Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Indiana

How tax sales work in Indiana

Indiana sells tax lien certificates: the buyer pays the taxes and holds a lien that earns interest, and gets the property only if the owner never redeems.

What the buyer earns. 10% of the minimum bid if redeemed within 6 months, 15% after 6 months, plus 5% per year on the amount bid above the minimum and on taxes the buyer later pays (IC 6-1.1-25-2).

Redemption. 1 year after the sale (IC 6-1.1-25-4); 120 days for certificates sold by the county commissioners or to urban homesteading agencies; none for property certified vacant and abandoned.

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: County treasurer and county auditor (most counties contract with SRI, Inc. to run the sale).

When: Annually, typically August through October (Monroe County Oct. 7 and Harrison County Oct. 16 in 2026).

Where: In person at the county government center or online; county notices name zeusauction.com for electronic sales and sriservices.com for schedules.

The list of parcels for each sale is published by the office that runs it, usually a few weeks ahead, in the county's legal newspaper and on the county or platform site. UX Search does not list tax sale parcels; these sales are run by the counties and the platforms they contract, and the links on this page go to the official sources.

Sheriff sales and foreclosure sales in Indiana

Indiana mortgage foreclosure is judicial (IC 32-30-10): after judgment the county sheriff sells the property at a public sheriff's sale, usually at the courthouse or county building, after publishing notice once a week for three weeks. The borrower may redeem only before the sale by paying the judgment (IC 32-29-7-7); there is no right of redemption after the sheriff's sale, and a waiting period of at least three months from the complaint applies before the sale.

A tax sale and a sheriff sale are different animals even when the same office runs both. A tax sale clears unpaid property taxes and in most states wipes out junior liens; a mortgage foreclosure sale pays the lender and may leave tax liens in place. Before bidding at either, pull the title, read the judgment or the tax certificate, and know which liens survive the sale in Indiana.

Official sources for Indiana

• Monroe County Auditor – Tax Sale information
• Harrison County – 2026 Tax Sale advertisement
• IC 6-1.1-25-4 – Period for redemption

Statute: Ind. Code 6-1.1-24 (sale of real property when taxes delinquent) and 6-1.1-25 (redemption and tax deeds).

Questions people ask

Does Indiana sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Indiana sells tax lien certificates: the buyer pays the taxes and holds a lien that earns interest, and gets the property only if the owner never redeems. Indiana county treasurers and auditors jointly conduct an annual tax sale of parcels with taxes delinquent from the prior spring installment; the high bidder pays at least the taxes and costs and receives a tax sale certificate, a lien rather than title. The owner redeems through the auditor within one year by paying the minimum bid plus a 10% or 15% penalty, plus 5% annual interest on any overbid. Certificates not redeemed entitle the buyer to petition the court for a tax deed; unsold parcels pass to the county commissioners, who resell them at a 'commissioners' certificate sale' with a 120-day redemption.

How long is the redemption period after a tax sale in Indiana?

1 year after the sale (IC 6-1.1-25-4); 120 days for certificates sold by the county commissioners or to urban homesteading agencies; none for property certified vacant and abandoned

What does the buyer earn if the owner redeems in Indiana?

10% of the minimum bid if redeemed within 6 months, 15% after 6 months, plus 5% per year on the amount bid above the minimum and on taxes the buyer later pays (IC 6-1.1-25-2)

Who runs tax sales in Indiana?

County treasurer and county auditor (most counties contract with SRI, Inc. to run the sale). In person at the county government center or online; county notices name zeusauction.com for electronic sales and sriservices.com for schedules

When are tax sales held in Indiana?

Annually, typically August through October (Monroe County Oct. 7 and Harrison County Oct. 16 in 2026)

Are sheriff sales in Indiana judicial?

Indiana mortgage foreclosure is judicial (IC 32-30-10): after judgment the county sheriff sells the property at a public sheriff's sale, usually at the courthouse or county building, after publishing notice once a week for three weeks. The borrower may redeem only before the sale by paying the judgment (IC 32-29-7-7); there is no right of redemption after the sheriff's sale, and a waiting period of at least three months from the complaint applies before the sale.

Can anyone bid at a tax sale or sheriff sale in Indiana?

Generally yes, with registration through the office or platform that runs the sale, and often a deposit or proof of funds. Payment is usually due the same day or within a few days in certified funds, and the property is sold as is with whatever title questions come with it. Read the county's terms for the sale you are bidding in; they differ from one county to the next in the same state.

Written from the Indiana statutes and official county pages, last checked October 27, 2026. Rules change by session and by county; the official sources above control. UX Search is independent, lists no tax sale parcels and never takes a bid.