Marion County Tax Sales. How does that Work?

[M Marie M.]

So its very difficult to find a gift my dad likes, but I hit pay dirt last year when I paid my parent's property taxes on a lot next to their house that my dad has used for his business. So this year I went to pay the property taxes again, but using the search function I discovered my dad had another lot in another part of town..... and I paid the taxes on that too ($25).

It seemed my dad never really paid any property tax on time for several years and there were tax sales. Same for my uncle who has an adjoining lot next to my dad's seemingly abandoned lot. He too has failed to pay taxes in a timely manner and still retained his lot. Additional side note- my uncle and dad are no longer on speaking terms for reasons unknown.

It says "CER SOLD" for every other year going back to 1998 and "REDEEMED" other years. I guess they pony up when they might lose their lots. But looking at the County Clerk's site, it looks like my dad did lose a property to a tax sale in 2013 for failure to pay from 2009-2011.

I have no interest in buying or obtaining my uncle or my dad's parcels for a variety of reasons (one being their spat) or anyone's property but I am curious how do Marion County Tax sales work. I last bothered with a tax sale in DC for the interest. Is it the same with Marion County and how do you find out what the interest rate will be? The County Clerk's website gave a range.

[Wayne Brooks]

Tax certificates are sold in June of each year, and you bid down to the winning percentage bid....all you're doing is lending money to the county.  A certificate holder can send a property to auction after 2 years, but you have No advantage in gaining ownership....it's then a public Tax Deed auction, and the certificate holder simply gets their money and interest back, if it sells for the minimu bid.  To send it to the auction though, you have to pay off all the other outstanding certificates.