Scott Lunsford, Escambia County Tax Collector, announces the tax certificate sale for 2019 delinquent real estate taxes in Escambia County will be held on Monday, June 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT at BidEscambia.com. Bidding opened May 5, 2020.
In order to prevent a tax certificate from being issued, property owners with delinquent taxes must make payment online at EscambiaTaxCollector.com by 8:00 p.m., Sunday, May 31, 2020, or if payment is to be made in person, taxpayers should use the drive-thru facilities at our Marcus Pointe, Downtown or Molino locations prior to 4:30 p.m., Friday, May 29, 2020. All late payments will be returned for additional fees.
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 7,600 certificates were sold for a total of over $8.6 million, recovering 99.2 percent of delinquent taxes. Delinquent real estate accounts are published online at BidEscambia.com and in the Pensacola News Journal.
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.
Taxpayers are encouraged to visit EscambiaTaxCollector.com to pay online 24 hours a day. Online services allow customers to pay their taxes, search records, print receipts, renew vehicle and vessel registrations and many other services.
For more information about the tax certificate sale or other tax collector services, visit EscambiaTaxCollector.com or email ectc@EscambiaTaxCollector.com.
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