Delinquent Real Estate Taxes
Real estate taxes become delinquent each year on April 1st. Delinquent taxes must be paid by cash, cashiers check, money order or debit/credit card with a convenience fee. The date the payment is received in the office determines the amount due. Florida Statutes require the Tax Collector to advertise the delinquent parcels in a local newspaper, once a week for three consecutive weeks, and prior to the tax certificate sale. The Walton County Tax Collector advertises the delinquent parcels in the DeFuniak Herald. The cost of advertising and auction fee is added to the delinquent taxpayer’s bill.
You may contact our Tax Department via email at: [email protected]
Tax Certificates
Beginning on or before June 1st of each year, the Tax Collector is required by law to hold a tax certificate sale. The certificates represent liens on all unpaid real estate properties. A tax certificate sale is not a sale of land. The sale allows citizens to buy certificates for the amount of tax debt including applicable interest and fees. The sale is conducted in an online auction with participants bidding downward on interest rates starting at 18%. Bids are accepted in increments of a minimum of ¼ of 1%. The sequence number, as listed in the advertisement, will be called and the certificate will be awarded to the buyer who is willing to pay the taxes, interest, and associated costs at the lowest rate of interest.
The certificate is awarded to the lowest bidder. A tax certificate earns a minimum of 5% interest to the investor until the interest has accrued to greater than 5%, with the exception of "zero" interest bids, which always earn "zero" interest.
A tax certificate, when purchased, becomes an enforceable first lien against the real estate. The certificate holder is actually paying the taxes for a property owner in exchange for a competitive bid rate of return on his or her investment. Purchasing a tax certificate on a parcel does not entitle the certificate holder to enter the property or to initiate contact with the property owner. In order to remove the lien, the property owner must pay the Tax Collector all delinquent taxes plus accrued interest, cost, and other charges. The Tax Collector then issues a check to the certificate holder.
A tax certificate is valid for seven years from the date of issuance. The holder may apply for a tax deed when two or more years have elapsed since the date of delinquency. If the property owner fails to pay the tax debt, the property is sold at a public auction. The highest bidder will receive a tax deed for the property.
For more information or to register as a bidder, please visit the WCTC Auction website
Certificate buyers need to be aware that there are risks involved with buying tax certificates, and those risks are borne by the certificate holder.
https://lienhub.com/county/walton/certsale/main
Tax Deeds
If a tax certificate is redeemed, the buyer will receive the return of the original investment, plus interest at the rate that was bid. If the tax certificate is not redeemed, the law provides that a certificate holder may apply for a Tax Deed Sale, at a cost, two years after the date of delinquency (April 1st). If a certificate is not redeemed, and a tax deed has not been applied for, the certificate will be cancelled seven years from the date of issuance.
If a tax deed is applied for and the Tax Collector certifies the application to the Clerk of Court, the Clerk will set a sale date. Once the date has been set, the Clerk will notify the certificate holder, property owner, and all lien holders. Tax Deed Sales are conducted online at www.walton.realforeclose.com. The property is awarded to the highest bidder. The sale is final when the tax deed is signed by the Clerk. The property owner may redeem his/her property by paying all back taxes and costs up until the Clerk of the Court signs the tax deed.
Should you have questions or need additional information in this regard, please call (850) 892-8121 and ask for the Tax Department.
If you are interested in applying for a Tax Deed, please click the link below to be redirected to the Tax Deed Site. You will need to register at the sale site before you can make application on a Tax Deed.
https://lienhub.com/county/walton