USA Foreclosure Wiki

Galveston County, TX

19 min read

Galveston County, Texas — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

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

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Galveston · Recording unit: county (one of Texas’s 254 counties)
  • Population: ~342,139 (2020 Census per task brief; 2020 Census QuickFacts shows 350,682 — see needs_verification)
  • Parent legal framework: texas — redeemable tax-deed state; judicial delinquent-tax suit → district-court judgment → Sheriff’s sale; excess proceeds under Tex. Tax Code § 34.04.
  • Tax Assessor-Collector: Cheryl E. Johnson, PCC, CTOP — https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/tax-assessor-collector
  • Delinquent-tax law firm: Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP (represents Galveston County and numerous taxing entities within the county). — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/sheriff_sale_rules.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02)

C1. Local Tax Sale

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

  • Periods inherit from state: 2 years (residence homestead / agricultural-use / mineral) or 180 days (all other property), running from the date the deed is filed for record (Tex. Tax Code § 34.21). Galveston’s own Linebarger notice restates these: “Homestead and agricultural exempt properties may be redeemed within two (2) years. All other properties may be redeemed within six (6) months of sale.” — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/sheriff_sale_rules.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02); texas
  • Redemption amounts:
  • Where/how to redeem locally: The redeeming party pays the purchaser directly (redemption price = bid amount + deed recording fee + taxes/costs paid by purchaser + statutory premium). If the purchaser cannot be located, the former owner may tender payment through the Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office. (A dedicated redemption-desk procedure is not separately published by Galveston County; contact the Tax Office for guidance.)
  • Redemption contact: Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector, 722 Moody Avenue (21st St.), Galveston, TX 77550; phone (409) 766-2284 / toll-free (877) 766-2284; email: galcotax@co.galveston.tx.us — https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/county-directory/galveston.php (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Deviations from state default: None identified locally. Process follows the Tex. Tax Code § 34.21 formula.

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

  • Where funds are held / claim filing venue: Excess proceeds from a Galveston County tax sale are deposited into the Registry of the Court held by the Galveston County District Clerk. A claim is made by filing a Petition for Release of Excess Proceeds under Tex. Tax Code § 34.04 in the district court that ordered the sale (the underlying cause number). The Sheriff’s Sale Distribution Sheet confirms that “EXCESS PROCEEDS (DISTRICT CLERK)” is a line-item in the proceeds distribution. — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/DISTRIBUTION.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • District Clerk address: John D. Kinard, District Clerk, 600 – 59th Street, Suite 4001, P.O. Box 17250, Galveston, TX 77551; phone (409) 766-2424 / District Courts line (409) 770-5230. — https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/district-clerk (search result retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Excess Proceeds page: https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/district-clerk/excess-proceeds (site returns 403 for automated fetch; confirmed to exist via search index)
  • Claim form: The District Clerk’s Office has an Excess Proceeds page and District Clerk’s Office Forms page (galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/district-clerk/district-clerk-forms). The specific form name/URL was not retrievable (403 error on automated fetch); claimants should contact the District Clerk directly. (See needs_verification.)
  • Local deadline notes: The statutory 2-year filing window from the date of sale governs (Tex. Tax Code § 34.04(a)); after that, unclaimed proceeds are distributed to the participating taxing units. No shorter local deadline identified. — texas
  • Unclaimed-funds list: (Whether Galveston County District Clerk publishes a standalone excess-proceeds list online was not confirmed — see needs_verification.)
  • Recovery-agent rules: The statewide § 34.04(f) assignment regime (36-day post-deposit waiting period; ≥80% payment; anti-solicitation; sworn affidavit) and the § 34.04(i) attorney-fee cap (25% / $1,000, whichever is less) apply. See third-party-recovery-rules and texas.
  • Contact: District Clerk’s Office — (409) 766-2424.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Galveston County conducts online-only tax foreclosure sales (first Tuesday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.) exclusively through RealAuction — there are no live in-person tax auctions. A 5% aggregate deposit must be wired or ACH-transferred through RealAuction at least 10 days before the sale; winning bid payment is due by 4:00 p.m. on sale day plus a separate $30.00 cashier's check for the recording fee payable to "Galveston County Clerk." A Certificate of Eligibility (Tex. Tax Code § 34.015; $10 fee, obtained from the Tax Assessor-Collector) must be presented before the Sheriff’s Deed is recorded; the deed is issued in the name on that certificate. The redeemable deed carries a 2-year (homestead/ag/mineral) or 180-day (other) redemption period; a quiet-title/trespass-to-try-title action in Galveston County District Court is the practical path to insurable title after redemption expires. See texas §34.21 and galveston-tx C8 for the title path.

▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds are deposited in the Registry of the Court held by Galveston County District Clerk John D. Kinard (600 – 59th Street, Suite 4001, Galveston, TX 77551; 409-766-2424). File a Petition for Release of Excess Proceeds under Tex. Tax Code § 34.04 in the district court that ordered the sale (the original cause number) within 2 years of the sale date; after that, unclaimed proceeds are distributed to the taxing units. Contact the District Clerk’s Office to confirm whether funds are available for a specific cause number.

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer / Tax CollectorCheryl E. Johnson, PCC, CTOP (Tax Assessor-Collector)722 Moody Ave. (21st St.), 2nd Floor, Galveston, TX 77550(409) 766-2284 / toll-free (877) 766-2284https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/tax-assessor-collector
District Clerk (excess-proceeds registry & delinquent-tax suits)John D. Kinard, District Clerk600 – 59th Street, Suite 4001, P.O. Box 17250, Galveston, TX 77551(409) 766-2424 / District Courts (409) 770-5230https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/district-clerk
County Clerk / Recorder of DeedsDwight D. Sullivan, County ClerkJustice Center, 600 59th St., Suite 2001, Galveston, TX 77551(409) 766-2200https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/county-clerk
Sheriff (conducts tax sales online via RealAuction)Jimmy Fullen, Sheriff601 54th Street, Galveston, TX 77551(409) 766-2300 / Sale contact: Heather Gruben (409) 766-2312https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Online-only for tax foreclosures. Unlike many Texas counties where tax sales are live in-person auctions, Galveston County authorizes the Sheriff to conduct all tax foreclosure and resale auctions exclusively through the RealAuction online platform. This was formalized by Commissioners Court resolution dated May 4, 2020, recorded at Clerk’s File No. 2020023831 in the Official Deed Records. — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/Sheriff_Sale_Procedures.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Execution sales (mortgage/judgment) are different. Execution sales conducted by the Sheriff or Constable for non-tax judgments are live in-person auctions at the West entrance of the Galveston County Courthouse, 722 Moody, Galveston, commencing at 10:00 a.m. Day-of registration required; cashier’s check/money order only; full payment due by 3:45 p.m. — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/Sheriff_Sale_Procedures.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Struck-off properties / Resale Committees. Properties not purchased at the first sheriff sale are struck off to the taxing entities. Struck-off properties in certain municipalities are managed by Resale Committees formed by Interlocal Agreements:
    • Cities of Galveston, La Marque, Hitchcock, Texas City, and the Bolivar Peninsula — governed by separate Resale Committees; contact Linebarger (mark.ciavaglia@publicans.com) for detailed resale procedures.
    • Cities of Dickinson, League City, Santa Fe, Clear Lake Shores, and Kemah — purchasers must complete a Bid Form for Tax Foreclosed Property, with a 10% cashier’s check deposit payable to “Galveston County,” forwarded to Linebarger at 621 – 6th Street North, Texas City, TX 77590. — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/sheriff_sale_rules.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Struck-off list: Available from Linebarger at 621 – 6th Street North, Texas City, TX 77590; in Excel format by emailing mark.ciavaglia@publicans.com; also available as public records at the County Clerk’s Office, 600 – 59th Street, 2nd Floor, Galveston (M–F 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.). — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/sheriff_sale_rules.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Post-judgment taxes: Properties sold may carry taxes outside the judgment (post-judgment years); these are the purchaser’s responsibility. — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/sheriff_sale_rules.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • No warranties. All properties sold “AS IS” without warranty or representation as to title, condition, or use. Title insurance is not provided at sale. — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/Sheriff_Sale_Procedures.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Delinquent-tax firm: Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP, 621 – 6th Street North, Texas City, TX 77590; phone 409-948-3401. Tax sale property listings also at https://taxsales.lgbs.com/

C6. Records Access

C8. Title & Quiet Title

  • Title type: Redeemable tax deed (purchaser gets a Sheriff’s Tax Sale Deed Under Order of Sale conveying the defendant’s interest without warranty, subject to the statutory right of redemption). See texas § 34.01(n). — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/sheriff_sale_rules.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Quiet title required? Practically yes. After the redemption period expires (180 days or 2 years from deed recording) with no redemption, purchasers wishing to obtain insurable title in Texas typically bring a trespass-to-try-title action (the Texas statutory quiet-title remedy) in district court. Texas courts treat defective notice as rendering the foreclosure judgment void and subject to collateral attack (Mitchell v. MAP Resources, 649 S.W.3d 180 (Tex. 2022) — see texas). Title insurance companies in Texas generally require a quiet title / trespass-to-try-title judgment before insuring a tax-deed purchase.
  • Court: filed in one of Galveston County’s district courts, in the county where the property is located (Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 22; see also Tex. Tax Code § 34.04 for excess-proceeds suits). Galveston County has six district courts: 10th (Kerry Neves), 56th (Lonnie Cox), 122nd (Jeth Jones), 212th (Patricia Grady), 306th, and 405th — all located at 600 – 59th Street, Galveston, TX 77551. General civil property suits are heard in the 10th, 56th, 122nd, or 212th district courts.
  • Typical timeline (uncontested): Approximately 90–180 days for an uncontested action after the redemption period expires. Cases requiring service by publication add 6–8 weeks. (Secondary source estimate from LienSuite 2026 guide; no Galveston-specific primary-source data — see needs_verification.)
  • Typical cost (uncontested): Approximately $2,000–$6,000+ (attorney fees + district-court filing fee + service + publication if needed). Galveston County district court civil filing fee (new suit): $50.00 base (Tex. Gov't Code § 51.317(b)(1)) plus the State Consolidated Fee of$50.00 (Local Gov’t Code § 133.151) and other statewide fees — total statutory minimum filing fees ~$300–$400 before optional/local add-ons. Attorney fees dominate total cost. — https://www.txcourts.gov/media/662558/dc-civfilfees010114.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Deed seasoning local notes: Galveston County’s own sale documents note that title insurance is not provided at sale and properties are sold “AS IS.” The practical minimum seasoning is expiration of the redemption period; thereafter a trespass-to-try-title action is needed for title insurance. (No Galveston-specific insurer-practice guidance retrieved — see needs_verification.)
  • Title insurers active locally: All major national underwriters write in Galveston County. Stewart Title has a Galveston office and historical roots in the city (founded there in 1893) — https://www.stewart.com/en/markets/galveston (retrieved 2026-06-02). South Land Title represents the largest underwriters: Stewart, Chicago Title, First American Title, Old Republic, and Fidelity. (Individual insurer requirements for tax-deed transactions not separately verified — see needs_verification.)

C9. Purchaser Obligations

  • Subsequent tax payment office: Post-judgment taxes (years not included in the foreclosure judgment) must be paid by the purchaser. Taxes are paid to the Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector, Cheryl E. Johnson, 722 Moody Avenue, Galveston, TX 77550; phone (409) 766-2284; online at https://actweb.acttax.com/act_webdev/galveston/index.jsp — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/sheriff_sale_rules.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02); https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/county-directory/galveston.php (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Notice to owner procedure: Under Tex. Tax Code § 34.21, the purchaser is not required to give formal written notice to the former owner to trigger the redemption clock (the clock runs from deed recording). However, if the purchaser wants to recover costs such as maintenance, insurance, code-required repairs, and HOA dues as part of the redemption “costs,” those expenditures must be documented (Tex. Tax Code § 34.21(g)). (No Galveston-specific purchaser-notice-of-right-to-redeem form or local requirement identified — see needs_verification.)
  • Redemption payment office: The former owner (or lienholder) redeems by paying the purchaser directly. If the purchaser cannot be located or refuses, the redeeming party may tender payment through the Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office, 722 Moody Avenue, Galveston, TX 77550, (409) 766-2284. See texas § 34.21(f).
  • Occupancy and access during redemption: During the redemption period, the former owner may retain possession; the purchaser does not have an automatic right to immediate possession. Purchasers may not take adverse action against the occupant during the redemption window. (Local practice on possession disputes not separately documented — see needs_verification.)

C10. Local Restrictions

  • Land bank active? No dedicated county-level land bank program identified for Galveston County in retrieved sources. Struck-off properties are managed through the taxing entities and Resale Committees described in C5 rather than through a formal land bank. (Confirm no city-level land bank within the county — see needs_verification.)
  • Right of first refusal: No formal statutory right of first refusal for municipalities over tax-foreclosed property was identified in retrieved county sources. The Resale Committees (see C5) effectively give the taxing entities and cities control over resale of struck-off property via sealed-bid processes, but this operates as a committee process, not a ROFR mechanism. (No primary-source ordinance for a ROFR confirmed — see needs_verification.)
  • Entity/insider restrictions: Texas Tax Code § 34.015 requires that all bidders (individual or entity) obtain a Certificate of Eligibility confirming no delinquent property taxes are owed. For resales of struck-off property in Dickinson, League City, Santa Fe, Clear Lake Shores, and Kemah, the Resale Committee “reserves the right to reject a bid if the bidder owns an interest in property upon which a delinquent property tax is due and owing” (City of Galveston Resale Committee terms). For Galveston, La Marque, Hitchcock, Texas City, and the Bolivar Peninsula, resale committee terms may vary. (Full entity or insider restrictions beyond the § 34.015 tax-delinquency bar not separately confirmed — see needs_verification.) — https://sheriff.galvestoncountytx.gov/Forms/Sale/sheriff_sale_rules.pdf (retrieved 2026-06-02); City of Galveston Resale Committee ITB (retrieved 2026-06-02)

C7. Meta

  • sources:
  • needs_verification:
    • Exact 2020 Census population for Galveston County (task brief states 342,139; Census QuickFacts shows 350,682 — primary source not directly accessed).
    • Specific excess-proceeds claim form name and direct URL from Galveston County District Clerk’s website (galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/district-clerk/excess-proceeds returned 403 on automated fetch).
    • Whether Galveston County District Clerk publishes a standalone list of available excess proceeds for claimants.
    • Galveston County district court civil filing fees for 2024–2026 (OCA fee schedule from 2014 used; current local optional fees not confirmed).
    • Quiet title / trespass-to-try-title cost and timeline specific to Galveston County (used statewide secondary-source estimate of $2,000–$6,000 / 90–180 days).
    • Individual title insurer (Stewart, Chicago Title, First American, Old Republic, Fidelity) policy requirements for issuing on post-redemption-period Galveston County tax deeds.
    • Whether any city within Galveston County (e.g., Galveston, League City, Texas City) maintains a formal land bank program.
    • Whether any Resale Committee city exercises a formal right of first refusal vs. simply controlling the resale process through the committee structure.
    • Full entity/insider bidder restrictions at resales beyond the § 34.015 tax-delinquency certificate requirement.
    • Local practice for purchaser possession during the redemption period (no Galveston-specific guidance retrieved).
    • RealAuction Galveston County subdomain (if any) and current bidder-training URLs (general realauction.com confirmed; county-specific subdomain not identified).
  • cross_links: texas, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, third-party-recovery-rules, sheriff-sale, due-process-notice, mitchell-v-map-resources-2022, tyler-v-hennepin-county
  • changelog:
    • 2026-06-02 — Initial population (autoresearch wave 1). C0–C10 modules filled. Three Sheriff’s Office PDFs read directly (Procedures, Rules, June 2026 sale list, Distribution Sheet). Tax office, county clerk, district clerk, and records portals confirmed via search. Honest gaps flagged in needs_verification. C8/C9/C10 drafted from retrieved sources plus texas framework.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Galveston County conducts online-only tax foreclosure sales (first Tuesday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.) exclusively through RealAuction — there are no live in-person tax auctions. A 5% aggregate deposit must be wired or ACH-transferred through RealAuction at least 10 days before the sale; winning bid payment is due by 4:00 p.m. on sale day plus a separate $30.00 cashier's check for the recording fee payable to "Galveston County Clerk." A Certificate of Eligibility (Tex. Tax Code § 34.015; $10 fee, obtained from the Tax Assessor-Collector) must be presented before the Sheriff’s Deed is recorded; the deed is issued in the name on that certificate. The redeemable deed carries a 2-year (homestead/ag/mineral) or 180-day (other) redemption period; a quiet-title/trespass-to-try-title action in Galveston County District Court is the practical path to insurable title after redemption expires. See texas §34.21 and galveston-tx C8 for the title path.

▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds are deposited in the Registry of the Court held by Galveston County District Clerk John D. Kinard (600 – 59th Street, Suite 4001, Galveston, TX 77551; 409-766-2424). File a Petition for Release of Excess Proceeds under Tex. Tax Code § 34.04 in the district court that ordered the sale (the original cause number) within 2 years of the sale date; after that, unclaimed proceeds are distributed to the taxing units. Contact the District Clerk’s Office to confirm whether funds are available for a specific cause number.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Galveston County’s local tax-sale and surplus procedures from the county’s own official sources as of the last_verified date. Procedures, venues, contacts, and sale dates change; verify against the cited county pages and consult a licensed Texas attorney before acting.

Graph View

Backlinks