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Sheriff Sale Information

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Date & Time of Sale

First Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. (unless holiday, then following business day). Please monitor the Galveston County Sheriff’s Department website for up-to-date information.

Location - Online

The Galveston County Sheriff will no longer conduct live tax sales and resales but will continue to conduct execution sales in accordance with Texas law.

Delinquent tax foreclosure sales and resales will instead be conducted by the County Sheriff through an online platform operated by Real Auction at www.RealAuction.com. This change was approved by County Commissioners Court May 4, 2020.

Sheriff Sale properties are advertised 21 days prior to the sale in the Galveston County Daily News and are posted on bulletin boards at County offices. The official posting for Sheriff Sales appears on the Galveston County Sheriff’s Department website: http://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov. More detailed information is available at www.taxsales.lgbs.com and www.pbfcm.com/taxsale.html. Additionally, the County's delinquent law firm, Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP (LGBS) has an Interested Buyer (IB) Notification Program as described below.

Sheriff Sales are open to the public. Bidders must register through the Real Auction website (www.realauction.com). All of the rules and procedures for tax sales are noted at the Real Auction website. Free bidder training is also provided through its website.

Bid deposits: After registering through the Real Auction website, bidders must deposit with the Galveston County Sheriff an amount equal to at least five (5%) percent of the total amount of their bids (the aggregate of all bids on the property or properties. Bid deposits can be processed via wire transfer or ACH through the Real Auction website at least 10 days prior to the sale date. Bid deposits will not be accepted in any form at the Galveston County Sheriff's Office.

Winning bidders will be contacted on the day of the sale by Real Auction staff members with specific instructions to complete the sale. Winning bid amounts can be delivered by wire transfer through the Real Auction website or by cash or cashier's check to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office by 4:00 pm the day of the sale. Winning bid amounts that are delivered to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office should be delivered to:

Rebecca Galloway
601 54th Street, Ste. 1114
Galveston, TX 77551
(409) 766-2312

IF YOU ARE THE WINNING BIDDER, you must furnish the Sheriff's Office with a Certificate of Eligibility in order for the Sheriff's Deed to be recorded. A certificate of eligibility may be obtained by submitting a completed application (see form below) along with a $10.00 processing fee at any GCTO office or following the instructions at http://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/index.asp#sales.

Once the terms of the sheriff sale have been completed and the Certificate of Eligibility has been provided to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, the Sheriff’s Deed will be recorded in the deed records in the County Clerk’s Office. Buyers will receive the original recorded deed once it is filed in the County Clerk’s office. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Captain Pete SiFuentes, Galveston County Sheriff’s Department, at (409) 766-2401.

BIDDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO DO THE APPROPRIATE DILIGENCE PRIOR TO THE SALE. There may be additional taxes due outside of the taxes due at the sale which will be the responsibility of the purchaser.

FAILURE TO COMPLY: Winning bidders that fail to pay the balance of their winning bid will forfeit their bid deposit. Bidders ;that show a pattern of failure to complete their winning bids may also be subject to additional sanctions as allowed by law.

Redemption Periods & Fees

In accordance with the Texas Property Tax Code, properties sold at Sheriff Sale are subject to statutory redemption periods. The redemption period begins on the date the original Sheriff’s deed is recorded. Homestead and agricultural exempt properties may be redeemed up to two (2) years from the date of deed being recorded. All other properties may be redeemed within 180 days of deed recording. Redemption fees due to the Sheriff Sale purchaser are as follow:

Homestead or Ag: First Year: Price of Sale + 25%

All Others: Six Months: Price of Sale + 25%

Second Year: Price of Sale + 50%

Please note: Texas Property Tax Code §34.21 sets forth the specific requirements for redemption. In addition to the purchase price at Sheriff Sale, the redemption amount may be subject to other costs and expenses set forth in Tax Code §34.21. All parties participating in the sheriff’s tax sales should review this law for the rights, duties and procedures associated with the right of redemption.

Resale of Struck Off Properties

Properties not sold at the auction are ‘struck off’ to the taxing entities participating in the sale. Properties struck off to Galveston County, City of Texas City or the City of Galveston will re-auctioned in future Sheriff Sales. Information regarding struck off properties is available through the firm’s interactive public website or by contacting Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP. Visit the LGBS website or call 409-948-3401.

For information on properties struck off to Clear Creek, Dickinson or Santa Fe Independent School Districts, please contact Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP. Visit the PBFCM website or call 800-833-5886.

Other Legal Matters to Consider When Purchasing Property at Tax Sales

All properties—whether sold at the Sheriff Sale or Resale are sold “as is” with regard to title, physical condition and use. Properties may be subject to use restrictions pursuant to local codes and ordinances. Before purchasing at Sheriff Sale, interested buyers should consult the local governmental entities in which the property is located to understand these restrictions, if any. There is no title insurance offered or available at Sheriff Sale. If you have questions, consult your attorney.

Bidders or buyers of Sheriff Sale or Resale property are strongly encouraged to do their own title research before bidding or purchasing property at delinquent tax sales. Property taxes may be due outside of the years included in the Sheriff Sale. Be certain to do your homework before bidding at Sheriff Sale!

Execution Sales: The monthly sales conducted by the Sheriff’s Department often include ‘execution’ sales. Please know that execution sales are not the same as tax sales. The laws governing execution sales are completely different from the laws governing tax sales. Buyers should seek the advice of an attorney to understand the legal aspects of execution sales.

Interested Buyer Notification Program

Those interested in tracking or purchasing tax sale properties may now register by county of interest and/or properties of interest on the LGBS tax sale website. Once validated as an IB you will receive email notices when sale listings are posted or if the status of particular properties changes (set for sale, removed from sale, struck off, etc.). For additional information, see pages at the end of the Sheriff Sale Packet below. This feature is an effective method of staying up-to-date on properties and you are able to sign up to receive sale information monthly via email.

Mortgage Foreclosures

Mortgage foreclosure information is available on the County Clerk's website by owner name. If the owner name is not known, information can be obtained in person at the County Clerk's Office. Copies are $1/page. Galveston County, the Sheriff’s Department and the Galveston County Tax Office are NOT involved in these sales.

Please note: Texas Property Tax Code §34.21 sets forth the specific requirements for redemption. In addition to the purchase price at Sheriff Sale, the redemption amount may be subject to other costs and expenses set forth in Tax Code §34.21. All parties participating in the sheriff’s tax sales should review this law for the rights, duties and procedures associated with the
right of redemption.