A foreclosure sale, also called a judicial sale, is a court-ordered process of selling real property at public auction to recover an amount owed in a civil final judgment. The process is governed by Chapter 45 of the Florida Statutes and the Florida Rules of Court.

Learn about the Clerk and Comptroller's foreclosure services.

Purchase of property at a foreclosure sale requires payment with guaranteed funds. 

Ensure Sufficient Funds Are Available

A deposit equal to 5% of your maximum bid must be available for bidding prior to the start of the auction. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure they have sufficient funds available in their online auction account prior to the start of the auction. The Clerk and Comptroller's office cannot guarantee processing of your account deposit the morning of a sale.

Accepted Forms of Payment

The following forms of payment are accepted on foreclosure sales.

NOTE: Personal checks are not accepted on foreclosure sales.

Registry and sale fees are earned at the time services are rendered, and are non-refundable despite an order vacating or setting aside a sale. As such, these risks are assumed by the depositor (bidder or plaintiff).

• Registry fees are earned when funds for a purchase are deposited.
• Sale fees are earned when the property is auctioned. 

You may request a full or partial refund of your deposit through the online auction service. Refunds are not automatic and must be initiated by the auction account owner. 

To request a refund, log into the auction website and click on the "Request Refund" link.

• If your deposit was made via electronic payment (ACH, electronic check, or wire transfer), you will receive your refund electronically from the auction service.
• If your deposit was made via cash, cashier's check, or money order, you will receive your refund from the Clerk and Comptroller. Your refund check will be made payable to the name of the registered account owner and mailed to the address on the account.

NOTE:

• Requests to issue refund payments to a third-party or an alias will not be honored.
• Allow 7-10 business days to receive your refund.

Contact the Tax Collector’s office to begin the Tax Deed Application process.

Yes. If the property is sold at auction, the Clerk is required by the IRS to issue form 1099-INT for interest paid amounts greather than or equal to $600. The Clerk and Comptroller will send your 1099-INT tax form in January for the prior year to the address on record at the time the application was made.

If the owner pays the delinquent taxes, interest is paid to you by the Tax Collector's office.

A tax deed sale is the process of selling real property at public auction to recover delinquent property taxes and the cost of bringing the property to auction. The process is governed by Chapter 197 of the Florida Statutes, and Florida Department of Revenue Administrative Code Chapter 12D-13.

Learn more about the Clerk and Comptroller's tax deed services.

For each property a bidder intends to win, they must be able to pay a non-refundable deposit equal to 5% of their maximum bid or $200.00, which ever is greater at the moment the auction is won. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure sufficient funds are available in their online auction account prior to the start of the sale. 

Example Scenario of Insufficient Funds: 

A bidder wants to bid on two tax deed auctions that are scheduled for the same day. The bidder does not ensure they have sufficient funds to cover the non-refundable deposit requirement for both auctions.

• The bidder wins the first tax deed auction, and the online auction service automatically withdraws the required deposit amount.
• The balance left in the bidder's account is less than the required deposit for the bidder's maximum bid on the second tax deed auction.
• Without sufficient funds available, the auction system automatically declines their bid on the next auction as invalid, with no notice to the bidder. 

Purchase of property for delinquent taxes requires payment by guaranteed funds.

For Bidding At Auction

REMINDER: A deposit equal to 5% or your winning bid or $200.00, which ever is greater, must be available for bidding prior to the start of the auction. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure they have sufficient funds available in their online auction account prior to the start of the sale. The Clerk and Comptroller's office cannot guarantee processing of your account deposit the morning of a sale.

The following forms of payment are accepted when depositing funds into your online auction account for bidding at a tax deed auction. 

NOTE: Personal checks are not accepted for tax deed auction deposits.

For Payment of Winning Balance

The balance due on your tax deed purchase must be made by the due date and time stated in your winning confirmation email. When you win a tax deed auction, your payment options are:

NOTE: ACH (electronic check) and personal checks are not accepted for tax deed auction purchases.

For Purchase from List of Lands Available

When purchasing a property off of the List of Lands Available, the following forms of payments are accepted. Purchasing property off the List of Lands Available is on a first come, first served basis. Learn about the List of Lands Available.

NOTE: Personal checks and ACH (electronic check) payments are not accepted for purchases from the List of Lands Available.

You may request a full or partial refund of your deposit through the online auction service. Refunds are not automatic and must be initiated by the auction account owner. 

To request a refund, log into the auction website and click on the "Request Refund" link.

• If your deposit was made via electronic payment (ACH, electronic check, or wire transfer), you will receive your refund electronically from the auction service.
• If your deposit was made via cash, cashier's check, or money order, you will receive your refund from the Clerk and Comptroller. Your refund check will be made payable to the name of the registered account owner and mailed to the address on the account.

NOTE:

• Requests to issue refund payments to a third-party or an alias will not be honored.
• Allow 7-10 business days to receive your refund.