contra-costa-ca

Contra Costa County, California — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

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

C0. Identity

• County seat: Martinez · Population: ~1,172,607 (ACS 2024 1-year estimate; FIPS 06013) — https://data.census.gov/profile/Contra_Costa_County,_California?g=050XX00US06013
• Recording unit: county (one of California’s 58 counties)
• FIPS: 06013
• Parent legal framework: california — California is a tax-deed, administrative-sale, pre-sale-redemption-only state, already Tyler-compliant via RTC §§ 4674–4676.
• Lead office: Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector (Dan M. Mierzwa, Treasurer-Tax Collector) — Finance Building, 625 Court Street, Room 100, Martinez, CA 94553 — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/199/Treasurer---Tax-Collector

C1. Local Tax Sale → framework: california

• Conducts own sale? Yes — the Treasurer-Tax Collector conducts the county’s own tax-defaulted-property public auction (no lien certificates; California is a tax-deed state). — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2218/Public-Auction-Information
• Platform: GovEase online auction at https://liveauctions.govease.com/ca/cacontracosta/ (registration and bidding exclusively via GovEase.com; no in-person or paper bids accepted). Prior auctions through 2020 were hosted on Bid4Assets; the county migrated to GovEase. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2218/Public-Auction-Information ; https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/Faq.aspx?TID=32
• Calendar: two sales per year — primary sale in late February and a re-offer/follow-up sale in May; dates set by Board of Supervisors authorization in the preceding fall. Most recent confirmed: February 25, 2026 (Board authorized October 7, 2025). Next expected cycle: May 2026 (mid-to-late April publication) and February 2027 (mid-to-late January publication). The county page noted “No public auction list at this time. Check back mid January 2027” as of the retrieval date. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2218/Public-Auction-Information ; https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/10611/Annual-Public-Auction-Information ; https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=265
• Rate within statutory range: N/A — no investor interest rate (tax-deed state; no lien certificates). Pre-sale redemption penalties follow the statewide RTC § 4103 figures (see california).
• Registration & deposit: all bidders register and pay deposits online via GovEase.com. $5,000refundabledeposit\ast \ast (appliedtothepurchasepriceifthebidderwins;unuseddepositsrefundedwithin7–10businessdaysafterthesalecloses)+\ast \ast$35 non-refundable registration fee. All deposits and registrations must be received by the Friday two weeks before the sale begins. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/Faq.aspx?TID=32 ; https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2218/Public-Auction-Information
• Bidder requirements / payment terms: bidder must supply deed-vesting information at registration; full payment due within 24 hours by close of the tax sale; wire transfer only (no checks, cash, or cards accepted). Bidders are legally obligated to complete purchase once a winning bid is placed; properties sold “as is.” — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2218/Public-Auction-Information ; https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/Faq.aspx?TID=32
• Transfer taxes collected at auction: California documentary transfer tax $0.55per$500 (or fraction); Richmond city transfer tax $7.00per$1,000; El Cerrito city transfer tax $12.00per$1,000 (apply when the parcel is within those cities). — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2218/Public-Auction-Information
• Minimum bid: statutory — “amount necessary to redeem the parcel plus costs of sale” (RTC § 3698.5, see california); re-offered parcels may qualify for a reduced minimum on Board of Supervisors approval.
• Delinquent / auction list location: published on the county website at least 21 days before the sale as a downloadable list; preliminary list posted mid-to-late January (February sale) and mid-to-late April (May sale); also published in CC Times newspaper. The final list of parcels offered is not released until the day of the sale because owners retain the right of redemption until the day before. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2071/Properties-In-Default ; https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/Faq.aspx?TID=32
• Power-to-sell notices: published annually on or before June 8 at https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/588/Notice-of-Power-to-Sell — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/588/Notice-of-Power-to-Sell

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

• Where/how to redeem locally: pay the amount necessary to redeem to the Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector, Finance Building, 625 Court Street, Room 100, Martinez, CA 94553, or online via the tax portal at https://taxcolp.cccttc.us/lookup/. The right of redemption ceases at close of business on the last day prior to the date of sale (statewide rule, RTC §§ 4101/3707, see california). Redemptions by mail must use certified or cashier’s check and must arrive (not merely be postmarked) by the last business day before the sale. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/Faq.aspx?TID=32
• Local fees: the statewide redemption penalties/fees apply (10% delinquent penalty, 1½%/month redemption penalty, $15 redemption fee — RTC §§ 4102/4103, see california); no Contra Costa-specific surcharge located. (Local fee schedule beyond statewide amounts — needs_verification)
• Redemption contact: Treasurer-Tax Collector, (925) 608-9500, [email protected], Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/199/Treasurer---Tax-Collector
• Deviations from state default: none identified; Contra Costa follows the statewide pre-sale-only redemption scheme.

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

(Business-critical module.)

• Claim filing venue: Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector — claims are filed with the county (not a court); per RTC § 4675 the Board of Supervisors determines proof required and decides claims; the Treasurer-Tax Collector administers.
  • Physical address: Finance Building, 625 Court Street, Room 100, Martinez, CA 94553
  • Mailing address: Attn: Excess Proceeds, P.O. Box 631, Martinez, CA 94553
  • Phone: (925) 608-9500 · Email: [email protected] — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/5675/Excess-Proceeds-Policy-and-Forms
• Claim forms (three forms, all official county forms available at the Excess Proceeds Policy and Forms page):
  1. Excess Proceeds Claim Form — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/36797/Excess-Proceeds-Claim-Form-PDF
  2. Excess Proceeds Assignment Form (for third-party recovery agents) — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/36798/Excess-Proceeds-Assignment-Form-PDF
  3. Excess Proceeds Probate Affidavit Form (for heir claims) — available from the Excess Proceeds Policy and Forms page — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/5675/Excess-Proceeds-Policy-and-Forms
• Claim deadline: statewide one-year RTC § 4675 deadline — completed claims must be postmarked on or before the expiration of one year following the date of recordation of the tax deed to the purchaser. Claims are processed after one year has elapsed from the deed recordation date. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/5675/Excess-Proceeds-Policy-and-Forms ; RTC § 4675(a)(1)–(2) (see california)
• Who may claim: per RTC § 4675: (1) lienholders of record prior to recordation of the tax deed (in priority order); (2) any person with title of record to all or any portion of the property prior to recordation of the tax deed. If the party of interest is deceased, heirs may submit an affidavit (Probate Code §§ 13100 et seq. on california). — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/5675/Excess-Proceeds-Policy-and-Forms
• Third-party assignment: an Excess Proceeds Assignment Form is provided by the county for use when a party of interest assigns the right to a third-party claimant. Consistent with RTC § 4675(c), the assignment must be executed after the tax sale and must include disclosure that (1) the amount and source of excess proceeds were disclosed, and (2) the party of interest was advised of the right to file a claim directly with the county at no cost. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/36798/Excess-Proceeds-Assignment-Form-PDF
• Local deadline notes: the policy document (15 pages, updated March 31, 2026) governs submission requirements; the exact local claim deadline mechanics repeat the statewide one-year rule. (Full text of the claim policy PDF was inaccessible as binary on retrieval; specific local-only procedural nuances beyond those on the web page — needs_verification) — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/36796/Excess-Proceeds-Claim-Policy-PDF
• Unclaimed-funds list published? needs_verification — no standing public “unclaimed excess proceeds” roster was located on the Contra Costa county website. The general county unclaimed-property page (https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/697/Unclaimed-Property) covers monies from estates and general agency funds, but does not specifically address tax-sale excess proceeds. Per statewide RTC §§ 4674/4676, unclaimed proceeds revert to the county general fund after the one-year claim period (see california).
• Contact: Dan M. Mierzwa, Treasurer-Tax Collector · (925) 608-9500 · [email protected] — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/5675/Excess-Proceeds-Policy-and-Forms

C4. Offices & Contacts

Office	Name	Address	Phone	URL
Treasurer / Tax Collector	Dan M. Mierzwa, Treasurer-Tax Collector (Belinda Zhu, Asst. Treasurer)	Finance Building, 625 Court St., Room 100, Martinez, CA 94553 · Mail: P.O. Box 631, Martinez, CA 94553	(925) 608-9500	https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/199/Treasurer---Tax-Collector
Clerk of Court (Superior Court)	Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa (tax-sale/surplus claims are NOT filed here — they go to the Treasurer-Tax Collector)	725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553	(925) 608-1000	https://cc-courts.org/
Recorder / Clerk-Recorder	Kristin B. Connelly, County Clerk-Recorder	555 Escobar Street, Martinez, CA 94553	(925) 335-7900	https://www.contracostavote.gov/recorder/
Sheriff	David O. Livingston, Sheriff (Sheriff conducts judicial-foreclosure/execution sales only; tax-defaulted sales run administratively by the Treasurer-Tax Collector)	1850 Muir Road, Martinez, CA 94553 · Civil Unit: 920 Mellus St., Martinez, CA 94553	(925) 655-0000	https://www.cocosheriff.org/

C5. Local Procedure Notes

• Administrative, not judicial: tax-defaulted sales are conducted by the Treasurer-Tax Collector (not the sheriff or a court) — consistent with the statewide RTC administrative power-of-sale scheme on california.
• Two annual sale windows: late February (primary) + May (re-offer), a notably frequent cycle for a California county; both hosted on GovEase since the county migrated from Bid4Assets (last confirmed Bid4Assets sale: ContraCostaFeb20, Feb 2020). — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=265
• Wire-transfer-only payment within 24 hours of auction close — no grace period for alternative payment methods.
• Deposit forfeiture: deposit is forfeited and bidder registration is cancelled if the winning bidder fails to complete purchase. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2218/Public-Auction-Information
• City transfer taxes apply at auction (Richmond $7/$1,000; El Cerrito $12/$1,000) in addition to the statewide $0.55/$500 documentary transfer tax — relevant for bid-economics calculations.
• Redemption by mail must arrive (not postmarked) by the last business day before the sale — stricter than a simple postmark rule.
• Surplus claims policy document updated March 31, 2026 (15 pages) — more recent than most comparable counties’ policy documents; local practitioners should verify for any post-2025 procedural updates.
• No tax-lien certificates and no off-auction sales — the county conveys only via the formal public auction.

C6. Records Access

• Parcel search / mapped property data: CCMap portal — https://ccmap.cccounty.us (redirects to ArcGIS Experience: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/caa59504ea0040cfac8ea0b11393c486) — assessor property info, parcel boundaries, aerial imagery, zoning, updated first business day of each month. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/552/Maps-Property-Information
• GIS data downloads: https://gis.cccounty.us/Downloads — free monthly shapefiles and related GIS data. — https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/552/Maps-Property-Information
• Recorder / deed search: CRiis (Clerk-Recorder Imaging Information System) — recorded-document index searchable from 1986 to present at http://www.criis.com/cgi-bin/doc_search.cgi?COUNTY=contracosta — images available at office terminals; the Recorder’s office is prohibited by Gov. Code § 7928.215 from posting images online. Copies may also be ordered via RecorderWorks at https://crsecurepayment.com/RW/?ln=en. — https://www.contracostavote.gov/recorder/search-property-documents-disclaimer-page/
• Tax payment portal: https://taxcolp.cccttc.us/lookup/ — online payment accepts e-check (no fee), credit/debit/PayPal (2.50% min. $3.50). — https://taxcolp.cccttc.us/lookup/
• Assessor: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/191/Assessor — assessor data accessible via CCMap and ParcelQuest Lite.

C7. Meta

• sources:
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2218/Public-Auction-Information”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Annual Public Auction page: GovEase platform, $5,000deposit+$35 registration fee, wire-transfer-only 24-hr payment, transfer taxes, redemption cutoff, “check back mid January 2027” calendar note
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/10611/Annual-Public-Auction-Information”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Annual Public Auction Information: “sales held in late February and May,” property lists at www.cctax.us mid-to-late January and mid-to-late April, payment within 24 hrs
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/Faq.aspx?TID=32”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — FAQ Annual Public Auction Tax Sale: GovEase registration, $5,000+$35 deposit/fee, deposits received by Friday two weeks before sale, delinquent list 21 days before sale, redemption ceases close of business last day before sale, mail-in redemption must arrive (not postmark)
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/5675/Excess-Proceeds-Policy-and-Forms”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Excess Proceeds Policy and Forms: filing address (625 Court St Rm 100 / PO Box 631, Martinez 94553), phone (925) 608-9500, email ttcinfo@, claim form + assignment form + probate affidavit form links, one-year deadline, heir claims, no-cost filing disclosure
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/2071/Properties-In-Default”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Publications of Tax Defaulted Properties: list published in CC Times, viewable on county website; check Account Lookup for current payment status
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/588/Notice-of-Power-to-Sell”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Notice of Power to Sell: published annually on or before June 8 for properties tax-defaulted 5+ years (3+ years commercial)
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/199/Treasurer---Tax-Collector”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Treasurer-Tax Collector office: Dan M. Mierzwa (TTC), Belinda Zhu (Asst.); 625 Court St Rm 100; PO Box 631; (925) 608-9500; fax (925) 608-9598; ttcinfo@; taxcolp.cccttc.us
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=265”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Tax Collector Public Auction Results archive: twice-yearly pattern confirmed (Feb + May/Jun): Feb 2026, May 2025, Feb 2025, May 2024, Feb 2024, May 2023, Feb 2023, Sep 2022, Jun 2022, Feb 2020
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://taxcolp.cccttc.us/lookup/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Tax payment portal: e-check/PayPal/credit/debit; (925) 608-9500; 625 Court St Rm 100
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracostavote.gov/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — County Clerk-Recorder: Kristin B. Connelly; 555 Escobar St, Martinez 94553; (925) 335-7900; contracostavote.gov
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://cc-courts.org/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Superior Court of California, Contra Costa County: 725 Court Street, Martinez; (925) 608-1000
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/Directory/Home/DepartmentListing?DID=45”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Sheriff’s Office: 1850 Muir Road, Martinez; (925) 655-0000; cocosheriff.org; David O. Livingston (Sheriff, sworn 4th term Jan 3 2023)
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/552/Maps-Property-Information”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Maps & Property Information: CCMap (ArcGIS) parcel portal, GIS downloads, ParcelQuest Lite
  • {type: gov_portal, url: “https://data.census.gov/profile/Contra_Costa_County,_California?g=050XX00US06013”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — FIPS 06013, ACS 2024 1-year population ~1,172,607; county seat Martinez
• needs_verification:
  • Full text of the Excess Proceeds Claim Policy PDF (15 pp., updated March 31, 2026) — retrieved as unreadable binary; any local procedural requirements beyond those on the web page (https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/36796/Excess-Proceeds-Claim-Policy-PDF) are unconfirmed.
  • Whether a standing public “unclaimed excess proceeds” roster is published for Contra Costa County specifically (no such list was located; general unclaimed-property page does not address tax-sale excess proceeds).
  • Any Contra Costa-specific redemption fee beyond the statewide RTC §§ 4102/4103 amounts (none located; statewide figures assumed).
  • Next May 2026 sale — whether the May auction cycle proceeded as expected (the auction page showed “No public auction list at this time. Check back mid January 2027” suggesting February 2026 was the last completed cycle; a May 2026 sale was not confirmed on the page retrieved).
  • GovEase-specific storefront URL for the Contra Costa County auction — the live-auction page showed “No auctions to display” at the time of retrieval; the base URL pattern https://liveauctions.govease.com/ca/cacontracosta/ is the confirmed county-specific GovEase landing confirmed by the county FAQ, but the specific auction number (e.g., /1318/) is sale-specific and will change.
  • Recorder hours of operation — confirmed address/phone but specific daily hours were not retrieved from the official recorder page.
  • Sheriff Civil Unit role in judicial-foreclosure sales — the Civil Unit (920 Mellus St) serves papers in civil proceedings; whether the Sheriff separately publishes a levying-officer sale list was not researched.
• cross_links: california, surplus-funds, right-of-redemption, treasurer-sale, tyler-v-hennepin-county, third-party-recovery-rules, heirs-property
• changelog:
  • 2026-06-02 — Initial population (autoresearch, county wave). All C0–C7 filled from Contra Costa County’s own official sources. Key local facts: GovEase platform (migrated from Bid4Assets), twice-yearly sales (late February + May), $5,000deposit+$35 fee, 24-hr wire-transfer-only payment, surplus claims filed with Treasurer-Tax Collector (625 Court St Rm 100 / PO Box 631, Martinez 94553) via three official forms, one-year RTC §4675 deadline. Unclaimed-surplus roster, full claims policy PDF text, and May 2026 sale confirmation flagged needs_verification.

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Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Contra Costa County’s local tax-sale and surplus procedure from the county’s own official sources as of the last_verified date. Procedures, dates, platforms, and contacts change; verify against the cited county pages and the parent framework at california, and consult a licensed California attorney before acting.