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Clay County, MO

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Clay County, Missouri — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

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

Clay County runs the Chapter 140 (Jones-Munger) tax-lien certificate sale. The Collector’s official guidelines state the sale is conducted “in accordance with Chapter 140 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo)” — i.e. the default collector-run certificate regime, not the Chapter 141 Land Tax judicial model used by neighboring Jackson County. (Clay County Collector, 2024 Tax Sale Guidelines) Clay does, however, maintain a county land trustee that bids at the sale and receives a first-offer right on compromised post-third parcels (see C10).

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Liberty, MO
  • Population: ~253,327
  • Recording unit: county
  • Region: Kansas City metro (north of the Missouri River), adjacent to Jackson County
  • Governing tax-sale chapter: Chapter 140 RSMo (administrative collector certificate sale) — confirmed by the Collector’s 2024 Tax Sale Guidelines (“Tax sale in accordance with Chapter 140 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri”).
  • Parent legal framework: missouri

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the Clay County Collector of Revenue conducts the annual delinquent-tax certificate sale.
  • Platform: Online via CivicSource (national tax-sale service provider). “Clay County uses an online service, CivicSource, to conduct our tax sale. Before you are able to place a bid, you must create a profile on their website.” Bidder profile at https://www.civicsource.com/login/. (Clay County Collector, 2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.3–4) Not GovEase / Bid4Assets / RealAuction.
  • Sale calendar:
  • Offerings & minimum bid (RSMo 140.250, as locally implemented):
    • First / Second / Third publication offerings: bidding starts at taxes due plus a $454.00 advance on due-diligence and recording costs. First/second offering → one-year redemption; third offering → 90-day redemption. (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.1)
    • Fourth (post-third “subsequent”) publication offering: bidding starts at taxes due plus $47.00 cost of sale and recording fees; no redemption period — “The right to a Collector’s deed will be perfected as soon as the bid amount is paid in certified funds.” (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.1)
  • Rate within statutory range: State default — certificate interest 10%/yr on delinquent taxes only (not on overbid); 8%/yr on subsequent taxes; both accrue daily and stop at redemption. (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.5; RSMo 140.340/140.410)
  • Registration (two-step process — local requirement):
    1. Affidavit of non-delinquency (RSMo 140.190): every participant and appointed agent must file a notarized, wet-signature affidavit attesting they are not delinquent on any tax payments on any property; received in the Liberty Collector’s office by a set pre-sale deadline (5:00 PM CST, e.g. Aug 21 for the 2024 sale). Copies/email/fax not accepted.
    2. CivicSource online registration, completed by a separate earlier deadline (Noon CST, e.g. Aug 23 for 2024); profile data must match the affidavit. Both deadlines are firm — “Deadlines will not be extended or modified for any reason.” (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.3–4)
  • Non-resident / entity rule (local application of RSMo 140.190): A non-MO resident may not bid until they file an affidavit appointing a Clay County Missouri resident as agent (and the agent files an acceptance); the certificate of purchase and Collector’s deed issue in the name of the Clay County agent, and the non-resident consents to Clay County Circuit Court jurisdiction. A business registered as active with the Missouri Secretary of State need not appoint a Clay County agent. (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.2)
  • Registration deposit: No fixed cash deposit stated; a bank account is required to create the CivicSource profile, but payment is due directly to the Collector (CivicSource ACH transfer is NOT available for this sale).
  • Payment terms: Winning bidders pay in full immediately, by cash, cashier’s check, or money order to the Liberty Collector’s office (or wire via CivicSource at buyer’s expense), received by a set deadline (5:00 PM CST, e.g. Aug 28, 2024). The Collector also accepts cash/cashier’s check/money order; wire transfer through CivicSource is available, wire fees at buyer’s expense.
  • Default penalty: Per RSMo 140.280, failure to pay the bid in full by the deadline forfeits the bid and triggers a 25% penalty of the amount bid; unpaid parcels go to the second-place bidder or are re-offered to all bidders except the defaulting one. (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.5)
  • Delinquent list location: Published in the Courier Tribune (newspaper of general circulation) for three consecutive weeks before the sale, and posted at https://claycountymo.tax/taxsale (each parcel identified by advertised item number, owner of record, parcel number, taxes due, and legal description). Downloadable sold-property spreadsheets for the 2024 and 2025 sales are posted on the tax-sale page. (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.1; https://claycountymo.tax/tax-sale/)

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

  • Where to redeem: Clay County Collector of Revenue, 1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, MO 64068 (Annex: 1901 NE 48th Street, Kansas City, MO 64118). Phone: 816-407-3200. The owner pays the Collector, who certifies redemption and pays the certificate holder. “Certified funds or cash must be physically received by the Office of the Collector, at the Liberty location.”
  • Who may redeem / right: The owner has “an absolute right to redeem” through the redemption deadline, with a continuing (defeasible) right “until the investor claims a deed” (RSMo 140.340). Example: for the 2025 sale the Collector posts a redemption deadline of August 25, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST (one year from the fourth Monday in August 2025).
  • Local fees / formula: State-default (RSMo 140.340) — original bid + 10%/yr interest on the delinquent-tax portion (not on overbid) + subsequent taxes paid by the holder at 8%/yr + recording/title-search/notice costs (the $454 due-diligence advance is part of the certificate amount on 1st/2nd/3rd offerings). Interest accrues daily and “stop[s] accruing the day we receive sufficient funds for redemption.” No separate local surcharge documented. (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.5)
  • Redemption period by offering: First/second offering — one year; third — 90 days; fourth/subsequent — none (immediate Collector’s deed). (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.1; RSMo 140.250/140.405)
  • Deviations from state default: None documented; follows Chapter 140 standard.
  • Contact: Clay County Collector of Revenue · 1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, MO 64068 · 816-407-3200 · email collector@claycountymo.gov · https://claycountymo.tax/

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

  • What is surplus: the overbid above taxes + costs. “Overbid funds are held in trust.” (Collector tax-sale page)
  • Claim filing venue: the Clay County Collector of Revenue’s office holds the overbid funds and processes claims — “Any party that is legally entitled to surplus funds should contact the office to get very simple paperwork.” Contact 816-407-3200 / 1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, MO 64068. (Per RSMo 140.230 the county commission is the statutory approval authority and may interplead contested funds in the 7th Judicial Circuit / Clay County Circuit Court; the Collector’s office is the local intake point.)
  • Claim form: No standalone form number/PDF is publicly posted; the office states it provides “very simple paperwork” on request. (Dedicated surplus-claim form URL/number — needs_verification.)
  • Who may claim: “For 90 days following the claim of a Collector’s deed, parties having a recorded interest in the property at the time of sale, or homeowners ONLY may apply for the funds. Funds MUST be paid out to lienholders in order of priority, then to the homeowner ONLY.” Unrelated third parties may not claim independently; an agent must act on behalf of an entitled party (RSMo 140.230). (Collector tax-sale page)
  • Claim deadline / escheat (local statement, matching RSMo 140.230): “Claims for any overbid … must be made within 90 days after the expiration of the redemption period.” Then “91 days after a timely claim of a Collector’s deed, surplus escheats to the school fund of the county, and may no longer be claimed by anyone without order of a court.” No interest is paid to claimants. (Collector tax-sale page; RSMo 140.230)
  • Unclaimed-funds list published? Sold-property spreadsheets (2024, 2025) are posted on the tax-sale page, but a dedicated available-surplus/overbid list was not located on a public URL. (needs_verification.)
  • Contact: Clay County Collector of Revenue · 816-407-3200 · collector@claycountymo.gov · https://claycountymo.tax/tax-sale/.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Clay runs the Chapter 140 certificate sale through CivicSource, with redemption risk tiered by offering (one year at first/second, 90 days at third, none at a fourth/subsequent offering that perfects an immediate Collector’s deed). The overbid earns the holder no interest, and surplus is paid only to recorded lienholders by priority then the former homeowner — never to unrelated buyers. For the path to marketable/insurable title see missouri §5b (RSMo 527.150 circuit-court quiet title in the 7th Judicial Circuit, the RSMo 140.590 three-year bar, the True Title 10-year seasoning alternative) and which liens survive the deed at §7b (junior liens barred under RSMo 140.420 but senior federal interests, the IRS § 7425 120-day redemption, and recorded covenants/ easements survive — the Collector’s guidelines flag federal/state liens, hazardous conditions, and special assessments expressly). Note the county land trustee’s 10-day first-offer right on compromised post-third parcels (C10).

▸ For Former Owners — When a Clay County tax sale produces an overbid above the taxes and costs, the funds are held in trust by the Collector. After recorded lienholders by priority, the surplus belongs to the former homeowner. Contact the Collector’s office (816-407-3200, 1 Courthouse Square, Liberty) for the claim paperwork, and file within 90 days after the redemption period expires — once a Collector’s deed is claimed, the window is roughly 90 days, and the funds escheat to the county school fund 91 days later (RSMo 140.230). No interest is paid, and there is no dedicated surplus-availability notice, so the claim is owner-initiated.

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Collector of Revenue (Tax Sales, Redemption, Surplus intake)(office-level; current named officeholder needs_verification)1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, MO 64068 (Annex: 1901 NE 48th St, Kansas City, MO 64118)816-407-3200https://claycountymo.tax/
Recorder of Deeds—1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, MO 64068816-407-3550 (search ext. 3552)https://www.claycountymo.gov/253/Recorder-of-Deeds
Circuit Clerk (7th Judicial Circuit)—James S. Rooney Justice Center, 11 S. Water St., Liberty, MO 64068816-407-3901https://www.circuit7.net/
Treasurer—1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, MO 64068816-407-3541https://www.claycountymo.gov/270/County-Treasurer
Sheriff—Clay County Courthouse, 12 S. Water St., Liberty, MO 64068816-407-3735https://www.claycountymo.gov/
Assessor—1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, MO 64068816-407-3500 / 3502https://www.claycountymo.gov/208/County-Assessor
County Commission (statutory surplus-approval authority, RSMo 140.230)—1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, MO 64068816-407-3600https://www.claycountymo.gov/
Land Trustee—234 W. Shrader, Suite C, Liberty, MO 64068—https://www.claycountymo.gov/192/Land-Trustee

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Online auction via CivicSource. Unlike many Missouri counties that run an in-person courthouse-steps sale (e.g. Boone County), Clay County’s annual sale is conducted online through CivicSource — a two-step (affidavit + CivicSource registration) process with firm pre-sale deadlines.
  • Certified-funds-only payment to the Collector; no ACH via CivicSource. Cash, cashier’s check, or money order paid directly to the Liberty office; wire transfer through CivicSource is available at the buyer’s expense.
  • Non-resident bidders must appoint a Clay County resident agent (RSMo 140.190), and the certificate/deed issues in the agent’s name — unless the bidder is a Missouri-Secretary-of-State-active business. Non-residents consent to Clay County Circuit Court jurisdiction.
  • $454 (1st/2nd/3rd) vs.$47 (4th) cost advance baked into the opening bid — a Clay-specific dollar figure layered on the statutory minimum.
  • 25% default penalty under RSMo 140.280 for non-payment of a winning bid.
  • “Buyer beware” — no title warranty. The Collector “makes no warranty on the title generated by issuance of a Collector’s Deed,” places an asterisk next to parcels with known liens (lack of an asterisk is not a warranty), and notes some parcels carry federal/state liens, hazardous conditions, uncertain legal descriptions, or common-area status. Non-tax liens “may not be extinguished by … a Collector’s deed” (RSMo 140.420). All lands remain subject to validly recorded covenants/easements.
  • County land trustee + cities + public-interest orgs get a 10-day first-offer right on compromised post-third parcels (see C10) — a Clay-specific local channel before general-public compromised sales.
  • No Chapter 141 judicial foreclosure used locally. The Collector’s guidelines describe only the Chapter 140 certificate sale. Whether Clay County has ever separately activated a Chapter 141 Land Tax action is needs_verification (practice appears to be Chapter 140 only; neighboring Jackson County uses Ch. 141).

C6. Records Access

C8. Title & Quiet Title → framework: missouri §5b, quiet-title-after-tax-sale

  • Title type: tax lien certificate (certificate of purchase ripening into a Collector’s deed, RSMo 140.290/140.420) on the 1st/2nd/3rd offerings; an immediate Collector’s deed (no redemption) on the 4th/subsequent offering.
  • Quiet title — required? Practically yes for marketable/insurable title. The Clay County Collector expressly “makes no warranty on the title generated by issuance of a Collector’s Deed,” so a fresh collector’s-deed holder generally needs a quiet-title action (or running of limitations) before a title insurer will write. (Inherited practice from missouri §5b / §7; True Title — Missouri county tax-sale practice.)
  • Type / court: judicial quiet-title suit under RSMo 527.150 in the Circuit Court of Clay County (7th Judicial Circuit), James S. Rooney Justice Center, 11 S. Water St., Liberty, MO 64068 (Circuit Civil Department). Any person claiming title/estate/interest may sue; the court grants full relief.
  • Typical timeline: ~3–9 months (state-level secondary estimate; not Clay- specific). needs_verification for a Clay-specific figure.
  • Typical cost: ~$1,500–$5,000 (state-level secondary estimate; attorney
    • filing + service/publication). needs_verification for a Clay-specific figure.
  • Deed-seasoning local notes: Missouri’s RSMo 140.590 sets a 3-year limitations period to challenge a collector’s deed from recording (with a minor- disability exception); a deed void for defective RSMo 140.405 notice / due process can still be attacked beyond the SOL (schlereth-v-hardy-2009). Title insurers commonly require quiet title or 10-year seasoning (RSMo 516.010 10-year bar). (Inherited from missouri §5b.)
  • Title insurers active locally: National underwriters operate in the Kansas City metro; specific Clay-County tax-title underwriting practice is needs_verification (True Title is cited at the state level for Missouri tax-sale title work).

C9. Purchaser Obligations → framework: missouri §10b

  • Subsequent-tax payment office: Clay County Collector of Revenue (Liberty main office / Kansas City annex; 816-407-3200). The certificate holder “will receive subsequent tax statements each year on the property until it is redeemed, or the period has expired to obtain a Collector’s deed,” paid at the Collector’s office; failure to pay subs before they become delinquent forfeits all buyer’s rights under the certificate (RSMo 140.410). Subs earn 8%/yr at redemption. (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.5)
  • Notice-to-owner procedure (to perfect the deed): the purchaser must complete the RSMo 140.405 ≥90-day notice of the right to redeem to the owner of record and all recorded lienholders (first-class + certified mail) and file the affidavit of compliance before the Collector issues the deed. The $454 (1st/2nd/3rd) advance baked into the bid funds the Collector-coordinated due-diligence/title search and recording. (RSMo 140.405; 2024 Tax Sale Guidelines) The Collector states it coordinates “all required due diligence for its investors” and will not accept third-party (e.g. Title Bridge) due diligence.
  • Redemption-payment office (where the owner redeems): Clay County Collector of Revenue, Liberty location (certified funds/cash). The Collector certifies redemption and pays the certificate holder (RSMo 140.340).
  • Occupancy / access during redemption: State-default — possession during the redemption period is governed by RSMo 140.320 (purchaser who takes possession owes subsequent taxes; waste = forfeiture); the buyer takes the property subject to recorded covenants/easements and any non-tax liens not extinguished by the deed. No Clay-specific possession ordinance located. (Inherited from missouri §10b.)

C10. Local Restrictions

  • Right of first refusal — active? Yes (post-third “compromised” parcels). Under the Collector’s Post 3rd Sale Guidelines (RSMo 140.250/140.260): for 10 days following the annual tax sale, all eligible [no-bid, 3+ year] properties are first offered to the county land trustee, public-interest organizations, and the cities in which each parcel may be found. Only after that 10-day window are unpurchased parcels made available to the general public (until July 31 of the following year, then re-offered at the next August sale). This is a genuine local first-offer/right-of-first-refusal channel layered on the state regime.
  • Land bank / land trustee: Clay County Land Trustee — “The principal duty of the Land Trustee is to protect the tax-collecting interests of Clay County through bidding on properties with past due taxes and other fees at the Clay County Collector Tax Sale held on the 4th Monday of every August.” Office at 234 W. Shrader, Suite C, Liberty, MO 64068. URL: https://www.claycountymo.gov/192/Land-Trustee. (This is a county land trust / trustee that bids in to protect the tax interest and receives compromised parcels — distinct from a RSMo 140.981 “land bank agency”; whether Clay has separately established a Chapter 140 land-bank agency is needs_verification.)
  • Post-third compromised-sale terms: monthly sealed bids (bids held in confidence, opened the first business day of each month), minimum bid = 10% of the county taxes due at the most recent annual sale plus subsequent taxes/fees plus $27.00 recording, RSMo 140.190 non-delinquency affidavit required, no redemption, payment in certified funds by 5:00 PM CST the third business day after award. The owner may pay the taxes due “at any time prior to the minute the Collector’s office receives payment of the amount bid.” (Post 3rd Sale Guidelines)
  • Entity / insider notes: State-default RSMo 140.190 applies — bidders must be non-delinquent (notarized affidavit, verified); non-MO residents must appoint a Clay County resident agent (deed issues in the agent’s name) unless an active MO-SOS-registered business; non-residents consent to Clay County Circuit Court jurisdiction. (2024 Tax Sale Guidelines, p.2)

C7. Meta

  • sources:
    • {type: official, url: “https://claycountymo.tax/tax-sale/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Collector tax-sale page: fourth-Monday-August, next sale Aug 24 2026, redemption “absolute right” + until deed, overbid held in trust, surplus to lienholders-by-priority-then-homeowner, 90-day claim, 91-day escheat to school fund, “very simple paperwork,” sold-property spreadsheets, Liberty/KC offices
    • {type: official, url: “https://claycountymo.tax/resources/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Collector/Assessor phones (816-407-3200 / 816-407-3500), Liberty + KC annex addresses/hours, “fourth Monday of August at 10:00 AM,” billing portal, parcel search (gisweb), prepayments
    • {type: official_document, url: “https://claycountymo.tax/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-Tax-Sale-Guidelines.pdf”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — full 2024 Tax Sale Guidelines (read as PDF): Chapter 140; CivicSource platform; $454 (1/2/3) vs$47 (4th) opening-bid advances; 1-yr/90-day/no redemption tiers; RSMo 140.190 notarized non-delinquency affidavit + non-resident Clay-agent rule + MO-SOS-business exception; two-step registration; certified-funds payment; RSMo 140.280 25% default penalty; 10%/8% interest; subs (RSMo 140.410); no-warranty/asterisk/lien disclosures (RSMo 140.420); Courier Tribune publication 3 weeks; claycountymo.tax/taxsale
    • {type: official_document, url: “https://claycountymo.tax/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2024-Post-3rd-Guidelines-Rev.pdf”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Post 3rd Sale Guidelines (read as PDF): RSMo 140.250/140.260 compromised sales; 10-day first offer to county land trustee, public-interest orgs, and cities; then public until July 31; monthly sealed bids; min bid 10% of county taxes + subs + $27 recording; RSMo 140.190 affidavit; no redemption; owner may pay before Collector receives payment
    • {type: official, url: “https://claycountymo.tax/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Collector home: gisweb parcel search, billing portal, 816-407-3200, pay-through-bank instructions
    • {type: official, url: “https://claycountymo.tax/faqs/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — FAQ confirms “fourth Monday of August,” Collector 816-407-3200 / Assessor 816-407-3500
    • {type: official, url: “https://www.claycountymo.gov/192/Land-Trustee”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Land Trustee duty (bids to protect tax interest at 4th-Monday-August sale), office 234 W. Shrader Suite C, Liberty (page body 403 on direct fetch; content confirmed via search-result snippet of the official page)
    • {type: official, url: “https://www.mocounties.com/clay-county”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Missouri Association of Counties directory: office addresses + phones (Collector 816-407-3202/3200, Recorder 816-407-3550, Circuit Clerk 816-407-3901 at Rooney Justice Center 11 S. Water St., Treasurer 816-407-3541, Sheriff 12 S. Water St. 816-407-3735, Auditor 816-407-3590, Commission 816-407-3600)
    • {type: official, url: “https://www.claycountymo.gov/253/Recorder-of-Deeds”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Recorder online search: index + images, 1968–present online, pre-1967 by office visit, indexed by name, (816) 407-3550 ext. 3552
    • {type: official, url: “https://claymo.icounty.com/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — iRecord Search (Clay County recorder deed/index/image search portal)
    • {type: official, url: “https://gisweb.claycountymo.gov/ps”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Assessor parcel search/GIS: search by parcel/prop ID/subdivision/tax code/address; values, deeds, photos, mapping
    • {type: official, url: “https://www.circuit7.net/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — 7th Judicial Circuit (Clay County) Circuit Court; Civil Department; Rooney Justice Center 11 S. Water St., Liberty
    • {type: statute, url: “https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=140.230”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — surplus waterfall, 90-day claim, 3-yr school-fund escheat, county-commission approval/interpleader (inherited from missouri)
    • {type: statute, url: “https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=140.250”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — offerings; 3rd-offering 90-day; subsequent (post-third) immediate deed/no redemption; compromised sales (inherited)
    • {type: statute, url: “https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=140.340”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — 1-yr redemption, 10%/8% interest, who may redeem, formula (inherited)
    • {type: statute, url: “https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=140.405”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — ≥90-day notice + affidavit before deed (inherited)
    • {type: statute, url: “https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=140.190”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — bidder non-delinquency affidavit + nonresident agent requirement (inherited; locally implemented)
    • {type: statute, url: “https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=140.280”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — 25% penalty for failure to pay bid (inherited; cited in Clay guidelines)
    • {type: statute, url: “https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=140.410”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — subsequent-tax payment obligation / forfeiture (inherited; cited in Clay guidelines)
    • {type: statute, url: “https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=140.590”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — 3-year SOL to challenge collector’s deed (inherited; C8)
    • {type: statute, url: “https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=527.150”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — quiet title in circuit court (inherited; C8)
    • {type: secondary, url: “https://truetitle.com/tax-sales-title-insurance-in-missouri-county-edition/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Missouri tax-title insurance / quiet-title / 10-year seasoning practice (state-level, applied in C8)
  • needs_verification:
    1. Current named Collector of Revenue. The office became an appointed (formerly elected) position in Jan 2023; Lydia McEvoy resigned in 2021. The current named officeholder was not confirmed from a retrieved official page (office-level contact verified). (Gap: Row 2.)
    2. Dedicated surplus-claim form URL/number. The Collector provides “very simple paperwork” on request; no public form PDF located. (Gap: Row 2.)
    3. Published available-surplus/overbid list. Sold-property spreadsheets exist; a dedicated list of available surplus per parcel was not located. (Gap: Row 2.)
    4. Clay-specific quiet-title timeline/cost. C8 figures are state-level secondary estimates ($1,500–$5,000; 3–9 months); no Clay-specific primary figure. (Gap: Row 2.)
    5. Clay-specific tax-title insurer practice. True Title cited at the state level; no Clay-County-specific underwriter confirmation. (Gap: Row 2.)
    6. Chapter 141 activation / separate land-bank agency. Clay appears Chapter 140 only with a county land trustee; whether it has ever run a Chapter 141 judicial foreclosure or established a RSMo 140.981 land-bank agency is unconfirmed. (Gap: Row 2.)
    7. claycountymo.gov pages returned HTTP 403 on direct fetch (Tax Sale, Land Trustee, several office pages); content was confirmed via the Collector’s claycountymo.tax domain, the Missouri Association of Counties directory, and search-result snippets of the official pages. (Low risk; cross-corroborated.)
  • cross_links: missouri, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, tyler-v-hennepin-county, jones-v-flowers, schlereth-v-hardy-2009, due-process-notice, treasurer-sale, quiet-title-after-tax-sale, federal-tax-lien-redemption, heirs-property, land-bank-programs
  • changelog:
    • 2026-06-02 — initial autoresearch population from Clay County Collector official pages and PDFs (claycountymo.tax tax-sale/resources/faqs/home; 2024 Tax Sale Guidelines; Post 3rd Sale Guidelines), claycountymo.gov Recorder + Land Trustee, iRecord/gisweb portals, 7th Judicial Circuit, Missouri Association of Counties directory; RSMo Chapter 140 layer inherited from missouri. CivicSource platform, fourth-Monday-August sale, tiered redemption, overbid-held-in-trust surplus (90-day claim / 91-day school-fund escheat), county land-trustee 10-day first-offer ROFR, and non-resident-agent rule all confirmed from primary sources.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes publicly available information about Clay County, Missouri tax-sale procedures as of the last-verified date. Laws and local procedures change; verify all claims against current primary sources before acting. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.

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