If taxes remain unpaid for a period of two years following the purchase of a tax certificate, the certificate holder, after paying all other taxes, interest and penalties, may bring the property to tax deed sale.

The process involves these steps:

• Certificate holder requests cost of application by submitting Tax Deed quote request, payment of all current and outstanding delinquent taxes.
• Select Abstract title company from Tax Collector’s approved list
• and pay $125.00 for an ownership and encumbrance report.
• Pay $75.00 processing fee to Tax Collector per Florida Statute.
• Pay $60.00 Clerk of Courts processing fee.

After the “Ownership and Encumbrance Report” is received, the paperwork is sent to the Clerk of the Courts office. They notify the owners, by certified mail, and anyone else involved who may have an interest in the property, that the property will be sold at public auction.

The property is then advertised in a local newspaper.

The Clerk’s fee’s which average between $100.00 to $200.00 are paid by the certificate holder to the Clerk’s office before they start advertising the property.

The minimum bid on the property is all the taxes, search and application fees and Clerk’s fees. If the property has homestead exemption, the certificate holder, in addition to the above costs, has to provide guaranteed funds for ½ of the assessed value of the property, before the sale, and this amount is added to the minimum bid.

The property will then be auctioned at the Courthouse to the highest bidder.

You may access the Clerk of Courts web site to view dates of forthcoming Tax Deed Sales, you may then select a date and view the items subject to be sold.