Understanding Delinquent Real Estate Taxes in Walton County

• •Real estate taxes become delinquent annually on April 1st.
• •The Tax Collector is required to advertise delinquent parcels in a local newspaper once a week for three consecutive weeks prior to a tax certificate sale.
• •Advertising costs and auction fees are added to the delinquent taxpayer's bill.
• •Tax certificates represent liens on unpaid real estate properties and are sold via online auction.
• •Tax certificate auctions involve bidding downward on interest rates starting at 18%, with a minimum increment of 1/4 of 1%.
• •A tax certificate earns a minimum of 5% interest for the investor, except for zero-interest bids.
• •Tax certificates are valid for seven years from the date of issuance.
• •Property owners can remove a lien by paying all delinquent taxes, accrued interest, costs, and charges to the Tax Collector.
• •Certificate holders may apply for a tax deed sale two or more years after the date of delinquency.
• •If a tax deed is applied for and the property owner fails to pay the debt, the property is sold at a public auction to the highest bidder.
• •The Walton County Tax Collector's office will be closed July 2nd through July 6th for Independence Day, reopening July 7th at 8:00am.

Property owners with unpaid taxes face the risk of tax certificate sales, which create liens on their property, and potential loss of property through tax deed auctions if debts remain unpaid for two or more years.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.