Tax Lien Sale Date The next tax lien sale will be held in November 2010 in the Franklin County Courthouse Administrative Building Press Room, 373 S. High Street, 1st Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215. Pending Tax Lien Sale Bidder File (Excel)

The purpose of the annual Tax Lien Sale is to collect the delinquent real estate taxes owed to the County's school districts, agencies and local governments.

Basic Overview of the Sale

All Franklin County properties with balances due from the spring of the prior year or before are tentatively scheduled to be sold at the Tax Lien Sale. To be eligible for the sale, the property may not already be set for a sheriff sale, in bankruptcy, have an active probate case, be tax exempt or have a pending tax exemption application.

Due dates for making payments will be established in advance of the lien sale to avoid the sale of a lien on a property that has been placed in the portfolio. These due dates include administrative fees that increase in amount as the sale date gets closer.

Prior to a tax lien being sold, the property owner will have received 3 or 4 tax bills that have gone unpaid and also received multiple notices about their delinquent taxes including the upcoming tax lien sale. In addition, the property owner and property location will have been published in the newspaper a minimum of 4 times.

In August, the Treasurer sends a warning letter to delinquent property owners informing them about the potential sale of a lien on their property. If taxes are not paid current or a payment plan arranged within the constraints identified in the warning letter; then a certified letter will be mailed in September to all delinquent property owners listed for inclusion in the Tax Lien Sale.

In October, the Treasurer will cause those property owners who have not taken the necessary steps to avoid having their property in the Tax Lien Sale to have their names and property location addresses published in the Columbus Dispatch. This publication is required by Ohio Law.

All payments on delinquent properties set to have liens sold in the Tax Lien Sale are required to be paid with Guaranteed Funds (cash, cashiers check or money order). For more information about payments click on Tax Payer Information.

The Tax Lien Sale is generally held during the second week of November. For 2009, the sale has been set for November 9th at 8 a.m. in the Press Room of the Franklin County Courthouse. For information about purchasing the Tax Lien portfolio, click on Buyer Information.

Please Note:
All eligible tax liens will be auctioned as a single portfolio. This year we anticipate the purchase price to be between three and six million dollars. Tax liens will not be sold individually and the Franklin County Treasurer does not sell "over-the-counter" liens. As in all Ohio counties selling tax liens certificates, the bulk sale of liens in Franklin County is not designed for individual investors.