State Foreclosure Law Library

hillsborough-fl

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

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Tampa · Population: ~1.46 million (2020 Census, FIPS 12057) · 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: Hillsborough is among Florida’s largest counties by population and follows the standard Florida model — the elected Tax Collector conducts the certificate sale; the elected Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller conducts the tax-deed auction and holds surplus funds.

C1. Local Tax Sale

Two distinct sales exist under Florida law (see florida for statutory mechanics — not restated here):

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

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

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 Hillsborough County Tax Collector — pay delinquent taxes, accrued interest, fees, and sale costs through the Tax Collector’s office or online at hillstaxfl.gov. The Tax Collector then reimburses the certificate holder. (Source: Hillsborough Tax Collector — Tax Certificate)
  • Tax payment portal (online redemption): hillstaxfl.gov/payment-center/ — eCheck (no fee), credit/debit card (convenience fee). Note: during the active tax-certificate-sale window, online payments for delinquent accounts may be temporarily suspended (accounts in the active sale resume ~June 12). (Source: Hillsborough Tax Collector)
  • Local fees: no Hillsborough-specific surcharge confirmed beyond the state statutory formula — statutory redemption amount + accrued certificate interest (5% minimum if redeemed after June 1; see florida § 197.472). (needs_verification: any Hillsborough-specific redemption fee schedule)
  • Redemption contact: Hillsborough County Tax Collector, (813) 635-5200, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Wed. (Source: hillstaxfl.gov/contact)
  • Deviations from state default: none identified — Hillsborough follows the Ch. 197 redemption framework.

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

Business-critical module — fully sourced from Hillsborough Clerk’s official pages.

In Hillsborough County, tax-deed surplus is held and disbursed by the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller — the standard Florida model (unlike Broward, which uses RTT).

  • Claim filing venue: Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller — Tax Deed Department

    • Mailing address (claims accepted by mail only): PO Box 3360, Tampa, FL 33601-3360
    • In-person: Downtown Tampa — 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602 (Tax Deed Department)
    • Phone: (813) 276-8100 ext. 7805
    • ⚠ The official page states claims are only accepted by mail at the address on the forms; in-person submission is available at the downtown Tampa location. (Source: Hillsclerk — Tax Deed Sales)

  • Claim forms — two forms depending on sale date:

    1. TD-Excess Proceeds Affidavit — for tax deed sales before August 15, 2019
    2. TD-120 Day Surplus Proceeds Affidavit — for tax deed sales August 15, 2019 and forward

  • Local deadline notes:

    • 120-day claim window from the date of the clerk’s mailed notice of surplus (statutory; see florida § 197.582).
    • Former owner is not barred by the 120-day cutoff — former titleholder’s claim survives after the window.
    • Other claimants (lienholders) who miss the 120-day deadline are barred.
    • Processing typically takes 90–120+ days after submission. (Source: Hillsclerk — Tax Deed Sales; florida § 197.582)

  • Required documentation:

    • Titleholders (former owner): legible copy of government-issued photo ID.
    • Lienholders: payoff statement or affidavit of indebtedness showing the amount due and current holder of the lien.
    • Additional documentation may include deed, mortgage, lien documentation, or probate orders depending on claimant type. (Source: Hillsclerk — Tax Deed Sales)

  • Unclaimed-surplus list published? Yes. A weekly Tax Deed Spreadsheet is available for download on the Clerk’s Tax Deed Sales page showing file numbers and unclaimed amounts not yet disbursed. File numbers on the spreadsheet use the format YYYY-CaseNumber (e.g., 2016-142) rather than the raw case number shown in the system. Properties are also searchable at publicaccess.hillsclerk.com/TD/ (List of Lands Available). (Source: Hillsclerk — Tax Deed Sales)

  • Unclaimed list URL: hillsclerk.com/taxdeeds (weekly spreadsheet downloadable from this page).

  • Contact — Tax Deed Department:

    • Phone: (813) 276-8100 ext. 7805
    • Mail: PO Box 3360, Tampa, FL 33601-3360
    • Email: available via contact form at hillsclerk.com (no direct email address published on the Tax Deed Sales page) (Source: Hillsclerk — Tax Deed Sales)

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Tax Collector (certificate sale, redemption, tax payment)Nancy C. Millan, Tax Collector2506 N. Falkenburg Rd., Tampa, FL 33619 · PO Box 30012, Tampa, FL 33630-3012(813) 635-5200hillstaxfl.gov
Clerk of Court & Comptroller (tax-deed sales, surplus, official records)Victor D. Crist, Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller800 E. Twiggs St., Tampa, FL 33602 · PO Box 3360, Tampa, FL 33601-3360 (Tax Deed Dept.)(813) 276-8100; Tax Deed ext. 7805hillsclerk.com
Recorder / Official Records (deeds, liens, mortgages)Same as Clerk — Recording Department800 E. Twiggs St., Tampa, FL 33602 · PO Box 3249, Tampa, FL 33601-3249(813) 276-8100; recording@hillsclerk.comhillsclerk.com/propertyrecords
Property Appraiser (assessment, ownership, parcel search)Bob Henriquez, CFA, Property Appraiser601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 15th Floor, Tampa, FL 33602(813) 272-6100hcpafl.org
Sheriffn/a — Florida uses the Clerk (mortgage-foreclosure per Ch. 45) and Tax Collector/Clerk (tax-certificate/deed per Ch. 197); sheriff does not conduct sales———

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Standard Florida model: Hillsborough follows the typical Florida structure — Tax Collector runs the certificate sale; Clerk of Circuit Court runs the tax-deed auction and holds surplus. (Unlike Broward County, there is no RTT diversion.)
  • Two-platform system: LienHub for the annual tax-certificate sale (Tax Collector); RealAuction / hillsborough.realtaxdeed.com for tax-deed auctions (Clerk).
  • Tax-deed application via DeedExpress: certificate holders apply for a tax deed through the DeedExpress portal on LienHub, not directly to the Clerk. The Clerk then schedules the sale date and notifies the applicant of additional costs.
  • Tax-deed auction day/time: Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. — not every Thursday; calendar is maintained at the RealAuction site. Bidders must pre-register and post the deposit before bidding.
  • Full payment deadline — tax deed: 10:00 a.m. the next business day (cash or cashier’s check in person, or via RealAuction online). Failure to pay forfeits the deposit and the sale is re-advertised.
  • Two surplus claim forms: a split at August 15, 2019 — pre-2019 sales use the TD-Excess Proceeds Affidavit; post-2019 use the TD-120 Day Surplus Proceeds Affidavit. Using the wrong form will delay processing.
  • Claims by mail only: surplus claims are only accepted by mail (per the Clerk’s Tax Deed Sales page); plan for mailing time within the 120-day window.
  • Competitive market: Hillsborough County (Tampa metro) is one of Florida’s most active tax-deed markets; properties frequently sell well above the minimum bid, generating surplus. The weekly spreadsheet is a useful first screen for surplus-fund recovery.
  • No ordinance deviations from state default identified beyond standard Ch. 197 procedure. (needs_verification: confirm no local ordinances modify the ch. 197 timeline or surplus process)

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

  • sources:
  • needs_verification:
    • Specific 2026 tax-certificate sale date(s): LienHub returned 403; the sale is described as open in May 2026 but the exact start/close dates were not retrieved from a primary source. Visit lienhub.com/county/hillsborough/certsale/main to confirm.
    • Newspaper name for delinquent list publication: the Tax Collector page states publication in “the newspaper or online” for 3 consecutive weeks but does not name the paper. Contact (813) 635-5200 or check the LienHub advertised list.
    • Direct email for Clerk Tax Deed Department: the Tax Deed Sales page references a contact form but does not publish a direct email address; (813) 276-8100 ext. 7805 is confirmed.
    • Any Hillsborough-specific redemption fee schedule beyond Ch. 197 state default — not found on the Tax Collector’s site.
    • Local ordinances deviating from Ch. 197 / Ch. 45 state procedure — the Clerk’s site references “Hillsborough County ordinances” as a source for some charges, but no specific deviating ordinance was identified.
    • Current room number / physical window within 800 E. Twiggs for in-person Tax Deed Department visits.
    • Weekly unclaimed surplus spreadsheet direct download URL — the spreadsheet is referenced as downloadable from hillsclerk.com/taxdeeds but the direct file URL was not captured; the page is rendered dynamically.
  • cross_links: florida, surplus-funds, right-of-redemption, treasurer-sale, third-party-recovery-rules, tyler-v-hennepin-county, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, heirs-property
  • changelog:
    • 2026-06-02 — Initial population. All C0–C7 modules filled from Hillsborough County Tax Collector (hillstaxfl.gov) and Clerk of Circuit Court (hillsclerk.com) official pages. Key verified facts: LienHub cert-sale platform; 10% ACH deposit; RealAuction tax-deed platform at hillsborough.realtaxdeed.com; Thursdays 10 a.m.; 5%/$200 deposit; next-business-day payment; surplus mailed to PO Box 3360 / (813) 276-8100 ext. 7805; TD-Excess vs. TD-120 Day split at 8/15/2019; weekly unclaimed spreadsheet at hillsclerk.com/taxdeeds; standard Florida Clerk-held surplus model (not RTT like Broward).

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes how Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough 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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