Auction set at courthouse for tax-delinquent properties

Tax-delinquent property will be auctioned at the St. Francis County Courthouse on Wednesday, according to Commissioner of State Lands Tommy Land.

Registration for the auction will begin at 9:30 a.m.

This year, the COSL office will auction two years worth of properties to catch up with the year of auctions missed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “This will catch us up so that we’re current on all sales,” Land said.

Prospective bidders may find an online public auction catalog, including a buyer’s guide, statutes governing sales, auction date, time and location, and a complete listing of parcels offered on the Commissioner’s website at www.cosl.org.

The website also includes an instructional video demonstrating how to research information about each parcel available for sale.

“We open the bidding at the amount of taxes, penalties and interest due,” Land said. “Anyone who has delinquent property going up for auction should be aware they only have 10 business days after the auction to redeem property sold there.”

Bidders must register for the auction, but the registration is free. The first $100 of any parcel’s purchase price must be paid in cash, while the remainder may be paid by cash, check or credit card, according to Land.

“Property taxes help fund schools, roads, libraries and public services including ambulances,” Land said. “Everyone benefits from paying those taxes — and the property owner benefits from paying on time, by avoiding interest and penalties on delinquent taxes.”