DELINQUENT TAX SALE

Delinquent Tax Certificate Sale

View Delinquent Tax Sales

Tax Certificate Form

• Registration and Affidavit Form

This summary is provided for your convenience only. Chapter 140 of the Missouri Revised State Statutes is the final authority governing the sale; bidders are strongly advised to read all laws pertaining to tax certificate sales and contact an attorney for any legal advice.

All lands and lots on which taxes are delinquent and unpaid for three (3) years are subject to the land tax certificate sale at public auction. The tax sale is held annually on the fourth Monday in August commencing at 10:00 a.m. in the lobby of the Pulaski County Courthouse.

• Delinquent taxes with penalty, interest and costs may be paid to the county collector at any time prior to the scheduled sale date and will eliminate the property from that year’s tax sale.
• The list of properties subject to sale is published in the Daily Guide and on the Pulaski County Collector’s web site at pulaskicollector.com for three consecutive weeks prior to the tax sale.
• Bidders must sign an affidavit stating they are not delinquent on any real estate or personal property tax payment. Failure to sign such an affidavit or signing a false affidavit will invalidate the property purchase. The collector’s office will provide affidavit forms.
• The collector of revenue conducts the sale; the minimum bid starts at the total amount of taxes, penalties and sales costs.
• A successful bidder receives a tax sale certificate identifying the parcel and bid price at the auction. The total purchase price must be paid to the collector’s office no later than 4:00 p.m. on the day of the sale.
• If the bid is not paid, a penalty of 25% of the bid amount plus a prosecuting attorney’s fee may be assessed against the bidder.
• The buyer or their agent must be present to bid. If an agent is making the purchase, previous arrangements must be made with the collector.

Property Redemption for the First and Second Offerings

Property sold at the tax certificate sale for delinquent taxes may be redeemed within one year from the

issuance of a Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase as follows:

• Please advise the Collector’s Office at least 24 hours prior to the date you will be redeeming. We recommend scheduling an appointment and allowing 20 minutes to process;
• Pay the Collector the amount of the Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase plus 10% interest on the original amount (any surplus amount receives no interest); and
• Pay the Collector the amount of any subsequent years’ taxes paid, if applicable, plus 8% annual interest.

 The Collector’s office notifies the Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase holder when the property has been redeemed. The Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase must be surrendered to the Collector before the holder will be reimbursed the bid amount plus interest.

A Certificate of Redemption will be issued to the owner of record when the property is redeemed. The Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase holder will receive a copy of the Certificate of Redemption.

Collector’s Deed for First and Second Offerings

First & Second Year Offerings (RSMo 140.405, RSMo 140.420)

If the property has not been redeemed during the one-year redemption period, the holder of the Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase may apply for and receive a Collector’s Deed. A Collector’s Deed can be issued to the Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase holder if the following provisions have been met:

• The legal holder of the Certificate is named as the original tax sale purchaser or the assignee on the original Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase;
• A Lien Search (Letter Report) on the property has been done and a copy furnished to the Collector’s Office for verification;
• At least ninety days before requesting a Collector’s Deed, the Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase holder must have notified the publicly recorded owner of such property stating the purchaser’s intent to obtain a Collector’s Deed (Letter of Intent), at the last known available address, and any persons who hold a publicly recorded deed of trust, mortgage, lease, lien, or claim upon that real estate, or their right to redeem such person’s publicly recorded deed of trust, mortgage, lease, lien, or claim upon that real estate, by certified mail and verification of such mailings furnished to the Collector;
• The purchaser has notified the Collector by affidavit that proper notice has been given, anyone with a publicly recorded deed of trust, mortgage, lease, lien or claim upon the property shall have ninety days to redeem said property or be forever barred from redeeming said property;
• The Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase has been surrendered to the Collector;
• Appropriate fees have been paid to the Collector including recording and collection fees.

After the Collector’s Deed is issued, any tax sale bid amount resulting in a surplus amount above the delinquent taxes and sales costs paid by the Tax Sale Certificate of Purchase holder, is available for the owner of record upon a submitted request to the County Commissioners. Approval from the Commissioners must be granted for remittance of the surplus amount.

Failure of the purchaser to obtain a Collector’s Deed within the statutory timeframe results in the loss of the purchaser’s lien on the property.

Sale Certificate results in the loss of the purchaser’s lien on the property.

Collector’s Deed for Third Offering

Property Redemption for Third Offering is 90 days.

Third Year Offering RSMo 140.250 and RSMo 140.405

All First and Second Offerings Regulations apply to Third Year Offerings, with the exceptions of:

1. Ninety Day period of redemption from such sales as specified in section RSMo 140.405;
2. No certificate of purchase shall be issued as to such sales, but the purchaser at such sale shall be entitled to the issuance and delivery of a Collector’s Deed upon completion of title search and certified mailing actions as specified in RSMo 140.405.