USA Foreclosure Wiki

Collier County, FL

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Collier County, Florida — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

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

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Naples · Population: ~375,752 (2020 Census, FIPS 12021) · Recording unit: county (one of Florida’s 67 counties).
  • Parent legal framework: florida (Ch. 197 tax certificates / tax deeds; Ch. 45 mortgage foreclosure).
  • County structure: Collier follows the standard Florida model — the elected Tax Collector conducts the annual tax-certificate sale; the elected Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller conducts tax-deed auctions and holds surplus funds. The Clerk also conducts judicial (Ch. 45) mortgage-foreclosure sales.

C1. Local Tax Sale

Two distinct sales exist under Florida law (see florida for statutory mechanics):

(a) Tax-certificate sale — run by the Collier County Tax Collector

  • Conducts own sale? Yes, online. · Platform: LienHub (Grant Street Group) — lienhub.com/county/collier/certsale/main. The 2026 sale transitioned to LienHub from the prior RealAuction platform; existing RealAuction account information was transferred. (Source: colliertaxcollector.com — confirmed LienHub link; LienHub Collier County Lien Auction page — confirmed county page exists, returned 403 on direct fetch; platform identification confirmed from Tax Collector site reference) [LienHub direct fetch returned 403; platform identity confirmed from Tax Collector homepage only — needs_verification of exact current bidder-portal URL and any sub-page changes]
  • Calendar: annual, on or before June 1 each year per florida § 197.432. Taxes become delinquent April 1; delinquent real estate taxes are advertised once a week for three consecutive weeks in May prior to the June certificate sale; delinquent personal property taxes are advertised once. The 2026 Collier County tax certificate sale was scheduled for May 11, 2026 (per LienHub county page metadata returned in search results). (Source: colliertaxcollector.com/tax-calendar/; colliertaxcollector.com/property-taxes/real-estate/; LienHub search result snippet citing 05/11/2026 date)
  • Bidding: bid-down interest from 18% to 0% in 0.25% increments; unsold certificates struck to county at 18% (state mechanics — florida § 197.432).
  • Registration / deposit / bidder requirements: Bidders must register on LienHub. Registration requires a completed IRS Form W-9 or W-8BEN (Federal Taxpayer Identification Number). A deposit may be required equal to approximately 10% of the estimated purchase amount, posted via the Tax Sale Website Payments Page. Contact the Tax Collector’s tax certificate division at 239-252-8059 (Ruben Garcia) for current deposit and registration details. (Source: lienhub.com/county/collier FAQ — search result snippet — cited 10% deposit and W-9; direct page returned 403) [needs_verification: confirm exact current deposit % from the LienHub FAQ page or by calling 239-252-8059]
  • Delinquent list location: Delinquent real estate tax list is published in a local newspaper once a week for three consecutive weeks in May, as required by § 197.432. The specific newspaper name is needs_verification — the Tax Collector’s website confirms the publication schedule but does not name the paper on the retrieved page. (Source: colliertaxcollector.com/property-taxes/real-estate/; colliertaxcollector.com/tax-calendar/) [needs_verification: confirm newspaper name for delinquent list advertisement]

(b) Tax-deed auction — run by the Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller

  • Conducts own sale? Yes, in person. · Platform/venue: Sales are held at the Collier County Courthouse, 1st Floor Multi-Purpose Room, 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34112, at 1:00 P.M. on Monday dates scheduled by the Clerk. No online bidding platform was identified for Collier County tax-deed sales — auctions appear to be conducted in person at the courthouse. (Source: notices.collierclerk.com/genre/tax-deeds/ — confirmed location/time in upcoming sale notices for 2025 and 2026 sales; search result corroboration of “Collier County Courthouse, 1st Floor, Multi-Purpose Room” and “1:00 P.M.”)
  • Sale schedule: Mondays (not every Monday), at 1:00 P.M. at the courthouse annex multi-purpose room. Known 2026 sale dates: March 23, 2026 and July 13, 2026. Upcoming sale notices are posted at notices.collierclerk.com/genre/tax-deeds/. (Source: notices.collierclerk.com/genre/tax-deeds/ — confirmed March 23 and July 13, 2026 sale dates with specific application numbers)
  • Registration / deposit / payment terms:
    1. Appear in person at the Courthouse Annex Multi-Purpose Room at or before 1:00 P.M. on the sale date.
    2. Deposit: 5% of the bid or $200, whichever is greater — non-refundable; automatically applied to the purchase price if bidder wins.
    3. Balance due within 24 hours of the sale (consistent with florida § 197.542; Collier-specific phrasing confirmed from search-result extract of collierclerk.com/accessing-tax-deed-sales-in-collier-county/). [direct fetch of that page returned 403 — needs_verification of exact Collier-specific payment deadline phrasing and any 2026 updates] (Sources: collierclerk.com/accessing-tax-deed-sales-in-collier-county/ — search snippet confirmed “5% of bid or $200” and “24 hours” balance; florida § 197.542)

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

  • Where/how to redeem locally: Redemption of a tax certificate before a tax deed issues is processed through the Collier County Tax Collector. Pay delinquent taxes, accrued interest (plus 5% minimum per florida § 197.472(2)), advertising fees, and sale costs to the Tax Collector. The Tax Collector then reimburses the certificate holder.
  • Tax payment portal (online): collier.county-taxes.com — Grant Street Group payment platform, accepts major credit/debit cards and eCheck. Also accessible via county-taxes.net/fl-collier. (Source: colliertaxcollector.com/online-payments/ — confirmed online payment portal; search results corroborating collier.county-taxes.com URL)
  • Redemption contact: Collier County Tax Collector — Property Tax department: propertytax@colliertax.com · phone 239-252-8171 · main office 3291 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34112. (Source: colliertaxcollector.com/contact/ — confirmed email and phone)
  • Local fees: No Collier-specific surcharge beyond the state statutory formula identified. (needs_verification: confirm no local redemption surcharge)
  • Deviations from state default: None identified — Collier follows Ch. 197 redemption framework per florida.

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

Business-critical module — sourced from Collier Clerk official pages and search results.

In Collier County, tax-deed surplus is held and disbursed by the Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller under florida § 197.582.

  • Claim filing venue: Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller — Recording Department (Tax Deeds)

  • Claim form:

  • Local deadline notes:

    • The Clerk mails a “Notice of Surplus Funds From Tax Deed Sale” to interested parties per florida § 197.582(2)(a).
    • Claimants (other than the former owner) are barred if they do not file within 120 days of the mailed notice, per florida § 197.582.
    • The former owner is NOT barred by the 120-day cutoff (consistent with state law).
    • Funds not claimed are eventually routed to the Florida Chief Financial Officer under Ch. 717 (unclaimed property) and remain reclaimable. (Source: florida § 197.582; search result snippet summarizing Collier County surplus process)

  • Unclaimed-funds list published? Yes — a Tax Deed Sales Excess Proceeds List is published by the Collier Clerk. As of the most recent available version it was dated April 23, 2026.

  • Contact — Tax Deed Division:

▸ For Investors / Operators — Collier County runs two separate sale tracks: the annual tax-certificate sale (now on LienHub) and in-person tax-deed auctions at the Courthouse Annex, 1:00 P.M. Mondays, with a 5%/$200 non-refundable deposit and full balance due within 24 hours. Certificates bid down from 18%; the 2-year ripening clock before a deed application can be filed controls acquisition timing. Note that the in-person deed-sale format (no online bidding confirmed) and the LienHub certificate platform are distinct systems requiring separate registration and capital management. The 120-day former-owner deadline does not apply to the owner claimant under § 197.582.

▸ For Former Owners — If Collier County’s tax-deed auction produces more than the taxes, fees, and costs owed, the Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller holds the surplus under § 197.582(2). Submit the “Claim to Receive Surplus Proceeds of a Tax Deed Sale” form to TaxDeedsHelp@collierclerk.com or (239) 252-2646 at 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 102, Naples, FL 34112. Non-owner claimants must file within 120 days of the mailed notice; there is no statutory filing deadline for the former owner. Unclaimed funds transfer to the Florida CFO under Ch. 717.

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Tax Collector (certificate sale, redemption, tax payment)Rob Stoneburner, Collier County Tax Collector3291 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34112 · Mailing: PO Box 413044, Naples, FL 34101-3044(239) 252-8171 · Property Tax: propertytax@colliertax.comcolliertaxcollector.com
Clerk of Court & Comptroller (tax-deed sales, surplus, judicial foreclosure, official records)Crystal K. Kinzel, Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller3315 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 102, Naples, FL 34112-5324(239) 252-2646 · Tax Deeds: TaxDeedsHelp@collierclerk.comcollierclerk.com
Recorder / Official Records (deeds, liens, mortgages)Same as Clerk — Official Records Department3315 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 102, Naples, FL 34112(239) 252-2646app.collierclerk.com/CORPublicAccess/Search/Document
Property Appraiser (assessment, ownership, parcel search)Vickie A. Downs, Collier County Property Appraiser3950 Radio Road, Naples, FL 34104(239) 252-8141collierappraiser.com
Sheriff (notice service on tax-deed occupants per § 197.522; not sale officer)Sheriff Kevin J. Rambosk, Collier County Sheriff’s Office3319 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34112(239) 252-9300colliersheriff.org

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Standard Florida model: Collier follows the typical Florida structure — Tax Collector runs the annual certificate sale (LienHub platform); Clerk of Circuit Court runs the tax-deed auction (in person at the courthouse) and holds surplus.
  • Tax-certificate sale — LienHub platform: 2026 sale was scheduled May 11, 2026, representing a transition from the prior RealAuction platform. Existing RealAuction registrants were migrated to LienHub.
  • Tax-deed auctions — in person: Unlike many Florida counties using RealAuction online, Collier County’s tax-deed sales appear to be conducted in person at the Collier County Courthouse, 1st Floor Multi-Purpose Room, 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34112, at 1:00 P.M. on scheduled Mondays. [needs_verification: confirm whether any online platform is also used for tax-deed sales or if in-person is the exclusive format]
  • Full payment deadline — tax deed: balance due within 24 hours of the sale (consistent with florida § 197.542); 5% or $200 deposit (whichever greater) required at time of sale, non-refundable.
  • Foreclosure sales (Ch. 45): Judicial mortgage foreclosure sales are conducted by the Clerk’s office. Sales are held Monday through Friday at 11:00 A.M. in the Multi-purpose Room / Customer Service, 1st Floor of the Courthouse Annex, 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34112. [needs_verification: confirm current foreclosure sale day/time and whether any online auction platform is used for Ch. 45 sales] (Source: search result snippet from collierclerk.com/court-divisions/civil-court/foreclosures/ and collierclerk.com foreclosure information PDFs)
  • Surplus claim processing: Clerk mails Notice of Surplus Funds; claimants respond with the Surplus Claim Form; 120-day window for non-owner claimants. Former owner has no statutory bar. Funds transfer to Ch. 717 if unclaimed.
  • Tax deed notices published: Publication in local newspaper (four consecutive weeks per florida § 197.522). The specific newspaper used by Collier County is needs_verification.
  • Foreclosure surplus (Ch. 45): Distinct from tax-deed surplus; governed by florida § 45.032 / § 45.033. The Clerk’s civil division holds foreclosure surplus with the 60-day claim window and surplus-trustee mechanism.
  • No local ordinances deviating from state Ch. 197 / Ch. 45 procedure identified. (needs_verification: confirm no local ordinances modify timeline or surplus process)

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

▸ For Investors / Operators — Collier County runs two separate sale tracks: the annual tax-certificate sale (now on LienHub) and in-person tax-deed auctions at the Courthouse Annex, 1:00 P.M. Mondays, with a 5%/$200 non-refundable deposit and full balance due within 24 hours. Certificates bid down from 18%; the 2-year ripening clock before a deed application can be filed controls acquisition timing. Note that the in-person deed-sale format (no online bidding confirmed) and the LienHub certificate platform are distinct systems requiring separate registration and capital management. The 120-day former-owner deadline does not apply to the owner claimant under § 197.582.

▸ For Former Owners — If Collier County’s tax-deed auction produces more than the taxes, fees, and costs owed, the Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller holds the surplus under § 197.582(2). Submit the “Claim to Receive Surplus Proceeds of a Tax Deed Sale” form to TaxDeedsHelp@collierclerk.com or (239) 252-2646 at 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 102, Naples, FL 34112. Non-owner claimants must file within 120 days of the mailed notice; there is no statutory filing deadline for the former owner. Unclaimed funds transfer to the Florida CFO under Ch. 717.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes how Collier County, Florida administers tax-certificate and tax-deed sales and surplus claims for research purposes only and may be incomplete or out of date. Procedures, offices, platforms, form names, and deadlines change. Verify every figure, address, and deadline against the cited official Collier County sources and consult a licensed Florida attorney before acting. The legal framework lives on florida. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

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