Tax Sales
Tax Sales
The next delinquent tax sale will be held on November 16, 2022.
The county tax sale is held in the 7th floor conference room of the Stewart Centre, located at 50 W. Douglas St., Freeport, IL 61032. The sale will begin at 9:00 a.m.
The tax sale is advertised in a local newspaper and on this website 10 days before the day of the tax sale.
Tax sale lists are available by either email or paper form approximately one month before the sale occurs. The cost for an email list is $75.00. This fee must be paid before a list will be sent to you.
You are required to have your tax buyer registration form on file in our office 10 business days prior to the tax sale, which will be November 1, 2022. Please use our Stephenson County Tax Buyer Registration form, which you can access HERE.
Along with the form, a $300 deposit is required to participate. This must be paid when the tax buyer registers. This deposit will be retained by the County Collector in the event a tax buyer is registered and does not attend the tax sale. If the tax buyer registers and attends the sale, but does not purchase any taxes, the $300 deposit will be refunded. Finally, if a tax buyer attends the sale and purchases taxes, that deposit is applied to the purchase.
Along with the form, a $300 deposit is required to participate. This must be paid when the tax buyer registers. This deposit will be retained by the County Collector in the event a tax buyer is registered and does not attend the tax sale. If the tax buyer registers and attends the sale, but does not purchase any taxes, the $300 deposit will be refunded. Finally, if a tax buyer attends the sale and purchases taxes, that deposit is applied to the purchase.
Certified funds are required for first-time buyers. If you are not a first-time buyer, personal, business or cashier’s checks are accepted. Taxes must be paid immediately after the close of the tax sale.
All of the liens are sold at the tax sale. For details on the availability for purchasing tax lien certificate over-the-counter or through assignment purchasing, please contact: Jospeh E.. Meyer & Associates, Stephenson County Trustee at 618-656-5744
The tax sale only occurs once per year.
The separate, annual auction of surplus property also occurs once per year, typically in July.
The separate, annual auction of surplus property also occurs once per year, typically in July.
You or your registered representative must be physically present at the sale to bid. You cannot bid via mail or e-mail.
The County Assessment Office can assist you with property use codes. You may contact that office at 815-235-8260.
It is the tax buyer’s responsibility to follow the procedures necessary to acquire a deed.
The county is unable to assist you with any foreclosure information as foreclosures are processed through the court system on behalf of mortgage holders.
The county is unable to assist you with any foreclosure information as foreclosures are processed through the court system on behalf of mortgage holders.
No, the tax sale does not clear any liens from the property. Only delinquent TAXES are sold at the tax sale.
No property is sold.
The Illinois Compiled Statutes are available at your local library or online at www.ilga.gov.
Please contact the Stephenson County Clerk's Office at 815-235-8289.
The tax sale process is computerized using R.A.M.S2 (Real-time Auction Management System) Auction software. We ask each tax buyer to visit the R.A.M.S2. tutorial at http://www.ramsauctions.com/ prior to the sale date to either learn the format or refresh their memory on how the sale is conducted.
The sale is similar to a reverse auction. Registered tax buyers will bid (via bidder-provided USB drive) a percentage rate with a cap at 9%. The tax buyer accepts the lowest bid to win. The homeowner has a period of 3 years to redeem (buy back) their taxes. Registered tax buyers make a profit from the interest earned. The interest earned depends on the length of time it takes for the homeowner to redeem their taxes.
In order to place a bid at the sale you must be a registered tax buyer. We cannot and will not provide legal answers to your tax buying questions. You may wish to contact the Stephenson County Bar Association to request a referral to an attorney whose practice includes a specialization in real estate.
The sale is similar to a reverse auction. Registered tax buyers will bid (via bidder-provided USB drive) a percentage rate with a cap at 9%. The tax buyer accepts the lowest bid to win. The homeowner has a period of 3 years to redeem (buy back) their taxes. Registered tax buyers make a profit from the interest earned. The interest earned depends on the length of time it takes for the homeowner to redeem their taxes.
In order to place a bid at the sale you must be a registered tax buyer. We cannot and will not provide legal answers to your tax buying questions. You may wish to contact the Stephenson County Bar Association to request a referral to an attorney whose practice includes a specialization in real estate.
