Top Free — Indiana Tax Sales

Once the court issues the , you are now the legal owner. At this moment, your "certificate holder" status converts to ownership. You have officially survived the Indiana gauntlet.

Bidding starts at the amount of unpaid taxes owed on the property, plus penalties, costs, and any current‑year taxes. The Indiana Code sets a minimum sales price for each property, generally based on the total amount owed. While the property must be sold to the highest bidder at public auction, the minimum bid ensures the county recovers its delinquent taxes. Indiana also uses a premium bid process: investors earn 10% on the lien amount and 5% on any amount bid above the lien. The premium interest rate has been subject to change, but it still makes excess bids profitable. indiana tax sales top

Because the vast majority of property owners eventually find a way to pay their back taxes, most tax sale buyers walk away with a highly predictable, double-digit return on their capital. Transitioning from Certificate to Deed Once the court issues the , you are now the legal owner

When a property owner in Indiana fails to pay their property taxes for three or more consecutive installments, the county puts a tax lien on the property up for public auction. These events are highly anticipated by investors because the starting bid is merely the amount of delinquent taxes, interest, and administrative fees owed. This starting amount is often a tiny fraction of the property’s actual market value. Bidding starts at the amount of unpaid taxes

If the property is not redeemed within the strict one-year redemption period, the investor can petition the local court for a tax deed. Once issued, this deed transfers full ownership of the property to the tax sale purchaser.

However, navigating the legal frameworks of the Indiana Code (IC 6-1.1-24) requires diligence. This comprehensive guide covers the operational structure of Indiana tax sales, the two primary auction types, redemption rules, and the top strategies to maximize your return on investment. What is an Indiana Tax Sale?

In a landmark 2017 Indiana Court of Appeals case (Jenner v. Bloomington Cellular Services), the court ruled that tax sale purchasers who failed to notify a cell tower operator whose interest was not in the chain of title lost their tax deed. The purchasers had conducted a title search and found only the original owner, but a prominent sign on the property identified Crown Castle as the operator. The court held that a “reasonable diligence” search would have included a visit to the property, where the purchasers would have seen the sign. The court likened tax sale purchases to a “gamble” and emphasized that the legislature intended to impose a greater burden on purchasers to safeguard existing property owners’ rights.