Property Auctions

For the internet auction, to purchase a property through the property tax auction, you must:

Be 18 years of age or older.
Be a valid registered bidder and submitted the required deposit
Have sufficient payment in the proper form to complete your purchase(s)

A bid deposit is required of each bidder prior to bidding on any property auction conducted as part of the internet property tax auction.

Refund of the bid deposit shall be made to unsuccessful bidders within ten (10) business days after the close of the internet tax auction. If the deposit is greater than the selling price plus the transfer tax, a refund will be processed for the difference within approximately ten (10) business days.

The minimum price at which properties may be offered for sale shall be an amount not less than the total amount necessary to redeem the parcel and the costs of the sale. The minimum bid is indicated on the auction list next to the legal description. The properties in the sale are in item number order. They will be auctioned in that order. If there is an item number not offered (missing) from the tax sale list, it means that the item has been redeemed or withdrawn prior to the sale. If there is a numerical gap between item numbers on the tax sale list, the same holds true. Parcels for which no bids are received may be re-offered before the close of the auction at a reduced minimum bid.

A list of properties to be offered for sale will be available prior to the sale date. Properties being offered will have been published in the Orange County Register as required by State law.

Assessor Parcel maps are available for review or purchase either in-person at the Public Service Counter or by written request. Additional information regarding Assessor Parcel Maps may be found on the Assessor website at: ocassessor.gov

County of Orange
Office of the Assessor
11 Civic Center PlazaSanta Ana, CA 92701
(714) 834-2727

Be aware that maps obtained from any other source may not be accurate. If you have questions regarding Assessor’s maps, including how to purchase, please contact the County of Orange, Office of the Assessor, Building 11, Civic Center Plaza, Public Service Counter Room 142, Santa Ana, CA 92701, (714) 834-2727.

Office of the Clerk-Recorder

To obtain recorded documents such as deeds, judgments and liens contact the County of Orange at the following area offices:

County Clerk-Recorder

601 N. Ross St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

South County Branch Office

Laguna Hills Civic Center
24031 El Toro Road, Suite 150
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

North County Branch

Wells Fargo Building/Parking
222 S. Harbor Blvd., Ste. 110A & 110B
Anaheim, CA 92805

All the properties offered at this tax auction shall be sold to the highest bidder. The highest bidder for each property shall pay in full within five (5) business days from the close of the auction. In addition, a documentary transfer tax of $.55 shall be added for each $500.00, or fractional portion thereof, of the final sales price. The final amount due will be provided upon acceptance of the winning bid. The following forms of payment will only be accepted:

State or federally chartered bank-issued cashier’s check made payable to “County of Orange” and mailed to:
County of Orange
Attn: Internet Property Tax Auction
P.O. Box 1438 Santa Ana, CA 92702-1438

Cash (U.S. currency only) paid in person at the Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector in the County Service Center located at 601 N. Ross Street in Santa Ana from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Please note: Payment by personal checks, business checks, traveler’s check, or credit/debit cards will not be accepted as final payment. In the event the highest bidder on a property fails to comply with these Settlement Requirements, then that bidder’s deposit shall be forfeited to the County of Orange. Winning bidders who do not submit timely payment on any auction item within five (5) business days won will forfeit 100% of their deposit to the County of Orange and will be banned from future auctions.

*Documentary Transfer Tax of $.55 per $500 of the sale price, with a minimum charge of $.55 will be collected in addition to the purchase price.

Title to “Tax-Defaulted Property Subject to Power to Sell” does not pass to the purchaser until a Tax Deed is issued. DO NOT trespass on the property, engage in any activity or make an expenditure on any property you may purchase until you have received your Tax Deed. This includes any attempt to collect rents, improve property, evict, or in any way contact tenants. Tax Deeds will generally be recorded within two weeks after the sale. After the Tax Deed is recorded, the Tax Deed will be mailed directly to the respective purchaser by the County Clerk-Recorder. The Treasurer-Tax Collector does not provide the purchaser with a title insurance policy. If prospective purchasers are considering selling the property at some point, we highly recommend that they contact a title insurance company prior to the auction to obtain information regarding the availability of the title insurance for properties to be purchased at the Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Public Auction.

In addition, to purchase a copy of the Title report for the property, you can contact the Title Research Company used by the County, First Corporate Solutions, at www.ficoso.com or (916) 558-4988 and reference the County of Orange Tax Auction to receive the reduced price or you can contact another Title Research Company of your choice to purchase a title report at their current rate.

Occasionally, a piece of property is sold at auction after redemption has been made or is sold in error. In this case, a refund of the purchase price and statutory interest, if any, will be made with full understanding and agreement of the purchaser that the Treasurer-Tax Collector has no further liability in the matter.

If the validity of the Tax Collector’s Deed is challenged by judicial proceeding that action must be commenced within one year by the former owner or his/her party of interest, after the recording date of the Tax Collector’s Deed. (For this reason a title company generally will not insure title for at least one year). This judicial proceeding can refer to an alleged invalidity or irregularity in the procedures of sale. If litigation by a former owner is successful and a court holds a Tax Deed void, the Court shall determine the correct amount of taxes, penalties and costs that should be paid, and the Court shall order the former owner or other party of interest to pay such amounts within six months. If such amounts are not paid in accordance with such order, the Court will not hold the Tax Deed void. When a court holds a Tax Deed void, the purchaser is entitled to a refund from the County of the amount paid in purchase price for tax, penalties and costs. A claim for refund shall be presented within one year after the judgment becomes final. The right to redeem “Tax-Defaulted Property Subject to Power to Sell” will terminate at 5:01 p.m. on the last business day prior to the first day of the auction.

This is a buyer beware sale. DO NOT attempt to purchase property at the auction unless a thorough investigation has been made as to the exact location, desirability and usefulness of the property. Parcels are sold on an “as is” basis, and the County makes no representation or warranty, real or implied, as to the properties’ condition or suitability for any use. The County in no way assumes any responsibility, implied or otherwise, that the properties are in compliance with zoning ordinances, or conform to building codes and permits, or are free from latent or patent defects. An investigation may reveal that the property is in a street or alley, in a flood control channel, landlocked, dedicated to public use for street or other purposes; or improvements which may be shown on the tax sale list no longer exist at the time of auction, or a lien may have been or will be placed on the property. Streets shown on maps offered by the Orange County Assessor’s Office may or may not exist, and in some cases may be future streets. All properties should be investigated thoroughly prior to their purchase.

NOTE: Neither the State of California, nor the County of Orange, nor their elected and appointed officials, officers, employees and agents, are liable for loss or damages of any kind sustained by the property purchased at public auction from the time of the sale until the recordation of the Tax Deed transferring the property to purchaser.

A Tax Deed will cancel all private liens (i.e. Deeds of Trust, Mechanic’s Liens, Judgments, etc.) as well as all prior delinquent taxes. Public liens such as Improvement Bonds, Demolition Liens, etc. may not be discharged with a Tax Deed. Pursuant to Section 3712 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, the Tax Deed conveys title to the purchaser free of all encumbrances of any kind existing before the sale, except:

1. Any lien for installments of taxes and special assessments, which installments will become payable upon the secured roll after the time of the sale.
2. The lien for taxes or assessments or other rights of any taxing agency which does not consent to the sale under this chapter.
3. Liens for special assessments levied upon the property conveyed which were, at the time of the sale under this chapter, not included in the amount necessary to redeem the tax-defaulted property, and, where a taxing agency which collects its own taxes has consented to the sale under this chapter, not included in the amount required to redeem from sale to the taxing agency.
4. Easements constituting servitudes upon or burdens to the property, water rights, the record title to which is held separately from the title to the property, and restrictions of record.
5. Unaccepted, recorded, irrevocable offers of dedication of the property to the public or public entity for a public purpose, and recorded options of any taxing agency to purchase the property or any interest therein for a public purpose.
6. Unpaid assessments under the Improvement Bond Act of 1915 (Division 10 [Commencing with Section 8500] of the Streets and Highways Code) which are not satisfied as a result of the sale proceeds being applied pursuant to Chapter 1.3 [commencing with Section 4671] of Part 8 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
7. Any Federal Internal Revenue Service liens which, pursuant to provisions of federal law, are not discharged by the sale, even though the tax collector has provided proper notice to the Internal Revenue Service before that date.
8. Unpaid special taxes under the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 (Chapter 2.5 [commencing with Section 53311] of Part 1 Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code) that are not satisfied as a result of the sale proceeds being applied pursuant to Chapter 1.3 [commencing with Section 4671] of Part 8.

All bidders must register for the sale and submit a deposit in order to participate in this tax sale.

1. All sales are final, even if the successful bidder makes a mistake and bids on the wrong property, the sale will remain.
2. All bidders must be 18 years of age or older.
3. Payment in full must be received within the timeframe allowed as a winning bidder.
4. Payment must be made in the following manner: Cash or a state or federally chartered bank-issued cashier's check (a refund will be made for any difference between the cashier's check and the amount due under the tax sale amount less the deposit and any cash received). Cash received over $10,000 may be reported to the County’s depository bank under the Bank Secrecy Act.
5. The right of redemption terminates at the close of business on the last day prior to the date of the sale
6. Cash payments must be made in U.S. currency
7. Your deposit may be used toward final payment.

Please be advised that the Office of the Treasurer Tax Collector may, from time to time, receive requests from members of the public for the County’s Bidder List which may contain names and contact information on all bidders. The County’s Bidder List is a public record within the meaning of the Public Records Act and thus must be disclosed. The Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector is not required to notify bidders that it is releasing this information.