Clark County, Washington — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

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

C0. Identity

• County seat: Vancouver
• Population: ~503,320 (2020 census)
• Recording unit: county (recorder = Clark County Auditor — Recording Division)
• FIPS: 53011
• Parent legal framework: washington — Washington is a tax-deed, judicial-foreclosure state; the county treasurer is the selling authority (RCW 84.64.080). No private lien certificates. Clark County inherits all of this; the locals below are the operational layer only.

C1. Local Tax Sale

• Conducts own sale? Yes. The Clark County Treasurer forecloses delinquent parcels (three or more years delinquent on property taxes, per RCW 84.64) in Clark County Superior Court, and conducts the sale online. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/real-property-foreclosure
• Platform: Bid4Assets — the county’s online auction storefront is https://www.bid4assets.com/ClarkWA. Prospective bidders must register on Bid4Assets and submit the required deposit before the posted registration deadline. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/tax-foreclosure-auctions
• Calendar: Annual, held online, typically in February. Property listings become available on the Bid4Assets storefront each December prior to the February sale. No specific date for the 2027 sale had been published at time of verification.
  • Recent results: February 2026 — 5 properties sold (prices $5,449–$380,200); February 2025 — 2 properties/tax lots sold ($121,400 and$265,100); February 2024 — no properties auctioned. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/tax-foreclosure-auctions
• Rate within statutory range: N/A locally — delinquent-tax interest is set by state statute (RCW 84.56.020): 9%/year for residential property ≤4 units (0.75%/month); 12%/year for all other property (1%/month), plus penalties of 3% (June 1) and 8% (December 1) for tax years 2023 and later. See washington. County’s own collections page confirms these rates for 2023+. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/about-collections
• Registration & deposit: Register on Bid4Assets; deposit is $2,500.00 plus a$35.00 processing fee, submitted by the posted registration deadline. Terms of Sale document is posted on the Bid4Assets storefront. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/tax-foreclosure-auctions
• Bidder requirements: Online registration via Bid4Assets; properties are sold “as is.” Redemption/payment to stop a foreclosure must be received before the day of the auction (day-before deadline, consistent with RCW 84.64.070; see washington). Contact the Treasurer’s Office at 564.397.2252 or taxrequests@clark.wa.gov to pay and remove a property from the auction. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/real-property-foreclosure
• Delinquent / foreclosure list location: Property listings are posted on the Bid4Assets storefront (https://www.bid4assets.com/ClarkWA) beginning each December. Owners can confirm their property’s mailing address via the Property Information Center (https://gis.clark.wa.gov/gishome/property/index.cfm) and request address corrections through the Assessor’s Office. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/real-property-foreclosure
• 2026 collection cost schedule (from Treasurer): Past Due Notice: $11.00; Certificate of Delinquency filing:$1,000.00; Foreclosure outreach letter: $25.00; Publication costs (estimated):$326.00. (These costs are added to the redemption amount.) https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/about-collections
• Personal property distraint: Business personal property taxes become subject to seizure once past due; seized equipment is auctioned through https://www.govdeals.com/clarkcounty. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/tax-foreclosure-auctions

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

• Where/how to redeem locally: Pay all outstanding taxes, interest, penalties, and foreclosure costs in full to the Clark County Treasurer’s Office before the scheduled foreclosure auction date. Payment must be received by close of business the day before the auction. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/real-property-foreclosure
• Deadline: Consistent with the state default — up to the day before the auction (RCW 84.64.070; see washington).
• Local fees added to redemption amount: Certificate of Delinquency filing ($1,000), outreach letter ($25), estimated publication costs ($326 est.), plus deed-preparation fee and auditor/recorder recording fee at deed issuance (all per RCW 84.64.080). https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/about-collections
• Redemption contact: Clark County Treasurer’s Office — 564.397.2252 or taxrequests@clark.wa.gov (dedicated collections/foreclosure email per the real-property-foreclosure page); general treasurer email: treasoff@clark.wa.gov. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/real-property-foreclosure
• Deviations from state default: None identified — Clark County follows the state pre-sale redemption rule with no post-sale redemption right for ordinary owners. Clark County’s foreclosure page expressly states payment must be made “before the scheduled foreclosure auction date.”

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

• Statutory entitlement: Under RCW 84.64.080(10) the surplus (amount bid above the minimum bid) belongs to the former record owner (the person holding title when the Certificate of Delinquency issued); unclaimed after 3 years → deposited to the county current expense fund. See washington.
• Claim filing venue: Clark County Treasurer’s Office — same office that conducted the sale. Contact: 564.397.2252 or treasoff@clark.wa.gov. Physical: 1300 Franklin St., 2nd Floor, Public Service Center, Vancouver, WA 98660. Mailing: PO Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/contact-us
  • Note: No dedicated “surplus/excess proceeds” page was identified on the Clark County Treasurer’s website at verification. The surplus-claim process and any local claim form must be obtained directly from the Treasurer’s Office by contacting them at the number/email above — needs_verification (dedicated form name/URL).
• Claim form: No downloadable surplus-claim form was located on the Treasurer’s documents/forms page or elsewhere on clark.wa.gov → needs_verification. Claimants should contact the Treasurer at 564.397.2252 to initiate a claim and obtain the applicable form. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/documents-forms
• Local deadline notes: Three years from the date of sale (RCW 84.64.080(10); see washington). After 3 years unclaimed funds are deposited to the county current expense fund and the claim is extinguished.
• Unclaimed-funds list published? Not confirmed — no unclaimed surplus/excess funds list was identified on clark.wa.gov at verification → needs_verification.
• Recovery-agent fee cap: Washington’s 5% cap applies statewide (ESHB 1637 (2023), re-enacting former RCW 63.29.350 in ch. 63.30 RCW). See washington and third-party-recovery-rules.
• Mortgage-foreclosure surplus (distinct track): For judicial mortgage (deed-of-trust) foreclosures conducted by the Clark County Sheriff, surplus proceeds are paid to the Clark County Superior Court Clerk (cashier’s check payable to “Clark County Superior Court Clerk,” per the Sheriff’s sale page) and disbursed only by court order under RCW 61.24.080. This is a separate process from the tax-sale surplus track above. https://clark.wa.gov/sheriff/upcoming-property-sales

▸ For Investors / Operators — Clark County conducts its annual tax-foreclosure auction exclusively online through Bid4Assets (bid4assets.com/ClarkWA), typically in February, with property listings going live in December. Registration requires a $2,500 deposit plus a$35 processing fee submitted before the posted deadline. Properties are sold as-is; redemption must be paid in full to the Treasurer before the day of the auction — contact 564.397.2252 or taxrequests@clark.wa.gov. Mortgage/deed-of-trust foreclosure sales are conducted by the County Sheriff (a separate track); surplus from those sales is paid into the Clark County Superior Court Clerk’s registry and disbursed only by court order under RCW 61.24.080. Tax-title properties that do not sell may be re-offered under ch. 36.35 RCW — contact the Treasurer for details.

▸ For Former Owners — Tax-foreclosure surplus under RCW 84.64.080(10) belongs to the former record owner and must be claimed at the Clark County Treasurer’s Office (1300 Franklin St., 2nd Floor, Vancouver; 564.397.2252; treasoff@clark.wa.gov) within 3 years of the sale date. No dedicated surplus claim form was identified on clark.wa.gov at verification — contact the Treasurer directly to initiate a claim. After 3 years, unclaimed funds are deposited to the county current expense fund and the claim is extinguished. Washington’s 5% cap on surplus recovery-agent fees applies statewide (ESHB 1637 (2023)).

C4. Offices & Contacts

C5. Local Procedure Notes

• Online-only tax-foreclosure auction via Bid4Assets (bid4assets.com/ClarkWA), held once a year typically in February. Listings go live in December.
• Two distinct surplus tracks (do not conflate):
  1. Tax-foreclosure surplus/excess proceeds → claimed at the Clark County Treasurer’s Office (C3 above); 3-year deadline from sale date.
  2. Mortgage/deed-of-trust foreclosure surplus → paid as a cashier’s check to the Clark County Superior Court Clerk at the sheriff’s sale, and disbursed only by court order (RCW 61.24.080; see washington).
• Redemption timing for judicial mortgage (sheriff’s sale) buyers: The Sheriff’s website notes properties sold at sheriff’s sales “may have a Redemption period from eight months to one year” — consistent with RCW 6.23.020 (judicial mortgage foreclosure; see washington). https://clark.wa.gov/sheriff/upcoming-property-sales
• Joint Lobby renovation: As of verification (June 2026), the Public Service Center Joint Lobby at 1300 Franklin Street is closed March 9 – June for renovations; Treasurer, Assessor, and Auditor remain available by phone and email. Drop-box at 1300 Franklin Street remains available (Mon–Fri 8 am–4:30 pm).
• Tax-title properties (parcels that did not sell at the tax-foreclosure auction) become county property and may be re-offered separately under ch. 36.35 RCW (disposition of tax-title land). No dedicated tax-title-land page was identified on clark.wa.gov at verification → needs_verification of any re-offer platform or procedure.
• Personal property distraint auctions at govdeals.com/clarkcounty (business personal property only; separate from real-property tax foreclosures).

C6. Records Access

• Parcel search / Property Information Center: https://gis.clark.wa.gov/gishome/property/index.cfm (linked from Treasurer and Assessor pages as the primary parcel lookup; also accessible via https://gis.clark.wa.gov/mol/?siteid=PropertyFinder — the “Property Finder App”)
• Recorder / deed search (Landmark Web): https://e-docs.clark.wa.gov/LandmarkWeb/ — public access to recorded documents filed with the Clark County Auditor; supports name, parcel ID, document type, and date-range searches.
• GIS map (MapsOnline): https://gis.clark.wa.gov/mapsonline/ (comprehensive GIS portal with parcel data, zoning, and permit plan layers; bot-protection CAPTCHA active on direct access)
• Tax payment portal (Point & Pay via paydici): https://www.paydici.com/clark-county-wa/search/landing — e-check (free); debit card ($3.95 flat); credit card (2.39%). Phone: 1.833.440.8685. Note: online payment is for routine tax payments; foreclosure payoffs must go directly to the Treasurer’s Office. https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/payment-options

C7. Meta

• parent_state: washington
• sources:
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/tax-foreclosure-auctions”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/real-property-foreclosure”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/about-collections”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/contact-us”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/documents-forms”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/payment-options”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/treasurer/treasurer-and-leadership-team”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/assessor”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/auditor/recording-guide”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/clerk”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/sheriff/upcoming-property-sales”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://clark.wa.gov/superior-court”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://e-docs.clark.wa.gov/LandmarkWeb/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
  • {type: official, url: “https://www.paydici.com/clark-county-wa/search/landing”, retrieved: 2026-06-02}
• needs_verification:
  • Name and URL of any dedicated Clark County surplus/excess-proceeds claim form — the Treasurer’s documents/forms page does not list one; claimants must contact the office directly. Confirm whether a form exists and obtain its URL.
  • Whether Clark County publishes an unclaimed surplus list (no such page identified on clark.wa.gov at verification; King County publishes annual PDFs but no equivalent was found for Clark County).
  • Specific 2027 (or next) tax-foreclosure auction date — only “typically February” confirmed; exact date posted on the Bid4Assets storefront when the cycle opens in December.
  • Clerk of Court physical address — “Clark County Courthouse” is named on the clerk’s page but a street address was not extracted; Superior Court is at 1200 Franklin St., but the Clerk’s office suite/address was not confirmed.
  • Whether Clark County re-offers tax-title properties (parcels that did not sell at the foreclosure auction) and, if so, on which platform.
  • Exact registration deadline for upcoming Bid4Assets sales (varies by year; posted on the storefront when listings open).
• cross_links: washington, surplus-funds, right-of-redemption, third-party-recovery-rules, treasurer-sale, sheriff-sale, due-process-notice, tyler-v-hennepin-county
• changelog:
  • 2026-06-02 — Initial Clark County page built from Clark County Treasurer (tax- foreclosure-auctions, real-property-foreclosure, about-collections, contact-us, documents-forms, payment-options, leadership-team), Assessor, Auditor/Recording, Clerk, Sheriff (upcoming-property-sales), Superior Court, Landmark Web, and paydici.com/clark pages. Platform = Bid4Assets (bid4assets.com/ClarkWA); annual February sale; $2,500 +$35 deposit; surplus claimed at Treasurer within 3 years; no surplus claim form or unclaimed-list page identified (needs_verification). Legal framework inherited from washington.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Clark County conducts its annual tax-foreclosure auction exclusively online through Bid4Assets (bid4assets.com/ClarkWA), typically in February, with property listings going live in December. Registration requires a $2,500 deposit plus a$35 processing fee submitted before the posted deadline. Properties are sold as-is; redemption must be paid in full to the Treasurer before the day of the auction — contact 564.397.2252 or taxrequests@clark.wa.gov. Mortgage/deed-of-trust foreclosure sales are conducted by the County Sheriff (a separate track); surplus from those sales is paid into the Clark County Superior Court Clerk’s registry and disbursed only by court order under RCW 61.24.080. Tax-title properties that do not sell may be re-offered under ch. 36.35 RCW — contact the Treasurer for details.

▸ For Former Owners — Tax-foreclosure surplus under RCW 84.64.080(10) belongs to the former record owner and must be claimed at the Clark County Treasurer’s Office (1300 Franklin St., 2nd Floor, Vancouver; 564.397.2252; treasoff@clark.wa.gov) within 3 years of the sale date. No dedicated surplus claim form was identified on clark.wa.gov at verification — contact the Treasurer directly to initiate a claim. After 3 years, unclaimed funds are deposited to the county current expense fund and the claim is extinguished. Washington’s 5% cap on surplus recovery-agent fees applies statewide (ESHB 1637 (2023)).

Legal information, not legal advice. Verify against the cited official sources before acting. Last verified: 2026-06-02.