Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Kansas

How tax sales work in Kansas

Kansas sells the property itself: the buyer gets a deed, and the owner's chance to pay ends at or before the sale.

What the buyer gets. The property itself, by deed from the county sheriff, with no interest to collect and no owner to wait out once the sale is final.

Redemption. None after the sale; the owner may redeem by paying all taxes, interest and costs until the close of business the day before the sheriff's sale..

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: County sheriff (under a district court judgment obtained by the county attorney/counselor; the county treasurer administers the list).

When: Varies by county; typically one sale per year (Sedgwick County, for example, holds one annual tax foreclosure auction and posts a map book 30 days ahead)..

Where: Public auction at the county courthouse (front door or location designated by the chief judge) after notice published once a week for three consecutive weeks; some larger counties run the auction through the treasurer's office and post lists online..

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 Kansas

Mortgage foreclosure in Kansas is judicial: the lender sues in district court and the sheriff sells the property at public auction after publishing notice in a county newspaper for three consecutive weeks (K.S.A. 60-2410). The court confirms the sale and sets a redemption period under K.S.A. 60-2414: generally 12 months, but only 3 months when less than one-third of the original debt was paid before default (courts may extend by 3 months for involuntary job loss); Sedgwick County reports the typical order sets about three months.

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 Kansas.

Official sources for Kansas

• K.S.A. 79-2801 (Kansas Revisor of Statutes)
• K.S.A. 79-2804 sheriff's sale (Kansas Legislature)
• K.S.A. 60-2414 redemption after foreclosure sale
• Sedgwick County tax foreclosure auctions

Statute: K.S.A. 79-2801 through 79-2812 (judicial tax foreclosure); K.S.A. 60-2410 and 60-2414 (sheriff's sales and redemption).

Questions people ask

Does Kansas sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Kansas sells the property itself: the buyer gets a deed, and the owner's chance to pay ends at or before the sale. Kansas counties do not sell tax liens to investors. After real estate has been bid off to the county at the annual tax sale and remains unredeemed (generally on September 1 of the second year after that sale), the board of county commissioners files a judicial tax foreclosure in district court and the sheriff sells the parcels at public auction. The buyer receives a sheriff's deed conveying fee simple title after the court confirms the sale, and the former owner has no right of redemption after the sale (owners may pay in full up to the day before the sale).

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

None after the sale; the owner may redeem by paying all taxes, interest and costs until the close of business the day before the sheriff's sale.

Who runs tax sales in Kansas?

County sheriff (under a district court judgment obtained by the county attorney/counselor; the county treasurer administers the list). Public auction at the county courthouse (front door or location designated by the chief judge) after notice published once a week for three consecutive weeks; some larger counties run the auction through the treasurer's office and post lists online.

When are tax sales held in Kansas?

Varies by county; typically one sale per year (Sedgwick County, for example, holds one annual tax foreclosure auction and posts a map book 30 days ahead).

Are sheriff sales in Kansas judicial?

Mortgage foreclosure in Kansas is judicial: the lender sues in district court and the sheriff sells the property at public auction after publishing notice in a county newspaper for three consecutive weeks (K.S.A. 60-2410). The court confirms the sale and sets a redemption period under K.S.A. 60-2414: generally 12 months, but only 3 months when less than one-third of the original debt was paid before default (courts may extend by 3 months for involuntary job loss); Sedgwick County reports the typical order sets about three months.

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

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 Kansas 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.