Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Michigan

Michigan uses a three-year forfeiture and foreclosure process rather than lien sales: taxes returned delinquent on March 1 are forfeited to the county treasurer a year later, and the foreclosing governmental unit (the county treasurer in most counties, the state Department of Treasury in a few) obtains a circuit court judgment the following spring. The owner can redeem by paying taxes, 1.5% monthly interest and fees until March 31 of the foreclosure year; after that title vests absolutely in the foreclosing unit, which sells the property at public auction between July and November and conveys fee simple title by deed. There is no redemption after the auction, but former interest holders may claim remaining (excess) proceeds.

Sale type: Tax deeds
Redemption: None after the sale
Run by: County

Official sources Government auctions in Michigan

At a glance

How it sells: Tax deeds
Buyer earns: No interest; the buyer gets the property
Redemption: None after the auction; redemption rights expire March 31 of the year of the foreclosure judgment (or 21 days after judgment in contested cases).
Run by: Foreclosing governmental unit: the county treasurer (or the Michigan Department of Treasury in counties that opted out)
When: First auction from the third Tuesday in July; a second auction (no minimum bid) at least 28 days later; all sales completed by the first Tuesday in November.
Statute: MCL 211.78 through 211.78t (General Property Tax Act forfeiture, foreclosure and sale); MCL 600.3201 through 600.3285 (foreclosure by advertisement)

How tax sales work in Michigan

Michigan 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 foreclosing governmental unit: the county treasurer, with no interest to collect and no owner to wait out once the sale is final.

Redemption. None after the auction; redemption rights expire March 31 of the year of the foreclosure judgment (or 21 days after judgment in contested cases)..

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: Foreclosing governmental unit: the county treasurer (or the Michigan Department of Treasury in counties that opted out).

When: First auction from the third Tuesday in July; a second auction (no minimum bid) at least 28 days later; all sales completed by the first Tuesday in November..

Where: Mostly online: the state's auctions run on Tax-Sale.info and many county treasurers use the same platform or their own online/live auctions; notice is published at least 30 days before each sale..

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 Michigan

Mortgage foreclosure in Michigan is usually non-judicial 'foreclosure by advertisement' (MCL 600.3201 et seq.): after publishing notice the sheriff (or a person named in the mortgage) sells the property at a public sale at the circuit court location between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The borrower has a statutory redemption period after the sheriff's sale under MCL 600.3240: 6 months for most residential and commercial property, 12 months in other cases (for example when less than two-thirds of the original debt is claimed), and 1 to 3 months if the property is abandoned.

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 Michigan.

Official sources for Michigan

Statute: MCL 211.78 through 211.78t (General Property Tax Act forfeiture, foreclosure and sale); MCL 600.3201 through 600.3285 (foreclosure by advertisement).

Questions people ask

Does Michigan sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Michigan sells the property itself: the buyer gets a deed, and the owner's chance to pay ends at or before the sale. Michigan uses a three-year forfeiture and foreclosure process rather than lien sales: taxes returned delinquent on March 1 are forfeited to the county treasurer a year later, and the foreclosing governmental unit (the county treasurer in most counties, the state Department of Treasury in a few) obtains a circuit court judgment the following spring. The owner can redeem by paying taxes, 1.5% monthly interest and fees until March 31 of the foreclosure year; after that title vests absolutely in the foreclosing unit, which sells the property at public auction between July and November and conveys fee simple title by deed. There is no redemption after the auction, but former interest holders may claim remaining (excess) proceeds.

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

None after the auction; redemption rights expire March 31 of the year of the foreclosure judgment (or 21 days after judgment in contested cases).

Who runs tax sales in Michigan?

Foreclosing governmental unit: the county treasurer (or the Michigan Department of Treasury in counties that opted out). Mostly online: the state's auctions run on Tax-Sale.info and many county treasurers use the same platform or their own online/live auctions; notice is published at least 30 days before each sale.

When are tax sales held in Michigan?

First auction from the third Tuesday in July; a second auction (no minimum bid) at least 28 days later; all sales completed by the first Tuesday in November.

Are sheriff sales in Michigan judicial?

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

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 Michigan 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.