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Tax Sale Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) INFORMATION ON RIVERSIDE
COUNTY'S BELOW ARE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED CONCERNING OUR ANNUAL PUBLIC AUCTION SALE OF TAX-DEFAULTED REAL PROPERTIES: Q. How can I obtain a list of properties to be
offered at the next tax sale?
Q. How can I obtain a list of properties to be offered at the next tax sale? A. There is an annual fee of $35.00 to have your name added to our mailing list for the fiscal year. This fee covers the mailing of any listings or notices that would affect a sale during the fiscal year. The listings are mailed approximately 45 to 60 days prior to sale. Once a listing becomes available it can be purchased over our counter for a fee of $25.00 each. We will not mail a listing for the $25.00 fee.
Q. Can I mail in or submit a sealed bid for a property in the public auction tax sale? A. No. This is an oral public auction requiring your presence, or that of your representative, to verbally bid upon the properties.
Q. Can I obtain a property available at the public auction tax sale by paying the delinquent taxes thereon prior to the tentative tax sale date? A. No. Legal title to tax-defaulted property subject to power of sale can be obtained through the Treasurer-Tax Collector only by being the successful bidder at the tax sale.
Q. How do I find or "see" a property I'd like to bid on at the tax sale? A. Vacant ("unimproved") land (which accounts for most property offered at our tax sales) usually has no address and therefore its approximate geographic location can be determined through the use of County Assessor plat maps and perhaps a Thomas Map Book. Exact boundary lines of a property can be determined only by a survey of the property initiated at the purchaser's expense. "Improved" properties frequently (but not always) will bear a "situs" (street) address, making it quite simple to assess the location.
Q. Do all properties with an address have a home on them? A. NO! An address does not mean there is or was a structure on the property.
Q. How can I pay for a property at the tax sale? A. Payment must be made in cash or certified checks or cashier's checks. PERSONAL CHECKS, SAVING CHECKS, MONEY ORDERS OR TRAVELER'S CHECKS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
Q. What are the conditions of payment for property at the tax sale? A. Payment in full of the amount bid, plus documentary stamp tax prescribed by County Ordinance, is required to be paid at the time of sale.
Q. Do liens or encumbrances on tax sale properties follow to the new owner through a tax sale property purchase? A. Chapter 7, Section 3712 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code is quite specific in answering the above question. It is quoted verbatim, as follows: 3712. Title conveyed. The deed conveys title to the purchaser free of all encumbrances of any kind existing before the sale, except: (a) Any lien for installments of special assessments, which installments will become payable upon the secured roll after the time of sale. (b) The lien for taxes or assessments or other rights of any taxing agency which does not consent to the sale under this chapter. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) Unaccepted, recorded, irrevocable offers of dedication of the property to the public or a 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. (f) 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. (g) Effective July 1, 1989 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.
Q. How can I determine what use I can make of a tax sale property before I purchase it? A. The Zoning Department of any city within which a property lies or the Planning Section of the County Department of Transportation and Land Management Agency for an unincorporated area parcel (i.e., not lying within a city boundary) should be consulted by a prospective purchaser regarding use of the parcel. The County Recorder's records should be consulted for any recorded easements on a property.
Q. How soon can I take possession of a property after my purchase at the tax sale? A. The successful bidder may take possession of a property after the Tax Deed to Purchaser has been recorded.
Q. How is the minimum bid on a tax sale property determined? A. State law dictates that the minimum bid for property offered at a public auction tax sale be an amount not less than the total amount necessary to redeem the tax default, plus cost. Except, pursuant to Section 3698.5c of the California Revenue and Taxation Code, when property or property interests have been offered at a previous sale and no acceptable bids were received, the Tax Collector may offer that property or property interest at a minimum bid that is less than the amount of the tax default, plus cost.
Q. Is a tax sale publicly advertised? A. Yes. State law dictates that the event of a tax sale must be published three (3) times in successive seven (7) day intervals before the tax sale date in a newspaper or newspapers of general circulation within Riverside County. All parcels in the next tax sale will tentatively be advertised in the Press-Enterprise Newspaper, the first publication date being not less than twenty-one (21) days prior to the date of the sale.
Q. When does the right of redemption on a tax-defaulted parcel subject to the power to sell cease? A. The right of redemption on a tax-defaulted parcel subject to the Tax Collector's power to sell ceases at the close of business on the last business day prior to the date of the sale. There is no extended right of redemption in the State of California as does exist in some other states.
Q. How soon may I begin improvement of the property after my purchase? A. There is a one (1) year period of time, after the date the tax deed is executed, that a proceeding based on alleged invalidity or irregularity can be commenced, pursuant to Section 3725 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code.
Q. How can I find out about Improvement Bonds which are not collected on the Tax Roll and would not be eliminated by the sale? A. Information on 1911 act, 1915 act, special assessment district bonds, and community facility district bonds (CFD), can be obtained from the city, county, or special district office within which the property is located.
Q. If there is a Mobile Home on the parcel being sold, am I bidding on the Mobile Home also? A. Unless the mobile home has a permanent foundation, you are bidding only on the land. Mobile homes are considered personal property unless they have a permanent foundation.
Q. What happens to the properties that do not sell at the auction? Can tax sale properties be purchased directly from the County? A. If no acceptable bids are received for a property, it will be offered again at intervals of no more than six years until the property is sold, pursuant to Section 3692 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code. Legal title to tax-defaulted property subject to power of sale can be obtained through the Treasurer-Tax Collector only by being the successful bidder at the tax sale.
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