Maps are now posted in courthouse of properties listed for auction in local delinquent real estate tax sale

Maps showing the location of properties subject for sale in the Aug. 26 Ozark County delinquent real estate tax sale are now posted on the bulletin boards located in the hallway outside the assessor's office in the lower level of the Ozark County Courthouse. A listing of the addresses can also be found in the ad on page 8 in this week’s edition. 

The sale will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 26, at the Ozark County Courthouse in Gainesville. It’s possible some properties may be taken off the bid list before the auction if property owners are able to pay the delinquent taxes. 

Missouri Revised Statute 140.250 provides the legal framework for the delinquent real estate tax sale. The statute says that when property owners fail to pay taxes on the property for three successive years, the collector can legally sell the property at auction to recoup the funds for the taxes. 

Bidders must submit a bid that is equal to or higher than that the taxes owed. Those who participate bid on tax lien certificates for properties with three or more years of delinquent taxes; however, there is a one year redemption period in which the original owner can redeem, or buy back, the property by paying the collector the amount that the property sold for at auction and any subsequent taxes that were paid by the bidder, plus interest. 

When the property sells for more than the taxes that are owed, the surplus funds are held in a trust by Ozark County Treasurer Christy Thompson, according to Missouri Revised Statute 140.230. If the money is not redeemed within three years, the surplus funds are transferred to a school fund to be distributed to schools within the county.

The tax sale is conducted by the Ozark County Collector’s Office. For more information, contact the Collector at  417-679-4448.