Escambia County Tax Certificate Sale is June 1 – Bidding Open Now! – The tax certificate sale for 2016 delinquent real estate taxes in Escambia County will be held June 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT at BidEscambia.com. Bidding opened May 5, 2017.
Property taxes unpaid as of 4:30 p.m. on May 31 will be eligible for purchase. To prevent a certificate from being sold, property owners with delinquent taxes must make their payment by 4:30 p.m. May 31 either through the website, here, or in person at any of our four convenient tax collector offices. All late payments will be returned for additional fees.
Registration for the sale is open at BidEscambia.com and will continue until the sale ends June 1. The sale is a reverse auction, with interest rates on individual certificates starting at 18 percent. Bidders compete for the lowest rate, and certificates are awarded to those with the lowest bid. All unsold certificates will be issued to Escambia County at 18 percent annual interest.
The tax certificate sale is an annual online auction where bidders can purchase a delinquent taxpayer’s debt in exchange for an annual interest rate, ensuring the majority of unpaid taxes are collected and distributed to taxing authorities. Last year, more than 6,900 certificates were sold for a total of over $8.4 million, recovering 97 percent of delinquent taxes. Delinquent real estate accounts are published online at BidEscambia.com and in the Pensacola News Journal.