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Anne Arundel County, MD

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Anne Arundel County, Maryland — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (redemption periods, surplus rights, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → maryland. This page covers how Anne Arundel County actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Annapolis, MD 21401
  • Population: ~588,261 (2020 Census)
  • Recording unit type: County
  • FIPS: 24003
  • Parent legal framework: maryland

Anne Arundel County surrounds the state capital of Annapolis, which is also the county seat. Tax collection is handled by the Office of Finance (which functions as the county “Collector” for tax-sale purposes). In Maryland there is no separate Recorder of Deeds; land records (deeds, mortgages, liens) are filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the Land Records Department.

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes. Anne Arundel County conducts its own annual tax lien certificate sale through its Office of Finance, Tax Sale Division.

  • Platform: Online auction via RealAuction (RealTaxLien platform), vendor-hosted at https://annearundel.marylandtaxsale.com/ — confirmed from the county’s official Tax Sale page at https://www.aacounty.org/finance/tax-sale and confirmed by inspecting the HTML source of the platform page (title: “AnneArundel - RealTaxLien - Home”; meta keywords: “realauction online taxlien sites”). — source: Anne Arundel County Finance — Tax Sale, RealAuction platform page (retrieved 2026-06-02)

  • Sale calendar:

    • Frequency: Annual.
    • Typical date: A date in June set by the Controller each year. The 2026 sale date is June 3, 2026 (bids open 9:00 a.m. Eastern, bid close 1:00 p.m. Eastern; payment due by 12:00 p.m. June 4, 2026).
    • A supplemental auction of unsold liens may be held approximately one week after the June 3 sale; only bidders registered for the original auction may participate. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF) (retrieved 2026-06-02); Anne Arundel County Finance — Tax Sale

  • Registration requirements:

    • Online registration only at https://annearundel.marylandtaxsale.com/
    • 2026 registration window: May 1, 2026 – May 29, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. All steps, including payment of the registration fee, must be completed by the deadline.
    • $100 non-refundable registration fee, paid via wire transfer.
    • Bidders must submit banking information for ACH verification (required even for return bidders).
    • Corporate bidders must register in their full corporate name, be qualified to conduct business in Maryland, and provide their resident agent’s name/address and principal place-of-business street address. Agents must identify themselves and provide authorization evidence if requested.
    • All notifications and information are sent only to the email address provided at registration. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF) (retrieved 2026-06-02)

  • Deposit / payment:

    • Full payment (sale amount + high-bid premium) by wire transfer (ACH debit) by 12:00 p.m. Eastern on June 4, 2026 (the day after the sale).
    • The bank account used to pay the registration deposit is automatically debited for the total amount awarded. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • High-bid premium: 20% of the amount by which the winning bid exceeds 40% of the property’s full cash value (per TP § 14-817(b)). Collected and held by the County; refunded without interest upon redemption or delivery of the foreclosure deed; retained by the County if the certificate is never acted upon. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF); TP § 14-817

  • Minimum bid / advertised price: Delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and a $15 administrative fee. No property sold for less than the advertised price. — source: Anne Arundel County Finance — Tax Sale, DAT Tax Sale Information

  • Delinquent list location: The 2026 List of Liens is published as a PDF at https://www.aacounty.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/list-of-liens.pdf A final list of remaining tax sale properties is posted after 4:30 p.m. Eastern on June 2, 2026 at https://annearundel.marylandtaxsale.com/. The list is also advertised once per week for four successive weeks in a county newspaper before the sale as required by TP § 14-812. — source: Anne Arundel County Finance — Tax Sale (retrieved 2026-06-02)

  • Deed review fee (post-foreclosure): The County imposes a $125 fee for review and approval of the tax sale foreclosure deed. The lien holder must submit the deed within 90 days of the Final Judgment (failure risks having the judgment stricken per TP § 14-844(d)). The County will not approve a deed until 30 days have passed from entry of Final Judgment. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

C2. Local Redemption → framework: right-of-redemption

  • Where to redeem: All redemption payments are made to the Anne Arundel County Office of Finance, Tax Sale Division:

    • By mail: PO Box 427, Annapolis, MD 21404-427 (processed on received-by date; postmark not honored; allow 3–5 additional business days for internal mail routing)
    • In person: Arundel Center, 44 Calvert Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 — source: Anne Arundel County Finance — Tax Sale

  • Local redemption interest rates:

    • All property: 18% per annum (1.5% per month), per Anne Arundel County Code § 4-1-105(b).

    • Owner-occupied residential property: 10% per annum, per TP § 14-820(c) (2025 reform, effective for the 2026 sale). — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF); DAT Tax Sale Information

    HB 59 / Ch. 231 (2025 reform): Effective January 1, 2026, TP § 14-820(c) caps the redemption interest rate at 10% per annum for owner-occupied residential property. Anne Arundel County’s 2026 Collector’s Terms explicitly implement this lower rate for owner-occupied residential property while retaining the prior 18% rate for all other property. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF); maryland Module 9 (heirs-property / HB 59 edge case)

  • Payment methods for redemption: Cash, certified check, or money order only. Business checks, personal checks, and credit cards are not accepted for redemptions. — source: Anne Arundel County Finance — Tax Sale

  • Redemption period milestones:

    1. Month of sale (June): Redemption without triggering the next fiscal year taxes (FY begins July 1, when a new annual tax bill issues).
    2. 4 months (all property) / 7 months (owner-occupied): Certificate holder entitled to fee reimbursement — title-search fee ≤ $250, attorney's fees ≤$500 pre-suit (TP § 14-843). Written notice to the Tax Sale Coordinator required before the County will include these fees in the redemption payoff.
    3. 6 months (all property) / 9 months (owner-occupied): Certificate holder may file a foreclosure-of-redemption complaint in the Circuit Court (TP § 14-833(a)), provided all TP § 14-833 notice requirements are met. Post-complaint attorney’s fees may exceed $500 per TP § 14-833(a)(4).
    4. 2-year deadline: Certificate is void if no foreclosure complaint is filed within 2 years of the certificate of sale (TP § 14-833(c)). — source: Anne Arundel County Finance — Tax Sale; 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • Deviations from state default: The county’s 18% rate (10% for owner-occupied effective 2026) is at the higher end of the Maryland range; the general statutory framework (6-month foreclosure wait, 9-month owner-occupied, 2-year void, etc.) follows state law. Mail-processing note: because mail is processed via a centralized county facility (2–3 business days sorting), the county strongly recommends waiting 5 additional business days past the redemption deadline before filing foreclosure. The county will not honor postmarks. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • Redemption contact: Tax Sale Division, Office of Finance · (410) 222-1735 · taxsale@aacounty.org · 44 Calvert Street, Room 110, Annapolis, MD 21401 · Hours: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday. — source: Anne Arundel County Finance — Tax Sale

C3. Local Surplus / Excess Proceeds → framework: surplus-funds

  • Where surplus arises: Under TP § 14-818, when the certificate holder ultimately receives a foreclosure deed, any balance of the purchase price over the taxes, interest, penalties, and costs of sale is held by the County Collector for the former owner. The Collector must notify the prior owner of record within 90 days of deed delivery of the amount and the claim process (TP § 14-818(a)(6)). See maryland Module 3.

  • High-bid premium: The high-bid premium (collected at sale and held by the County) is not surplus under TP § 14-818 — it is returned to the purchaser upon redemption or delivery of the foreclosure deed. The balance that belongs to the former owner is the remainder of the full bid amount after deduction of taxes, interest, penalties, and costs. See maryland Module 3.

  • Claim filing venue: Claims for the surplus balance are made with the Anne Arundel County Office of Finance, Tax Sale Division, 44 Calvert Street, Room 110, Annapolis, MD 21401 · (410) 222-1735 · taxsale@aacounty.org. (TP § 14-818(a)(5) authorizes the county to establish a claim process that does not require a court order unless there is a dispute; disputed claims go to the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court.) — source: Anne Arundel County Finance — Tax Sale; TP § 14-818

  • Claim form: (needs_verification — no named surplus-claim form or dedicated online surplus-claim portal for Anne Arundel County was identified in any official source retrieved. Contact the Tax Sale Division at (410) 222-1735 or taxsale@aacounty.org to obtain current claim instructions and any required form.)

  • Local deadline notes: TP § 14-818 contains no express claim deadline. Anne Arundel County’s Unclaimed Property page (https://www.aacounty.org/finance/unclaimed-property) indicates the county holds unclaimed refunds and checks for 3 years, after which funds are transferred to the State of Maryland Unclaimed Property Unit. Tax-sale balance checks not claimed within approximately 3 years follow this same dormancy path and become claimable from the Maryland Comptroller at https://www.claimitmd.gov/ indefinitely. — source: Anne Arundel County Finance — Unclaimed Property; maryland Module 3

  • Unclaimed-surplus list published? (needs_verification — whether Anne Arundel County publishes a standalone list of unclaimed tax-sale surplus balances was not confirmed from any official source retrieved. The county’s Unclaimed Property page references a searchable database for general unclaimed checks/refunds but does not specifically name tax-sale surplus.)

  • Contact for surplus claims: Tax Sale Division, Office of Finance · (410) 222-1735 · taxsale@aacounty.org · 44 Calvert Street, Room 110, Annapolis, MD 21401.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Anne Arundel County runs an annual online tax-lien-certificate auction in June through RealAuction (annearundel.marylandtaxsale.com), with a $100 non-refundable registration fee (paid by wire) and a registration window closing May 29. Full payment is due by ACH debit by noon the day after the sale. The county applies an 18$125 county deed-review fee is due within 90 days of Final Judgment. See maryland for the full foreclosure and lien-survival analysis.

▸ For Former Owners — When an Anne Arundel County tax-sale foreclosure deed is delivered, any balance above the taxes, interest, penalties, and costs belongs to you as the former owner under TP § 14-818; the county Collector must notify you within 90 days of deed delivery. File your claim with the Anne Arundel County Office of Finance, Tax Sale Division (44 Calvert Street, Room 110, Annapolis, MD 21401; (410) 222-1735; taxsale@aacounty.org). Unclaimed balances held for more than approximately 3 years are transferred to the Maryland Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property program at claimitmd.gov, where they remain claimable indefinitely.

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Office of Finance (Tax Collector / Tax Sale Division)(Director name — needs_verification)Tax Sale Division: 44 Calvert Street, Room 110, Annapolis, MD 21401 (mail: PO Box 427, Annapolis, MD 21404); also Arundel Center North, 101 N. Crain Hwy, 1st Floor, Glen Burnie, MD 21061(410) 222-1735 (Tax Sale); (410) 222-1144 (Finance main); (410) 222-1736 (Real Property Tax)https://www.aacounty.org/finance
Clerk of Circuit Court / Land RecordsScott A. Poyer8 Church Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401 (Land Records Dept: same address)(410) 222-1397 (general); (410) 222-1425 (Land Records)https://www.circuitcourt.org/
SheriffEverett Sesker8 Church Circle, Suite 400, Annapolis, MD 21401(410) 222-1570https://www.aacounty.org/sheriff

Notes on offices:

  • In Maryland there is no separate Recorder of Deeds. Land records (deeds, mortgages, liens) are filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Land Records Department, 8 Church Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401. — source: Circuit Court — Land Records Department (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • The Sheriff does not conduct tax sales or mortgage foreclosure sales in Maryland. Tax sales are conducted by the county Collector (Office of Finance). Mortgage foreclosures are conducted by a trustee and ratified by the Circuit Court. The Sheriff handles civil process (writs, evictions) and court security. — source: Anne Arundel County Sheriff; maryland Modules 0 and 4

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Online auction via RealAuction: Unlike some Maryland counties that run their own in-house auction, Anne Arundel County uses RealAuction’s RealTaxLien platform (annearundel.marylandtaxsale.com). All bids must be submitted through that website. Questions about the auction website/bidding process: RealAuction customer service at 877-361-7325 or customerservice@realauction.com. Questions about tax sale policies: Tax Sale Division at (410) 222-1735 or taxsale@aacounty.org. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • Batch bidding / timing: Bids are submitted starting June 3, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. and close at 1:00 p.m. on the sale date. Winners are awarded per batch listings posted on the website. Tied identical bids are awarded to the first submission. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • Leasehold vs. fee simple: Properties are sold in fee simple unless the Collector is notified in writing before the sale of a leasehold interest not shown on the tax roll, in which event the leasehold interest is sold per TP § 14-816. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • No title representations: All sales are made at the risk of the purchaser; the County makes no representations about title and is not responsible for foreclosure costs or attorney’s fees. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • Lien-holder report: Upon request, the County will provide lien holders a status report within 3 business days of a settlement report. No further real-time status information is provided. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • Mail processing lag: Anne Arundel County routes mail through a centralized facility (nominally 2–3 business days). The County processes redemptions on the date received at the centralized facility, not postmark. Recommend 5 additional business days before filing foreclosure to avoid inadvertent fee exposure. — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • Utility liens: Delinquent water/wastewater charges constitute a lien on real property (Anne Arundel County Code §§ 1-8-101, 13 Title 5) and are collected alongside real estate taxes. Utility deferment lien amounts shown on the sale list reflect the current lien amount, and the full amount upon foreclosure is separately indicated. — source: Anne Arundel County Finance — Tax Sale; 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • Owner-occupied 10% rate implementation (HB 59): Anne Arundel County explicitly implemented the 2025 legislative reform in its 2026 Collector’s Terms, citing both County Code § 4-1-105(b) (18% general rate) and TP § 14-820(c) (10% rate for owner-occupied residential). — source: 2026 Collector’s Terms (PDF)

  • Homeowner assistance resources:

  • No separate sheriff-sale for tax or mortgage foreclosures in Maryland. See maryland Module 4 and sheriff-sale.

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

▸ For Investors / Operators — Anne Arundel County runs an annual online tax-lien-certificate auction in June through RealAuction (annearundel.marylandtaxsale.com), with a $100 non-refundable registration fee (paid by wire) and a registration window closing May 29. Full payment is due by ACH debit by noon the day after the sale. The county applies an 18$125 county deed-review fee is due within 90 days of Final Judgment. See maryland for the full foreclosure and lien-survival analysis.

▸ For Former Owners — When an Anne Arundel County tax-sale foreclosure deed is delivered, any balance above the taxes, interest, penalties, and costs belongs to you as the former owner under TP § 14-818; the county Collector must notify you within 90 days of deed delivery. File your claim with the Anne Arundel County Office of Finance, Tax Sale Division (44 Calvert Street, Room 110, Annapolis, MD 21401; (410) 222-1735; taxsale@aacounty.org). Unclaimed balances held for more than approximately 3 years are transferred to the Maryland Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property program at claimitmd.gov, where they remain claimable indefinitely.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Anne Arundel County, Maryland operational procedures from the cited official sources as of the last_verified date. Procedures, rates, deadlines, and forms change; terms of sale are updated annually. Verify against the current year’s official Collector’s Terms (https://www.aacounty.org/finance/tax-sale) and contact the Tax Sale Division at (410) 222-1735 before acting. Consult a licensed Maryland attorney for legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

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