Below are the procedures used to auction real estate to collect delinquent taxes in York County, South Carolina. If you are the successful bidder for a property sold at the tax sale, please be aware that York County issues receipts for bids paid – we do not issue tax lien certificates at the sale or at any time during the year. For more information, call (803) 909-7272. The information provided below is for guidance only and does not constitute legal advice of any kind. For legal advice, please contact your attorney.

Location: The sale will be held Monday, October 5, 2009 at Building 1-C, 1070 Heckle Boulevard in Rock Hill, SC. You must be present to bid. 

Registration: You must register in order to bid. There is no registration fee. You may pre-register from Sept. 1, 2009 through Oct. 2, 2009 by calling (803) 909-7272 or by mailing the Bidder Registration Form available on the York County website to: York County Tax Collector, 1070 Heckle Blvd., Box 14, Rock Hill, SC   29732. You may also register the day of the sale beginning at 9:00 a.m. Limit one registration per person the day of the sale. Some information required to register is confidential and will be treated as such.

Schedule: The sale will begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue until 4:00 p.m. unless all delinquent taxes are collected before then. Lunch will be on your own from 1:00 to 2:00, and if necessary, the sale will resume at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 6.

Conditions of Sale: You bid at your own risk. Each property is sold “as is” and subject to all liens and judgments thereon. York County makes no warranty and no representation whatsoever, including but not limited to, the value of the property, the size, shape, boundaries, location or physical characteristics, the number or condition of any buildings or improvements, or the quality of the title, and we strongly urge bidders to research all properties and obtain legal advice before placing bids. The York County website, www.yorkcountygov.com, provides a research tool, GIS Online Mapping and Property Search, which provides information on location and characteristics. Also available on the York County website is the Online Taxes link, which allows bidders to check to see if taxes are paid on a parcel.

Properties for Sale: A list of all delinquent properties will be advertised in the local newspaper, The Herald, on the three consecutive Mondays before the sale. This list is also available in September on the York County website, www.yorkcountygov.com. Not all properties advertised will be sold. A list of properties to be sold will be available to registered bidders on the day of the sale only; we are not able to provide this list in advance.

Bidding: This is an open bid sale, and bidders must use their numbered bidder cards in order to place bids. The delinquent tax collector will present the opening bid, which is made on behalf of the Forfeited Land Commission, and which will consist of all delinquent taxes, penalties and costs plus the current year’s taxes. The delinquent tax collector will announce the properties for sale in alphabetical order as they appeared in the newspaper ads and will provide the owner’s name, map reference number, school district location and whether the property is vacant or improved according to tax records for the 2007 tax year. All other information is the responsibility of the bidder.

Payments: All sales are final, with no exceptions. Terms of sale are cash up to $10,000, checks or certified funds. All bids must be paid in full by 4:00 p.m. the day of the sale, and there will be a $300 fine per bid for failure to pay. A check returned as not collectable will be considered failure to pay. 

Redemption Period: On all sales, the defaulting taxpayer, any grantee from the owner or any mortgage or judgment creditor may redeem the property within twelve months from the day of the sale. If a property is redeemed, the successful bidder will receive a refund for the bid amount plus interest on the bid amount at the rate of 12% pro-rated quarterly. The maximum amount of interest paid will not exceed the amount of the opening bid.

Ownership Rights: During the redemption period, successful bidders have no ownership rights to the property and have no right to enter the premises or contact the owner. Redemption is handled through the York County Tax Collector’s Office, and ownership rights are transferred only if the property is not redeemed and a tax title is recorded.

Tax Title: If the property is not redeemed, successful bidders will receive tax deeds for their properties as soon as possible after the end of the redemption period. This tax title is not a warranty deed. Successful bidders are responsible for all recording costs, including deed stamps.

Void Sales: S. C. law provides that tax sales may be voided should there be an error discovered on the part of the Tax Collector’s office. Should it become necessary to void a sale, the bidder will receive a refund for the bid amount plus the amount of interest actually earned by the county at the time the sale is voided.

Municipal Taxes: While York County collects municipal taxes on behalf of all municipalities in the county, bidders should consult with respective municipalities regarding possible delinquent municipal taxes that may be due.

Disclaimer: This information is provided as guidance only and does not constitute legal advice of any kind. If you need legal advice, please contact your attorney.