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Greene County, MO

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Greene 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 Greene County actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Springfield, MO
  • Population: 298,915 (2020 census) — fourth most-populous county in Missouri, most populous outside the Kansas City and St. Louis metros.
  • Recording unit: county
  • FIPS: 29077
  • Parent legal framework: missouri
  • Governing tax-sale chapter: Chapter 140 RSMo (administrative collector sale — the “Jones-Munger” certificate sale). The Greene County Collector of Revenue conducts an annual in-person tax-lien-certificate sale on the fourth Monday in August. No Chapter 141 (Land Tax / judicial) foreclosure action is documented on the county’s official pages; practice appears to be Chapter 140 only (needs_verification).

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the Greene County Collector of Revenue (Allen Icet) conducts the sale.
  • Platform: In person. The live auction is held at Room 212 of the Historic County Courthouse, 940 N Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65802, at 10 a.m. There is no online bidding (“Online payments prohibited”). Property research and the delinquent/post-third lists are posted on CivicSource.com (Investment → Missouri → Greene) and on the county Collector site. The Collector also operates the vanity domain www.countycollector.com, which redirects to the official Collector page.
  • Sale calendar:
    • Frequency: Annual.
    • Statutory date: Fourth Monday in August, 10:00 a.m. (RSMo 140.250).
    • Location: Historic County Courthouse, Room 212, 940 N Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65802.
    • Qualifying delinquency: A parcel is offered if it has two or more years’ delinquent taxes as of May 1 of the sale year (Collector FAQ; the 2026 sale qualifies properties owing taxes as of May 1).
  • Rate within statutory range: State default (no county-set rate). Redemption return to the certificate holder is up to 10%/yr on the certificate amount and 8%/yr on subsequent taxes (RSMo 140.340) — inherited from missouri.
  • Registration & deposit:
    • Registration window: August 1 through the Thursday prior to the sale. Registration is not required merely to observe.
    • No advance cash deposit is documented; the successful bidder must pay in full same-day (below).
  • Bidder requirements (RSMo 140.190, as locally applied):
    • Be a resident or registered business of Missouri (non-residents are excluded from registering directly).
    • Not owe any delinquent personal-property or real-estate taxes.
    • Register during the August 1–Thursday-before-sale window.
    • Otherwise meet the qualifications of RSMo §140.190.
    • Payment: the winning bidder must pay before 3:30 p.m. the same day in certified funds only — cash or cashier’s check. No business/personal checks, cards, money orders, or ACH.
  • Offerings: standard (first/second) offering, Third Offer sale, and Post-Third Offer sale, each with different redemption rules (see C2). The post-third list and application are published separately on the Collector site.
  • Delinquent list location:

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

  • Where to redeem: Greene County Collector of Revenue, 940 N Boonville Ave, Room 107, Springfield, MO 65802. Phone (417) 868-4036; email taxsale@greenecountymo.gov.
  • How to redeem: the redeeming party “must pay the total costs of delinquent taxes and sale fees to the Collector, who will then refund the bidder.” On completion the Purchase Certificate is released and the buyer loses all claim to the property. (Collector FAQ.)
  • Redemption period:
    • Standard (first/second) offering: one (1) year after the sale (RSMo 140.340; Collector FAQ).
    • Third Offer sale: 90 days (RSMo 140.250, 140.405).
    • Post-Third Offer sale: no redemption period — immediate path to a collector’s deed.
  • Local fees: State-default formula (RSMo 140.340) — original bid + up to 10%/yr interest on the certificate amount + subsequent taxes paid by the holder at 8%/yr + sale/title/mailing costs. No documented local surcharge.
  • Deviations from state default: The county’s surplus application form describes the surplus-claim deadline as running from a redemption period of “eighteen months from the date of sale,” while the Collector FAQ and the state statute describe the standard redemption window as one year. This 18-month framing appears to reflect a local administrative convention for the outside window before surplus is finally distributed; the exact reconciliation with the statutory one-year period is flagged needs_verification (see C5).

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

  • What surplus is: “Any amount bid in excess of the taxes and sale costs is considered ‘surplus.‘” Surplus is available only if the property was NOT redeemed and a collector’s deed was issued. (Surplus Instructions & Application; Collector FAQ.)
  • Claim filing venue: the Greene County Commission — the application is mailed or emailed to:
    • Mail: Greene County Commission, attn. Surplus Disbursal, 940 N Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65802.
    • Email: pio@greenecountymo.gov
    • (The Commission’s administrative office is at 1143 N Robberson Ave, 10th Floor, Springfield, MO 65802.)
  • Claim form: “Surplus Instructions & Application” — https://greenecountymo.gov/files/files.php?id=42392 (PDF). The notarized application requires:
    • All parties’ government-issued photo ID (copies);
    • Deed or other recorded document showing the claim to the property (with Book/page reference);
    • Birth/death certificates or other documents proving heirship or title where relevant;
    • The form signed before a notary public, with the claimant’s SSN, property Tax ID, situs, sale certificate number, and date of tax sale.
  • Who may claim: “Surplus can only be released to owners or lienholders. Unrelated third-parties cannot collect surplus funds.” Funds “may be disbursed to those who owned or held a legal claim against the property on the date of sale.” (Surplus Application; Collector FAQ; RSMo 140.230.)
  • Deadline: “Applications must be received within ninety days of the expiration of the redemption period (eighteen months from the date of sale).” After the 90 days, “the Commission will meet to approve the distribution of funds. Final decisions should be available in July and checks disbursed as ordered.” (Surplus Application; RSMo 140.230 — claim within 90 days of redemption expiry, with the 3-year escheat to the county school fund as the outside bar.)
  • Anti-third-party notice (local): The county’s surplus instructions warn: “Third-parties may offer to apply on your behalf, often in exchange for a portion of the funds. This may be an attempt to take advantage of or scam you! … funds will only ever be released in the actual qualifying party’s name.” The County states it “makes a vested effort to contact all qualifying parties.” An agent may assist an entitled party, but checks are issued solely to the qualifying party.
  • Unclaimed-funds list / surplus info: Information about the tax sale, “including surplus funds collected,” is posted at www.countycollector.com (the Collector’s vanity domain, redirecting to the official Collector site). A dedicated standalone “available surplus” list URL was not separately retrieved (needs_verification).
  • Contacts: Commission — pio@greenecountymo.gov; Collector — taxsale@greenecountymo.gov / (417) 868-4036.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Surplus in Greene County is claimed through the County Commission (attn. Surplus Disbursal), not the Collector, and only after a collector’s deed issues on an un-redeemed parcel; see missouri §5b for this state’s marketable-title path (RSMo 527.150 circuit-court quiet title) and §7b for surviving liens. Note the in-person-only, Missouri-resident-only sale and the same-day certified-funds requirement.

▸ For Former Owners — If your property sold for more than the taxes and costs and you did not redeem, the surplus belongs to the owner/lienholders of record on the sale date. File the notarized Surplus Instructions & Application with the Greene County Commission (pio@greenecountymo.gov) within 90 days of the redemption period’s expiration. The county warns that no third party is needed and that checks are issued only in the qualifying party’s name.

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Collector of Revenue (Tax Sales, Redemption)Allen Icet940 N Boonville Ave, Rm 107, Springfield, MO 65802(417) 868-4036https://greenecountymo.gov/collector/
County Commission (Surplus Claims)Presiding Commissioner + 2 Associate Commissioners940 N Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65802 (admin: 1143 N Robberson Ave, 10th Fl)(417) 868-4112https://greenecountymo.gov/commission/
Recorder of DeedsCheryl Dawson-Spaulding940 N Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65802(417) 868-4068https://greenecountymo.gov/recorder/
Assessor—940 N Boonville Ave, Rm 35, Springfield, MO 65802(417) 868-4101https://greenecountymo.gov/assessor/
Circuit Court Clerk (31st Judicial Circuit)Bryan Feemster1010 N Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65802(417) 868-4074https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=1639

Commission phone (417) 868-4112 and the precise Commission claim-desk extension are needs_verification; surplus correspondence is directed by the county to the email pio@greenecountymo.gov and the “attn. Surplus Disbursal” mailing address above (both confirmed on the surplus application).

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • In-person, Missouri-resident-only sale. Bidders must be a Missouri resident or registered Missouri business and free of any delinquent taxes (RSMo 140.190). There is no online bidding; the live auction is in Room 212 of the Historic Courthouse.
  • Same-day certified-funds payment by 3:30 p.m. Cash or cashier’s check only — no cards, ACH, money orders, business or personal checks.
  • Two-years-delinquent threshold. A parcel must carry two or more years of delinquent taxes as of May 1 to be offered.
  • Surplus routed to the Commission, not the Collector. Unlike some Missouri counties that route surplus forms through the Treasurer, Greene County directs the notarized surplus application to the County Commission (attn. Surplus Disbursal), which meets after the 90-day claim window and disburses (typically by July). This mirrors RSMo 140.230’s commission-approval model.
  • 18-month vs. one-year redemption framing. The surplus application states the redemption period is “eighteen months from the date of sale,” whereas the FAQ and RSMo 140.340 state one year for first/second offerings. The most likely reading is that the county allows an outside administrative window (one-year statutory redemption + the 90-day claim period plus processing) before final distribution; the exact basis for the 18-month figure is needs_verification.
  • Strong anti-finder posture. The county’s published surplus instructions explicitly warn against third-party surplus “finders” and state checks issue only to the qualifying party.
  • No Chapter 141 judicial route documented. Official pages describe only the Chapter 140 certificate sale; any Chapter 141 land-tax suit is needs_verification.

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

C8. Title & Quiet Title → framework: missouri §5b

  • Title type: tax-lien certificate (certificate of purchase) ripening into a collector’s deed under Chapter 140 (RSMo 140.290, 140.420) — inherited from missouri.
  • Quiet title — required? Practically yes for marketable/insurable title. A fresh Greene County collector’s deed is a statutory fee-simple conveyance (RSMo 140.420) but is not a warranty deed; Missouri title insurers generally will not insure it without either a quiet-title action or deed seasoning (see missouri §5b, §7; True Title — Missouri practice).
  • Court: Circuit Court of Greene County, 31st Judicial Circuit (civil division), 1010 N Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65802. A quiet-title suit is brought under RSMo 527.150 (any person claiming title/estate/interest may sue in circuit court). Circuit Clerk: Bryan Feemster, (417) 868-4074.
  • Typical timeline / cost: state-layer estimate only — roughly 3–9 months and $1,500–$5,000 for an uncontested action (see missouri §5b needs_verification). Greene-County-specific figures needs_verification.
  • SOL to challenge the collector’s deed: 3 years from recording of the tax deed (RSMo 140.590), with a disability exception for minors; a deed void for defective RSMo 140.405 notice may be attacked beyond the SOL (schlereth-v-hardy-2009). (State layer.)
  • Deed seasoning (title-insurance alternative): Missouri underwriters commonly treat a 10-year season (RSMo 516.010 ten-year bar) as an alternative to quiet title. (State layer.)
  • Title insurers active locally: Springfield-market underwriters/agencies operate in Greene County, but a specific insurer list willing to insure fresh tax titles was not retrieved — needs_verification.

C9. Purchaser Obligations During Redemption → framework: missouri §10b

  • Subsequent-tax payment office: Greene County Collector of Revenue, 940 N Boonville Ave, Rm 107, Springfield, MO 65802; (417) 868-4036; taxsale@greenecountymo.gov. A certificate holder may pay later-accruing delinquent taxes (“subs”) and recover them at redemption with 8%/yr interest (RSMo 140.340). (State layer for the rate; office confirmed locally.)
  • Notice to owner (RSMo 140.405) procedure: To obtain the collector’s deed on a first/second-offering certificate, the purchaser must, before the redemption period expires, perform a title search to identify the owner of record and all recorded lienholders and send the 90-day notice of right to redeem by first class AND certified mail, return receipt requested, then file an affidavit of compliance with the Greene County Collector (RSMo 140.405). The Collector is the local filing point for the affidavit and the request for the collector’s deed. (State layer; local filing office = Collector.)
  • Redemption payment office: Greene County Collector of Revenue (same address as above) — the owner/lienholder pays the Collector, who refunds the certificate holder (Collector FAQ; RSMo 140.340).
  • Occupancy / access during redemption: Chapter 140 governs (possession during redemption is constrained; waste can cause forfeiture — RSMo 140.320). No Greene-County-specific occupancy practice was documented; follows state default (needs_verification for any local practice).

C10. Local Restrictions → framework: missouri §11b

  • Land bank: None operational at the time of research. Springfield (in partnership with Greene County) was in the early/exploratory stage of establishing a land bank; Collector Allen Icet attended a national land-bank summit as part of that effort. No active land bank or county land trust exercising tax acquisitions was confirmed. (Springfield Daily Citizen; needs_verification for any subsequent activation.)
  • Right of first refusal (municipal/land-bank): None documented locally. Under Chapter 140 the bidder restrictions of RSMo 140.190 apply (delinquent taxpayers, certain officials/insiders barred); Missouri’s land-bank statutes (RSMo 140.984) do not create a general municipal right of first refusal (state layer). No local ROFR ordinance retrieved.
  • Entity / insider notes: Missouri-resident-or-registered-business requirement is enforced at registration, and bidders must not owe any delinquent taxes (RSMo 140.190; Collector FAQ). Non-residents cannot register directly. The county’s surplus instructions additionally impose a strong anti-third-party-finder posture (C3): surplus checks issue only to the qualifying party.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Greene County runs an in-person, Missouri-only Chapter 140 certificate sale (fourth Monday in August, Room 212, Historic Courthouse) with same-day certified-funds payment by 3:30 p.m. Acquisition facts: redemption is one year (first/second), 90 days (third), and none (post-third); subsequent taxes and the RSMo 140.405 90-day notice/affidavit are handled through the Collector; the path to insurable title is an RSMo 527.150 quiet-title action in the 31st Judicial Circuit (or 10-year seasoning), with the RSMo 140.590 three-year challenge bar and Schlereth void-for-notice risk (see missouri §5b, §7b).

▸ For Former Owners — If your Greene County property sold for more than the taxes and costs and you did not redeem, the surplus belongs to the owners/lienholders of record on the sale date. File the notarized Surplus Instructions & Application with the Greene County Commission (attn. Surplus Disbursal, pio@greenecountymo.gov) within 90 days of the redemption period’s expiration; the Commission meets after that window and disburses (typically by July). To redeem before a collector’s deed issues, pay the Greene County Collector the certificate amount plus costs and interest.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes publicly available information about Greene 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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