Bulloch County Property Tax Sale Tuesday, August 1st

Leslie Akins, Bulloch County Tax Commissioner has scheduled the annual property tax sale for Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 10 am at the Bulloch County Annex located at 113 North Main Street.

As of the publication time of this story there were 137 properties listed for sale.  These properties have delinquent taxes owed.

CLICK HERE to view properties scheduled to be sold.  This list is updated every 24 hours as parcels are paid, typically after the close of business each day.

https://peach.knack.com/smarttaxsale#bulloch-county-aug-2023/

CLICK HERE to search property by parcel ID

CLICK HERE to pre-register to attend the sale.

About Tax Sales

Bulloch County holds one tax sale per year, typically in the fall.  Many other counties do monthly or quarterly sales, but they prefer their annual method. Bulloch County is not nearly as aggressive with their tax sale proceedings as many other counties and cities are. 

"You can fall into being 2 years behind with Bulloch before you get tax sale notices.  We work at this pace because we truly do want to work with people to the best of our ability and we do realize that things happen.  Life happens.  We also encourage people when they call us throughout the year to make partial payments so that they don’t get so far behind and find themselves in this situation," said Leslie Akins, Bulloch County Tax Commissioner.

"To explain this timing better, the properties that are currently in the tax sale were picked up by the tax sale company in January 2023 because they still had an outstanding balance on 2021.  When we start this new process in January 2024, we will be looking at properties that still have a balance on 2022 bills.  We are very lenient in timing compared to other places."

One courtesy letter is sent each year prior to any notifications or fees being added by Bulloch County's tax sale company, Peach State Assistance.  PSA has been conducting Bulloch's sales for almost 2 decades now.  They are located out of Conyers, Georgia.  The Tax Commissioner has a great working relationship with them and they do a great job with the many legal details of the sale both during the process and after.  A lot of legal research and time goes into each parcel.

"Our hope each year is to educate our citizens about the importance of staying caught up on tax payments to avoid these situations.  We hope that all parcels are paid and that none actually make it to the sale date," said Akins.  "We take no pleasure in selling properties, but we must apply the same rules to everyone and be sure that all delinquent accounts are treated equally.  Unfortunately, that isn’t reality, and a few properties are sold usually every year.

Once a property is sold, the owner must work with the purchaser of the property to work out all issues of redemption.  To redeem, a property owner is required to pay the purchaser anything they’ve paid plus 20%.  The redemption has to be handled between the two parties and the Bulloch County Tax Commissioners office has no involvement in that part of the process. 

General information you should know about tax sales in Bulloch County.

1. All tax sales are held the first Tuesday in the month at the Bulloch County Annex located at 113 North Main Street in Statesboro, GA.  The sale is valid when it takes place on a legal holiday.

2. The sale is to be at public outcry beginning at 10:00 A.M. and lasting until either the last property is sold or until 4:00 P.M., whichever occurs first.

3. Tax sale advertising will be in the Statesboro Herald which is the legal organ.  The ads will run in the weekly newspaper on Thursdays for four consecutive weeks, with the last ad running the week preceding the tax sale.  For a list of the properties being sold, you will need to purchase a newspaper from the Statesboro Herald or view online.  You may contact the Statesboro Herald at (912) 764-9031.

4. Properties auctioned will include properties with IRS liens, but will not include properties in bankruptcy.

5. You are required to pre-register for the sale (link provided closer to sale time on website or you can scan a QR code on arrival and register then).  There is no fee to attend a tax sale.

6. Acceptable forms of payment are cash or cashier’s check.  We recommend that you have the cash or check on hand to immediately pay for the property purchased.  Money is due one hour after the sale ends at the Tax Commissioner’s Office.

7. Properties that are not sold at the auction may either be purchased by the County for the minimum purchase price, or it may be sold at the next tax sale.  Liens cannot be purchased over-the-counter.

8. Bulloch County has / does not have a Tax Lien Auction scheduled at this time.

•  Date of Sale (if applicable): _____________________________

9. Bidding may not be done via mail; however, a representative may bid for you as long as he/she has the proper funds to pay for the property immediately after the sale.

10. The Tax Commissioner will execute a tax deed (after the sale) and will have the deed properly recorded.  The tax deed is not a warranty deed.  It is the purchaser’s responsibility to check the validity of title to the property.  The deed, along with other pertinent information, will be sent to the purchaser at the address given. The mailing address given at the time of purchase will be the address listed on the PT-61 and all mail/future tax bills will be sent to that address.

11. The purchaser of the property does not take immediate possession of the property that he/she has purchased.  The current record holder and/or defendant in FiFa still maintains possession of said property and has the right to redeem the property for no less than 12 months after the date of sale.  Also, any person or entity with a legal interest in the property also has the right to redeem the property.  The purchaser must wait until 1 year and 1 day has elapsed from the date of sale to begin the foreclosure process to bar the right of redemption at which time the purchaser may then take possession of the property. 

12. If you are the successful bidder at a tax sale, it is your responsibility to foreclose the right to redeem the property one year after the tax sale.  The Tax Commissioner nor staff can offer any legal advice on that process.  Purchaser should seek legal advice from their own attorney.

13. The Bulloch County Tax Assessors website is www.qpublic.net/ga/bulloch/. 

Purchasers of properties at tax sales have certain responsibilities regarding the sale.  The above mentioned information is not construed as legal advice.  The Tax Commissioner’s office does not give legal advice nor assumes any liability that goes with the practice of law.  Legal advice should be sought from the purchaser’s own attorney for all procedures after the sale.  For complete information on tax sales in Georgia, please refer the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.).

Non-Judicial Tax Sale Procedures

• The sale will be conducted in the manner of a public auction with the parcels sold in the order as indicated in the advertisement. Please make your bid known loud and clear or it may not be recognized. This is a buyer beware! sale. There are no guarantees neither expressed nor implied. If you do not know the entire tax sale process, it is suggested that you do not bid on property. Please consult with your attorney for legal advice.
• We also suggest you do not purchase property sight unseen.
• Mobile Homes do not convey with property unless a certificate of permanent location has been issued in accordance with O.C.G.A. 8-2-180 - 183.1.
• Bidding on a piece of property is a binding agreement between the County and the bidder/purchaser. Once the auctioneer recognizes a bid, it is then considered an official bid (and a binding agreement).
• The property will be sold to the highest and best bidder.
• At the time of the sale, the purchaser will be required to show proof of identification, such as a driver’s license. Purchaser will be issued a property purchase form (bill of sale) identifying property purchased at the sale. Purchaser then becomes liable for payment.
• Payment must be made for the amount of the bid within one hour of the sale. The form of payment must be cash or a cashier’s or certified check issued by a financial institution which is insured with the FDIC or FSLIC.
• The Purchaser will also be responsible for recording fees due the Clerk of Superior Court associated with recording the tax deed.
• The Tax Commissioner will execute a tax deed (after the sale) and will have the deed properly recorded. The tax deed is not a warranty deed. It is the purchaser’s responsibility to check the validity of title to the property. The deed, along with other pertinent information, will be sent to the purchaser at the address given. The mailing address given at the time of purchase will be the address listed on the PT-61 and all mail/future tax
• bills will be sent to that address.
• The purchaser of the property does not take possession of the property that he/she has purchased. The current record holder and/or defendant in FiFa still maintains possession of said property and has the right to redeem the property for no less than twelve (12) months after the date of sale. Also, any person or entity with a legal interest in the property also has the right to redeem the property. The purchaser must wait until one (1) year and one (1) day has elapsed from the date of sale to begin the foreclosure process to bar the right of redemption at which time the purchaser may then take possession of the property.
• The purchaser will be responsible for any future assessments and property taxes as they may become due. This includes any outstanding taxes owed to the City if the property lies within the city limits.
• On very rare occasions the Tax Commissioner reserves the right to set a sale aside due to irregularities in the sale such as bankruptcies, assessment errors and procedural errors. If such action takes place, a full refund of payment tendered will be given.
• IF NO BIDS ARE RECEIVED, THE PROPERTY MAY BE “KNOCKED OFF” TO THE COUNTY
• THE ABOVE-MENTIONED INFORMATION IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE. THE TAX COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE DOES NOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE NOR ASSUMES ANY LIABILITY THAT GOES WITH THE PRACTICE OF LAW. LEGAL ADVICE SHOULD BE SOUGHT FROM THE PURCHASER’S OWN ATTORNEY.