this year. The sale will open to registered bidders at 10 a.m. on March 4.  There will not be a in person auction held at the Justice Center, all bidding will be online.

Prospective bidders must register at www.govease.com and provide current proof of funding prior to the sale. Instructions on the bidding process are available on that same website. Bidders can access the auction from any device (smartphone, tablet or computer). The site has a bidder dashboard that enables real-time tracking of activity and purchases. Bidders can enter max bids ahead of time to streamline the bidding process.  

Properties up for public auction are those with delinquent property taxes from 2018 and prior tax years. A complete listing of properties and disclosures about the sale are available at www.washingtoncountycourtsales.com. Properties are listed in alphabetical order by the current owner’s last name, but do include an address so those interested can look the property up online. 

“Moving to an online sale should allow those who couldn’t attend in person, but want to bid the opportunity to participate,” said Sarah Lawson, Clerk and Master for Washington County. “One thing that bidders need to remember is some properties include liens owed to the City of Johnson City. Those will be collected as part of the minimum bid.”  

Lawson encourages folks to review the property sale list and let anyone they know who has delinquent taxes know about the sale.

“The opening bid contains all delinquent taxes held by the Clerk and Master,” Lawson explained. “Winning bidders must pay for the property before 4:00 p.m. on Friday March 5, 2021, and will receive a copy of the order confirming sale. The highest bidder can request a deed from the tax attorney, which is an additional $100 cost.”

Property sold is subject to a right of redemption, which runs one year from the date of the order confirming the sale. If a delinquent tax payer pays taxes and interest in that span, the highest bidder gets their money back plus 12% per annum, which will begin to accrue on the date of sale.

Each parcel is sold as is with no warranty. It is up to interested buyers to review the properties in advance of the sale.

For more detailed information regarding the tax sale along with the list of properties and terms of sale, please visit www.washingtoncountycourtsales.com.