Tax Sales and Sheriff Sales in Vermont

How tax sales work in Vermont

Vermont sells a redeemable deed: the buyer gets the deed, but the owner can buy it back for a set penalty during a redemption period.

What the buyer earns. 1% per month on the amount paid by the purchaser (32 V.S.A. 5260).

Redemption. One year from the day of sale (32 V.S.A. 5260).

When and where the sales are held

Who runs them: Municipal collector of delinquent taxes (town/city).

When: As each town schedules; notice is posted and published for three weeks before the sale (32 V.S.A. 5252).

Where: In person, usually at the town office; the sale is conducted by the collector.

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 Vermont

Vermont mortgage foreclosure is judicial (12 V.S.A. ch. 172): the court may decree strict foreclosure with a redemption period (commonly six months) or foreclosure by judicial sale, in which the plaintiff conducts a public sale after the redemption period expires and the court confirms it; there is no redemption after confirmation of a judicial sale. Non-judicial power-of-sale foreclosure (12 V.S.A. 4961 et seq.) is permitted only where the mortgage contains a power of sale and generally not for owner-occupied dwellings of two units or fewer. Notices of sale are published in a newspaper of general circulation in the town.

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 Vermont.

Official sources for Vermont

• 32 V.S.A. § 5260 (redemption)
• 32 V.S.A. § 5252 (levy and notice of sale)

Statute: 32 V.S.A. §§ 5252–5263 (tax sales); foreclosure 12 V.S.A. §§ 4931–4970.

Questions people ask

Does Vermont sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Vermont sells a redeemable deed: the buyer gets the deed, but the owner can buy it back for a set penalty during a redemption period. In Vermont the town or city collector of delinquent taxes sells the delinquent parcel at public auction after posting and publishing notice, and the high bidder receives a collector's deed that does not take effect until the redemption period runs. The owner (or any mortgagee) may redeem within one year of the sale by paying the purchase price plus 1% per month interest; if not redeemed, the collector's deed becomes absolute.

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

One year from the day of sale (32 V.S.A. 5260)

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

1% per month on the amount paid by the purchaser (32 V.S.A. 5260)

Who runs tax sales in Vermont?

Municipal collector of delinquent taxes (town/city). In person, usually at the town office; the sale is conducted by the collector

When are tax sales held in Vermont?

As each town schedules; notice is posted and published for three weeks before the sale (32 V.S.A. 5252)

Are sheriff sales in Vermont judicial?

Vermont mortgage foreclosure is judicial (12 V.S.A. ch. 172): the court may decree strict foreclosure with a redemption period (commonly six months) or foreclosure by judicial sale, in which the plaintiff conducts a public sale after the redemption period expires and the court confirms it; there is no redemption after confirmation of a judicial sale. Non-judicial power-of-sale foreclosure (12 V.S.A. 4961 et seq.) is permitted only where the mortgage contains a power of sale and generally not for owner-occupied dwellings of two units or fewer. Notices of sale are published in a newspaper of general circulation in the town.

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

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 Vermont 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.