Lands Available for Taxes: Buying Without an Auction

Short answer: A property that gets no bids at a Florida tax deed sale can go on the county's list of lands available for taxes. Ninety days after the sale, any person or government unit may buy it from the list. There is no auction: you ask the clerk for the amount and pay it.

How it works

• Duval's clerk describes the list as properties offered at a tax deed sale but not purchased.
• DeSoto's clerk notes that a property not sold within 3 years of going on the list goes to the county by escheatment tax deed (s. 197.502(8)), so ask how long a parcel has been there.
• If two people ask about the same parcel, Duval says it isn't held for either: it's first come, first served.

The catch

Nobody bid for a reason. It might be a sliver, wetland or landlocked. Brevard's clerk also warns that the minimum bids shown online for these parcels aren't the current amount, so always get a statement first. In Volusia, the Bid Desk warns you when the county's value sits far below similar lots, which is often the sign of a parcel you can't build on.

Questions

Sources

• Duval County Clerk: tax deed files
• DeSoto County Clerk: tax deeds
• Brevard County Clerk: tax deeds

Next: the Florida guide, the Volusia guide, the glossary, or work with me. Not legal, tax or investment advice.