The Clerk of the Circuit Court is statutorily responsible for conducting tax deed sales and issuing a tax deed in the name of the County to the successful high bidder at a sale. Tax deed sales and the issuance of tax deeds are governed by Chapter 197, Florida Statutes. The procedure involves a Tax Certificate Holder applying for a tax deed through the Tax Collector. (Tax Certificates are sold to collect delinquent taxes.) There is no case filed in court, and no court order is issued for the Clerk to conduct a Tax Deed Sale.
Madison County Clerk of Court presents the information on this website as a service to the public. We have tried to ensure that the information contained in this electronic search system is accurate. Madison County Clerk of Court makes no warranty or guarantee concerning the accuracy or reliability of the content at this site or at other sites to which we link. Assessing the accuracy and reliability of information is the responsibility of the user. The user is advised to search all possible spelling variations of proper names in order to maximize search results.
The Madison County Clerk of Court shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for any damages in connection with the use of the information contained herein.
All properties sold at a tax deed sale qualify under “buyer beware”. The purchase of a tax deed does not warrant or guarantee a clear and marketable title. The Property Information Report received by the Madison County Clerk of Court is only a brief record search for general information purposes.
Upcoming Tax Deed Sales
Bidding on a Tax Deed
The successful bidder of the tax deed sale is required to post a nonrefundable deposit of 5% of the winning bid or $200.00, whichever is greater. This amount will be verified before bidding is closed. The remainder of the bid is due within 24 hours and must be verified with funds. We only accept cash, money orders, or certified cashier’s checks.
The opening bid is subject to change as amounts are verified.
Frequently Asked Questions
A tax deed sale is a public auction where real estate is sold on property that is delinquent in taxes. A tax deed sale occurs after an owner of a tax certificate applies to the Tax Collector for a tax deed after the tax certificate has been held for the statutory period.
Tax deed sales are set by the courts; for a complete list of sales, view the deeds for sale above.
Governmental liens survive the issuance of a tax deed and are satisfied to the fullest extent possible with any overbid monies from the sale. Governmental liens not satisfied in full survive the issuance of a tax deed and will remain against the property. The Clerk’s Office assumes no responsibility for any encumbrances on any property offered for sale. It is in your best interest to have a title search done by an attorney or title company. However, you may search the Official Records. When considering tax deed properties, please be advised that all properties are sold buyer beware.
The property owner or mortgage holder can redeem the property from the tax deed sale by paying the amounts owed to the Tax Collector or the Clerk of Court.
According to the office policy, you are asked to remain until the auction is complete and accompany the deputy clerk to the Clerk’s Office. You will be advised of the total amount due, which will include your bid amount and the fees to record the tax deed. If payment in full is not made at the time of the sale, you are required to post a 5% or $200.00 (whichever is greater) nonrefundable deposit to be applied to the sale price at the time of full payment. Payment in full must be made within twenty-four (24) hours. If the deposit is not paid, then the bidding on that parcel will begin again at the base bid.
Section 197.542(2) F.S. states: “The Clerk may refuse to recognize the bid of any person who has previously bid and refused, for any reason, to honor such bid.” If full payment is not received, it will be re-advertised and placed up for sale at the next scheduled sale.
All properties sold at a tax deed qualify under “buyer beware”. The purchase of a Tax Deed does not warrant or guarantee a clear and marketable title. Note: Most title insurance companies require the property to go through a quiet title lawsuit for the property to be able to have title insurance issued. Information on Quiet Title procedures and costs would be available from an Attorney who handles these lawsuits.
In order to participate in the bidding process, one must arrive a few minutes prior to 11:00 a.m. You or your representative must be physically present at the sale in order to bid on the property. It is highly recommended that you research the properties prior to the sale day in order to understand what you are purchasing at the sale (you should research for liens, zoning, restrictions, etc).
Section 197.562, F.S., states “Any person, firm, corporation, or county that is the grantee of any tax deed under this law shall be entitled to the immediate possession of the lands described in the deed”. It is possible you may have to take legal action to get possession. The Clerk’s Office assumes no responsibility for the availability of any property offered for sale.
If the property is not homestead property, the amount of the opening bid equals the total of unpaid taxes and interest, the Tax Collection’s administration fees, the Clerk of Circuit Court’s administration fees, and expenditure fees required by the Florida Statutes to bring the property to delinquent tax sale. If the property is homestead property, half of the assessed value from the tax roll is added to the above amounts for the total opening bid. If there are no higher bids, the land escheats to the certificate holder, who shall forthwith pay to the clerk the documentary stamp tax and recording fees due.
Tax certificate information can be obtained from the Tax Collector’s Office at (850) 342-0147.