USA Foreclosure Wiki

Baldwin County, AL

18 min read

Baldwin County, Alabama — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

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

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Bay Minette · Population: ~231,767 · Recording unit: county
  • Parent legal framework: alabama
  • System in use: Baldwin County conducts the Article 7 Sale of Tax Liens auction (Ala. Code §§ 40-10-180 et seq.), not the historic sale-of-land probate auction. The county contracted with GovEase to run the online tax-lien auction beginning in 2020 (intergovernmental online-auction agreement dated 2020-05-07). — Sources: baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02); open.baldwincountyal.gov GovEase auction agreement 2020-05-07 (retrieved 2026-06-02); see alabama for the dual-system framework.

C1. Local Tax Sale

Baldwin County uses the Article 7 bid-down-interest online tax lien certificate auction. “The lien is sold to the bidder who bids the lowest interest rate on the amount required to be paid to redeem the property from the auction.” — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner (Teddy J. Faust, Jr.) conducts the lien auction as the Tax Collecting Official under Ala. Code § 40-10-182. The lien sold is the “perpetual first priority lien provided by Alabama Code § 40-1-3.” — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Platform: GovEase.com — online live-bid auction. GovEase support: (769) 208-5050. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Sale calendar:
    • Taxes due Oct. 1, delinquent after Dec. 31 annually. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission (retrieved 2026-06-02).
    • Bidder registration opens: Feb. 23, 2026 via govease.com.
    • Pre-bidding: Monday, March 23, 2026.
    • Auction date: annual; 2026 auction March 24, 2026, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM CST daily until complete.
    • Delinquent/parcel list published by ~March 31 annually.
    • Statutory window: auction held no earlier than March 1 or later than June 15 (Ala. Code § 40-10-182).
    • Source: baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Bidding method: Bid-down interest. Opens at the 12% statutory ceiling; bidders reduce in 1% increments to a 0% floor; lowest interest bid wins. Each lien is open 30 seconds (extends 10 seconds if a bid lands in the final 10 seconds). If multiple bidders reach 0%, the winner is chosen by random number generator. — Ala. Code § 40-10-184; baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Rate within statutory range: Certificate interest is market-determined at auction (0%–12% per annum); no county-set floor above 0% or ceiling below 12%.
  • Registration deposit: 10% deposit required through GovEase before bidding; registration is not complete until the deposit clears. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Full payment deadline: “A successful bidder must remit full and final payment of funds to Govease no later than one hour before close of business on the final day of the tax lien auction.” Accepted methods: E-check, ACH, wire transfer. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Bidder requirements: A GovEase account and approved registration (with cleared 10% deposit) are required before bidding.
  • Fees (recovered in lien costs at redemption): Origination fee $20; auction fee $20; tax lien certificate fee $5; redemption fee $10. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Certificate issuance: Tax lien certificates are issued within 10 business days after the auction. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Statutory authority cited by the county: Act 2018-577; Ala. Code §§ 40-10-182, 40-10-187(e), 40-10-197. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Delinquent / parcel list location: Published via the Revenue Commissioner. A standing inventory of unsold tax liens currently held in Baldwin County inventory is posted as a PDF (e.g., baldwincountyal.gov/docs/default-source/revenue-documents/2019-unsold-tax-liens-as-of-7-29-2020.pdf); “the list is updated periodically and will not contain the physical address of the parcel.” Current-year auction parcels are available through the Property Search tool at https://baldwinproperty.countygovservices.com/Property/Search. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/divisions/collections/tax-lien-parcels (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Unsold-lien price quotes: For tax liens remaining in county inventory, interested parties may “request a price quote … by submitting an application (one application per parcel)”; quotes are emailed and payment is due within five business days of the quote. “A tax lien certificate does not give the holder title to the parcel.” — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/divisions/collections/tax-lien-parcels (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • No surplus in Article 7 sales: Because the auction bids down the interest rate rather than up a cash price, there is no overbid/excess bid and thus no surplus arising from Baldwin County’s tax lien auctions. — alabama § 40-10-184.

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

Baldwin County uses Article 7; redemption is governed by Ala. Code §§ 40-10-193 and 40-10-197.

  • Where to redeem: Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner’s office (Bay Minette main office, 1705 U.S. Hwy 31 S., Bay Minette, AL 36507). Unless a § 40-10-197 foreclosure action has been commenced, redemptions are made through this office. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Local fees: $10 redemption fee to the Revenue Commissioner (Ala. Code § 40-10-193). Total redemption = delinquent taxes + interest + penalties + fees and costs paid by the holder + interest owed to the holder at the certificate's bid rate + the$10 redemption fee. — Ala. Code § 40-10-193; baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Payment form: Redemption requires certified funds (cash, cashier’s check, or money order). — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Redemption window: Any time after the auction closes until a judgment of foreclosure is entered in a § 40-10-197 circuit-court action. A certificate holder cannot commence foreclosure earlier than 3 years after the auction; the lien/certificate expires if not foreclosed within 10 years. — Ala. Code §§ 40-10-193, 40-10-197(a); see alabama.
  • After foreclosure action filed: A party with the right to redeem may still redeem before final judgment by paying the redemption amount into the Baldwin County Circuit Court (28th Judicial Circuit). — Ala. Code § 40-10-197(c).
  • Redemption contact:
  • Deviations from state default: None identified. Baldwin County operates under the standard Article 7 framework. For any pre-Article-7 sale-of-land parcels bid in for the State, redemption runs through the ADOR price-quote process (https://www.revenue.alabama.gov/property-tax/tax-delinquent-property-and-land-sales/). — sold-to-state.

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

Important: Baldwin County’s Article 7 lien auctions generate no surplus (bid-down interest, no cash overbid). The county’s published process describes only the tax-lien auction, redemption, and price-quote purchase of unsold liens — there is no excess-bid distribution mechanism in the current system. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).

  • Claim filing venue (legacy sale-of-land only): To the extent any pre-Article-7 “sale of land” auction with a cash overbid exists, Ala. Code § 40-10-28 governs: the county (Revenue Commissioner / Tax Collecting Official, with release on a circuit-court order or owner release-and-waiver in the 3–10-year window) holds and releases the excess bid. See alabama Module 3 / 3b for the § 40-10-28 waterfall and 10-year escheat.
    • Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner: 1705 U.S. Hwy 31 S., Bay Minette, AL 36507 · (251) 937-0245
  • Claim form: needs_verification — No Baldwin County-specific excess-bid/surplus claim form was located on a directly-retrieved official page (consistent with the county running only the no-surplus Article 7 system). Contact the Revenue Commissioner for any legacy procedure.
  • Local deadline notes: For any legacy sale-of-land surplus, the § 40-10-28 framework applies: release on proof of redemption (or, for 2016-or-later sales, a release-and-waiver in the 3–10-year window), then escheat to the county after 10 years. — Ala. Code § 40-10-28; alabama § 3b.
  • Unclaimed list published: needs_verification — No Baldwin County public listing of unclaimed excess bids was located; the county publishes only an unsold tax-lien inventory list (not a surplus-funds list).
  • Contact: Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner, (251) 937-0245, https://baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission

▸ For Investors / Operators — Baldwin runs the Article 7 bid-down-interest system, so there is no cash overbid to chase — the return is the certificate’s bid interest rate (0%–12%) plus recoverable costs, subject to the redemption exposure in alabama §2/2b (the lien can be redeemed any time until a § 40-10-197 foreclosure judgment, and that foreclosure cannot even be filed for 3 years). The path to marketable title runs through the § 40-10-197 circuit-court foreclosure, which itself quiets title (alabama §5b); watch surviving liens and the IRS § 7425 120-day redemption (alabama §7b). The venue you will work is the Baldwin County Circuit Court (28th Judicial Circuit) and the Revenue Commissioner for redemption payoffs.

▸ For Former Owners — Baldwin’s tax-lien auction produces no surplus fund to claim. Your remedy is redemption: pay the Revenue Commissioner (1705 U.S. Hwy 31 S., Bay Minette) the certificate amount plus the bid-rate interest and the $10 fee, any time before a § 40-10-197 foreclosure judgment is entered. After a foreclosure action is filed you can still redeem by paying into the Baldwin County Circuit Court before final judgment. See alabama §2 for the full redemption rights.

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Revenue Commissioner (Tax Collecting Official)Teddy J. Faust, Jr.1705 U.S. Hwy 31 S., Bay Minette, AL 36507; Mailing: P.O. Box 1389, Bay Minette, AL 36507(251) 937-0245; Citizen Service Center (251) 580-1695https://baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission
Probate Judge (Recorder of Deeds / License)Harry D’Olive, Jr.208 Courthouse Square, Bay Minette, AL 36507; Mailing: PO Box 459, Bay Minette, AL 36507(251) 937-0260; Recording / Citizen Service Center (251) 580-1695https://baldwincountyal.gov/government/probate-office
Circuit Court Clerk (28th Judicial Circuit)—312 Courthouse Square, Suite 10, Bay Minette, AL 36507(251) 937-9561https://baldwin.alacourt.gov/
Sheriff—320 North Hoyle Avenue, Bay Minette, AL 36507(251) 937-0202https://sheriff.baldwincountyal.gov/

Note: In Alabama, the county Probate Office’s Recording Division performs register-of-deeds functions (recording deeds, mortgages, liens, plats) — there is no separate standalone Recorder/Register of Deeds office. Deeds/mortgages are indexed from 1899 (Book 1) to present. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/probate-office/recording (retrieved 2026-06-02).

Revenue Commission satellite offices: Foley (201 E. Section Ave., (251) 972-6819); Fairhope (1100 Fairhope Ave., (251) 990-4627); Robertsdale Central Annex (22251 Palmer St., (251) 972-6819). All offices Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/contact-us (retrieved 2026-06-02).

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Article 7 adoption — 2020: Baldwin County contracted with GovEase to run its online tax-lien auction beginning 2020 (auction-portal agreement dated 2020-05-07). Act 2018-577 lets the taxing official elect the sale of a tax lien instead of the sale of land; Baldwin uses the lien-sale path. — open.baldwincountyal.gov GovEase auction agreement 2020-05-07 (retrieved 2026-06-02); baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/tax-lien-auction (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Unsold liens held in county inventory: Liens not sold at auction are retained in county inventory and offered by price quote / application (one application per parcel), distinct from the live auction. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/divisions/collections/tax-lien-parcels (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • No surplus from lien auctions: Because Article 7 bids down interest rather than cash, there is no overbid mechanism and no surplus pool in Baldwin County.
  • Stiff v. Equivest note: The in-person courthouse-location defect at issue in stiff-v-equivest-financial-2020 (Ala. 2020) is moot for Baldwin’s online Article 7 lien auction; the void/no-prejudice rule remains relevant for any legacy sale-of-land parcels. — alabama §6.
  • Office hours: Revenue Commission and Probate offices Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/contact-us (retrieved 2026-06-02).

C6. Records Access

C8. Title & Quiet Title → framework: alabama §5b

  • Title type: tax lien certificate (Article 7). The certificate is not title — “A tax lien certificate does not give the holder title to the parcel.” — baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission/divisions/collections/tax-lien-parcels (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Quiet title required? A § 40-10-197 foreclosure to bar the right to redeem is the path to title, and that circuit-court action is itself the quiet-title proceeding — the judgment vests good and marketable fee-simple title once the court finds the sale valid, proper notice given, the holder holds all outstanding certificates, and the lien unredeemed. A separate general quiet-title action is not required after a successful § 40-10-197 judgment. — Ala. Code § 40-10-197; alabama §5b.
  • Court: Baldwin County Circuit Court (28th Judicial Circuit of Alabama), Bay Minette — the county where the property lies. — baldwin.alacourt.gov (retrieved 2026-06-02); Ala. Code § 40-10-197.
  • Timeline / cost: Foreclosure may not be filed earlier than 3 years after the auction and must be filed within 10 years; statutory pre-filing certified-mail notice runs 30–180 days before filing (alabama §5/5b). General Alabama quiet-title actions (where used for legacy sale-of-land deeds) typically run ~4–14 months and cost roughly $8,000 in attorney fees plus filing fees — see alabama §5b. County-specific Baldwin filing-fee/timeline figures: needs_verification.
  • Title insurers active locally: needs_verification — No Baldwin-specific list of title underwriters/agents was retrieved from an official source. Statewide, underwriters generally will not insure until redemption is conclusively barred (§ 40-10-197 judgment or, for legacy deeds, 3 years’ adverse possession); non-judicial certification (Tax Title Services) is accepted by some Alabama agents. — alabama §5b.

C9. Purchaser Obligations → framework: alabama §10b

  • Subsequent-tax payment office: Subsequent-year taxes are paid to the Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner (Collections Division, 1705 U.S. Hwy 31 S., Bay Minette; or satellite offices). Amounts the holder pays are added (with interest) to the redemption price recoverable from a redeemer. — Ala. Code § 40-10-122; baldwincountyal.gov/government/revenue-commission (retrieved 2026-06-02); alabama §10b.
  • Notice to owner procedure: In Article 7, the Revenue Commissioner mails statutory post-auction notice, and the certificate holder must serve 30–180 days’ certified-mail notice of intent on the owner, recorded lienholders, and the tax official before filing a § 40-10-197 foreclosure, plus file a § 35-4-131 lis pendens. — Ala. Code §§ 40-10-187(e), 40-10-197(b)-(c); alabama §6/§10b.
  • Redemption payment office: Owners redeem through the Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner (certified funds + $10 fee) before a foreclosure judgment; after an action is filed, by paying into the Baldwin County Circuit Court. — Ala. Code §§ 40-10-193, 40-10-197(c).
  • Occupancy / access during redemption: Governed by state law — the former owner may remain in possession until barred; Article 7 title passes only on the § 40-10-197 judgment and clerk’s deed. No Baldwin-specific local possession practice was retrieved (needs_verification). — alabama §10b.

C10. Local Restrictions → framework: alabama §11b

  • Right of first refusal active locally? No general municipal/CDC right of first refusal at the tax-lien auction was identified. Alabama’s land-bank preferential acquisition applies only to state-held inventory, not fresh auctions. — alabama §11b.
  • Land bank: No dedicated Baldwin County land bank authority was located. Alabama has a statewide Alabama Land Bank Authority (Ala. Code §§ 24-9-1 et seq.) that can take properties tax-delinquent and held by the State ≥ 5 years; the most active local implementation is the Birmingham Land Bank Authority in Jefferson County — no Baldwin-County equivalent confirmed. needs_verification for any Baldwin land-bank/intergovernmental agreement. — alabama §11b.
  • Entity / insider notes: No Baldwin-specific entity-eligibility or insider restriction beyond statewide rules was located. Statewide, LLCs/corporations/trusts/foreign entities may bid; no Title 40 natural-person-only or express insider bar (general Ethics Act applies). GovEase registration requirements apply. — alabama §11b.

C7. Meta

sources:

needs_verification:

  • Baldwin County excess-bid / surplus claim form for any legacy sale-of-land tax sale — no official Baldwin form located (county runs the no-surplus Article 7 system).
  • Whether Baldwin County publishes any unclaimed excess-bid list (only an unsold-tax-lien inventory list was found).
  • Baldwin-specific quiet-title / § 40-10-197 filing-fee schedule and typical local timeline (state-level $8K / 4–14-month figures used as proxy).
  • Title insurers/underwriters active specifically in Baldwin County (statewide practice documented in alabama §5b).
  • Any Baldwin County land-bank authority or intergovernmental agreement with the Alabama Land Bank Authority.
  • Baldwin-specific local possession/access practice for purchasers during the redemption period.
  • Whether 2024–2025 Alabama legislation further altered the § 40-10-28 surplus rule (legacy sale-of-land only; tracked on alabama).

cross_links: alabama, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, tyler-v-hennepin-county, stiff-v-equivest-financial-2020, sold-to-state, treasurer-sale, due-process-notice

changelog:

  • 2026-06-02 — Initial population (autoresearch). Article 7 tax-lien system confirmed from official Baldwin County Revenue Commission pages; 2020 GovEase adoption confirmed via county open-agreements portal. Platform (GovEase), 2026 auction date (March 24, registration Feb 23), 10% deposit, bid-down 12%→0%, fees ($20/$20/$5 +$10 redemption), payment deadline, certificate issuance, redemption procedure, and price-quote/unsold-lien process all from directly-retrieved official pages. Four offices (Revenue Commissioner, Probate, Circuit Clerk, Sheriff) with verified addresses/phones; records portals (property search, GIS, publicsearch deeds) confirmed loading. C8–C10 mapped to Article 7 § 40-10-197 quiet-title path and statewide restrictions; no surplus from current auctions; gaps flagged.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Baldwin is a clean Article 7 county: register on GovEase (~Feb 23), post the 10% deposit, and bid the interest rate down from 12%. The certificate is not title — plan for the § 40-10-197 circuit-court foreclosure (filable only at 3 years, with 30–180-day pre-filing certified-mail notice) that bars redemption and quiets title in one action. Pay subsequent taxes at the Revenue Commissioner to grow the redemption payoff, and run the alabama §7b lien/IRS-§7425 due-diligence checklist before bidding.

▸ For Former Owners — There is no surplus fund here — Baldwin’s auction sells only a lien at a bid-down interest rate. Your remedy is redemption: pay the Baldwin County Revenue Commissioner (1705 U.S. Hwy 31 S., Bay Minette) the certificate amount + bid-rate interest + the $10 fee in certified funds, any time before a § 40-10-197 foreclosure judgment. Once an action is filed, you can still redeem by paying into the Baldwin County Circuit Court before final judgment. See alabama §2 for your full redemption rights.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Baldwin County, Alabama tax sale operations from official sources as of the last_verified date. Baldwin County uses the Article 7 tax-lien certificate system (no cash surplus); the legal framework lives on alabama. Law changes and county practice varies; verify against the current Code of Alabama 1975 (Title 40 Ch. 10 Art. 7), the Baldwin County Revenue Commission, and counsel before acting. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

Graph View

Backlinks