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Mohave County, AZ

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Mohave County, Arizona — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (16% bid-down interest, 3-year redemption / 10-year foreclosure window, § 42-18204 excess-proceeds reform, § 33-812 trustee-sale surplus, statutes, and case law) lives on the parent page → arizona. This page covers how Mohave County actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Kingman · Recording unit: county (FIPS 04015) · Population: ~213,276. The county runs from Kingman with branch Recorder/court presence in Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City; Superior Court sits in Kingman.
  • Parent legal framework: arizona — Arizona is a tax-lien-certificate state; Mohave’s Treasurer auctions certificates of purchase (CPs), not deeds. A separate tax-deed (state-deeded land) auction is run by the Clerk of the Board / Board of Supervisors, conveying a quit-claim deed on parcels whose liens were foreclosed to the State of Arizona.

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the Mohave County Treasurer conducts an annual delinquent tax-lien sale (sale of certificates of purchase). Tax-lien certificates are sold against parcels with the prior delinquent year’s taxes and any earlier delinquencies; “ALL PURCHASES MADE AT THE AUCTION ARE FINAL, NO EXCEPTIONS.” [Source: mohave.gov Treasurer Tax Lien Sale page, retrieved 2026-06-02]
  • Platform: RealAuction — conducted entirely online at https://mohave.arizonataxsale.com. (RealAuction is the county-contracted online tax-lien platform; the site is taken offline between annual sales — direct fetch returned HTTP 403.) [Source: mohave.arizonataxsale.com (403 to automated fetch); hometaxsale.com (Mohave detail citing mohave.arizonataxsale.com); taxlienuniversity.com]
  • Calendar: annual. Statutorily the Arizona tax-lien season is February, but Mohave held its most recent sale on January 26, 2026 (registration opened in January). Confirm the exact date for the next cycle on the Treasurer’s page / RealAuction site. (Next-sale date for 2027 not yet posted — needs_verification.) [Source: hometaxsale.com (Jan 26 2026 sale); taxlienuniversity.com (registration opens in January; February season)]
  • Rate within statutory range: bid-down interest starting at the 16% statutory ceiling, bid down in 1% increments; the CP is struck to the bidder accepting the lowest rate. (Statutory framework → arizona.) [Source: hometaxsale.com (16% bid-down, 1% increments); azleg.gov §42-18053 → arizona]
  • Registration / deposit: all bidders (including those holding a current bidder number) must register; registration is online beginning in January. Registration itself carries no charge, but the Treasurer may require a deposit via the tax-sale website payments page — commonly 10% of the estimated amount the bidder intends to purchase. Bidders must supply a completed Bidder’s Card and IRS Form W-9 / W-8BEN (taxpayer identification). [Source: mohave.gov Tax Lien Sale page (all bidders must register); taxlienuniversity.com (no registration charge; W-9/W-8BEN; 10% deposit)]
  • Bidder requirements: registered bidder account on the RealAuction platform, W-9/W-8BEN on file, funded deposit if required, plus a $10 non-refundable processing charge per certificate and a $5 winning-bidder fee per parcel per the auction terms. [Source: hometaxsale.com (Mohave auction terms: $10/cert processing,$5/parcel winning-bidder fee); mohave.gov Tax Lien Sale (RealAuction winning-bidder fee referenced)]
  • Delinquent list location: the delinquent-parcel list/notice is published (statutory newspaper publication) ahead of the sale; lien information can be requested through the Treasurer’s online Request for Lien Information form (https://lfp.mohave.gov/Forms/TaxLienRequest), and parcels are viewable through the Treasurer’s EagleWeb tax-inquiry portal and the county GIS viewer. [Source: mohave.gov Tax Lien Sale page (Request Lien Information form); eagletw.mohavecounty.us]

Tax-deeded land (separate from the lien sale): parcels whose liens are foreclosed to the State of Arizona are sold by the Mohave County Board of Supervisors at a separate online tax-deed auction hosted on Public Surplus (www.publicsurplus.com) — most recently March 2–6, 2026 (800+ parcels). Bidding is to the highest bidder for cash; a free Public Surplus account is required (no separate registration). An 8.5% buyer’s premium plus a $40 processing fee per auction apply; payment (credit card up to$4,000, or wire transfer — no cash/checks/money orders) is due within 5 business days. Within 90 days the Board executes, records, and delivers a quit-claim deed. Parcels unsold at the live auction move to the Over-the-Counter Tax Deed process (April 15 – November 30), where bids (certified funds payable to the Mohave County Treasurer) go to the Clerk of the Board and the Board approves the highest bid. [Source: mohave.gov Tax Deed Auction page + 2026 sale notice + Tax-Deed FAQ + Over-the-Counter Tax Deed Sales page, retrieved 2026-06-02]

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

  • Where/how to redeem locally: redeem through the Mohave County Treasurer (the office that holds the CP and issues the certificate of redemption). The 3-year redemption period, who may redeem, and the amount formula (lien price + CP-rate interest + endorsed subsequent taxes + statutory fees) are statutory and live on arizona. [Source: mohave.gov Treasurer Tax Liens / Foreclosure Instructions, retrieved 2026-06-02; §42-18151/-18152 → arizona]
  • Local fees: standard statutory redemption amount; on the purchase side a $10 non-refundable processing charge per certificate and $5 winning-bidder fee per parcel apply. (Any Mohave-specific redemption-processing add-on fee beyond the statutory amount — needs_verification.) [Source: hometaxsale.com]
  • Redemption contact: Mohave County Treasurer, (928) 753-0737, liens@mohave.gov, 700 W. Beale Street, Kingman, AZ 86401 (mailing: PO Box 712, Kingman, AZ 86402); parcel/tax inquiry portal https://eagletw.mohavecounty.us/treasurer/web/. [Source: mohave.gov Treasurer
    • Tax Lien Sale pages, retrieved 2026-06-02]
  • Deviations from state default: none identified — Mohave follows the A.R.S. Title 42 Ch. 18 framework (3-year redemption before foreclosure may be commenced; CP expires/void 10 years from purchase if no foreclosure action filed, per § 42-18121; § 42-18202 pre-suit certified-mail notice 30–180 days). [Source: mohave.gov Foreclosure Instructions (10-yr CP expiry per § 42-18121; § 42-18202 Letter of Intent); hometaxsale.com (3-yr / 30–180-day)]

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

  • Two distinct surplus tracks (legal mechanics → arizona):
    • (A) Trustee’s-sale / mortgage-foreclosure surplus (A.R.S. § 33-812). Excess proceeds from a deed-of-trust foreclosure that the trustee elects to deposit are held by the Mohave County Treasurer, which publishes an Excess Proceeds List; release is obtained by application in the Mohave County Superior Court. [Source: mohave.gov Treasurer Excess Proceeds List page, retrieved 2026-06-02]
    • (B) Tax-lien foreclosure excess-proceeds sale (A.R.S. § 42-18204, post-Tyler tyler-v-hennepin-county). Requested by the owner in the Superior Court action to foreclose the right to redeem.
  • Claim filing venue: Clerk of the Superior Court of Mohave County — 415 E. Spring Street, Kingman, AZ 86401 (mailing PO Box 7000, Kingman, AZ 86402), (928) 753-0713. The Treasurer holds deposited § 33-812 funds; the application for release is adjudicated by the Superior Court. [Source: mohavecourts.com Clerk of Superior Court page, retrieved 2026-06-02]
  • Claim form: Mohave County Superior Court publishes an official Application/Petition for Release of Excess Proceeds from Sale packet and a “How to File for a Release of Excess Proceeds of Sale” instruction sheet in its civil forms library under “Excess Proceeds of Sale.” [Source: mohavecourts.com civil form “CVProcHowFileReleaseExcessProceedsSale2024.pdf” and “CVApplReleaseExcessProceeds-sc.pdf”, retrieved 2026-06-02; mohave.gov Excess Proceeds List page pointing claimants to the Superior Court forms]
  • Local deadline notes: statutory — after an Application is filed, a person who receives it or claims a right to the proceeds may file a response within 45 days of the latest mailing of the application (A.R.S. § 33-812(I)); deposited § 33-812 surplus is presumed abandoned after 2 years from the date of deposit with no pending application (§ 33-812(L)), after which it escheats (county general fund if ≤ $50; Arizona Department of Revenue Unclaimed Property if >$50). The Mohave Treasurer states it disburses generally within 72 hours of receipt of the court’s release Order. [Source: azleg.gov §33-812(I), (L) (45-day response; 2-yr abandonment), retrieved 2026-06-02; mohave.gov Excess Proceeds List page (published list; 2-yr abandonment; 72-hr disbursement; ADOR routing), retrieved 2026-06-02; §33-812 → arizona]
  • Unclaimed-funds list published? Yes — the Treasurer maintains a published Excess Proceeds List (PDF), updated periodically (last update noted May 4, 2026). [Source: mohave.gov Excess Proceeds List page + excessproceedslist.pdf, retrieved 2026-06-02]
  • Contact: Treasurer’s Office (928) 753-0737 / liens@mohave.gov (deposited funds); Clerk of Superior Court (928) 753-0713 (civil filing); Arizona Dept. of Revenue Unclaimed Property (602) 364-0380 / 1-877-492-9957 (escheated funds). [Source: mohave.gov Excess Proceeds List + Treasurer pages]

▸ For Investors / Operators — Mohave is a tax-lien-certificate (certificate of purchase) county; the lien is struck to the bidder accepting the lowest interest rate (bid down from 16% in 1% increments on RealAuction at mohave.arizonataxsale.com), with a $10/certificate processing charge and$5/parcel winning-bidder fee. Historically foreclosure of the right to redeem vested the whole parcel in the CP holder with no surplus; post-Tyler (tyler-v-hennepin-county), A.R.S. § 42-18204 lets the owner request an excess-proceeds sale. Before committing capital, weigh redemption risk (§2/2b on arizona — the 3-year redemption running until a deed/judgment, the 10-year CP-expiry deadline to file foreclosure, plus CP/assignment mechanics), the path to marketable/insurable title (§5b — a § 12-1103 quiet title in Mohave County Superior Court; the treasurer’s deed issues ministerially after the foreclosure judgment but is not immediately insurable), and which liens survive (§7b — Title 48/§ 9-276 assessment liens survive under § 42-18115; IRS § 7425 120-day redemption applies; Arizona HOA liens are not super-priority). The separate Board-of-Supervisors tax-deed auction (Public Surplus) conveys a quit-claim deed “as-is” with an 8.5% buyer’s premium.

▸ For Former Owners — When a Mohave tax-lien foreclosure proceeds, A.R.S. § 42-18204 lets you request the Superior Court to order an excess-proceeds sale, and the court shall find it reasonable where the price is likely to exceed the CP holder’s costs by more than $2,500; the judgment "does not extinguish the property owner's interest in the excess proceeds." For a trustee's-sale surplus, the funds sit with the Mohave County Treasurer (check its published Excess Proceeds List), and you file the Superior Court Application for Release of Excess Proceeds; interested parties then have 45 days from the latest mailing to respond (§ 33-812(I)). Deposited surplus is presumed abandoned after 2 years and then routes to the county general fund (≤$50) or the Arizona Department of Revenue Unclaimed Property unit (> $50).

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer / Tax CollectorSueAnn Mello, Treasurer700 W. Beale St., Kingman, AZ 86401 (mailing PO Box 712, Kingman, AZ 86402)(928) 753-0737 · liens@mohave.govhttps://www.mohave.gov/departments/treasurer/
Clerk of Superior CourtChristina Spurlock, Clerk415 E. Spring St., Kingman, AZ 86401 (mailing PO Box 7000, Kingman, AZ 86402)(928) 753-0713 · clerkofcourt@mohavecourts.comhttps://www.mohavecourts.com/court-departments/clerk-superior-court
RecorderLydia Henry, County Recorder700 W. Beale St., Kingman, AZ 86401 (Bullhead City: 1130 Hancock Rd; Lake Havasu City: 2001 College Dr, Ste 93)(928) 753-0701https://www.mohave.gov/departments/recorder/
Clerk of the Board (tax-deed / state-deeded land)Clerk of the Board700 W. Beale St., Kingman, AZ 86401(928) 753-0731 · clerk@mohave.govhttps://www.mohave.gov/departments/clerk-of-the-board/tax-deed-auction/
Sheriffn/a — tax-lien foreclosure is judicial (Superior Court); trustee’s sales are non-judicial. Sheriff conducts judicial-foreclosure/execution sales only.———

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Tax-lien sale is online via RealAuction (mohave.arizonataxsale.com) — not in-person; all bidders pre-register (online, opening in January), file W-9/W-8BEN, and fund a deposit if required (commonly 10% of intended purchases). A $10/certificate processing charge and$5/parcel winning-bidder fee apply.
  • Tax-deed (state-deeded land) is a SEPARATE sale on a DIFFERENT platform: the Board of Supervisors sells tax-deeded parcels on Public Surplus, not on the RealAuction lien platform — highest-bid-for-cash, quit-claim deed within 90 days, 8.5% buyer’s premium + $40/auction fee, payment within 5 business days.
  • Over-the-counter tax-deed parcels (unsold at the live auction) are available April 15 – November 30 via Bid Submission Form to the Clerk of the Board; certified funds payable to the Mohave County Treasurer; Board approves the highest bid at its second meeting of the following month.
  • Surplus is bifurcated: trustee-sale surplus → § 33-812 deposit with the Treasurer (published Excess Proceeds List) + Superior Court release; tax-foreclosure surplus → § 42-18204 excess-proceeds sale requested in the foreclosure action. (Framework → arizona, surplus-funds.)
  • Foreclosure paperwork routing (Treasurer’s published steps): CP holder sends the § 42-18202 Letter of Intent (certified mail), files the Complaint / Summons with the Clerk of Superior Court, obtains Affidavits of Non-Redemption (available 3+ days before hearing), and after judgment submits a certified copy of the judgment + $52 per parcel ($50 deed fee + $2 notary, A.R.S. §§ 42-18205, 41-316) to the Treasurer, who issues the Treasurer’s Deed in ~4–6 weeks. [Source: mohave.gov Foreclosure Instructions, retrieved 2026-06-02]
  • No Mohave-specific ordinance deviating from state tax-foreclosure procedure identified.

C6. Records Access

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

  • Title type: tax lien certificate (certificate of purchase); a treasurer’s deed issues only after a § 42-18201 foreclosure judgment, and a Board-of- Supervisors quit-claim deed issues on state-deeded (tax-deed-auction) parcels.
  • Quiet title action: required (practically) for marketable/insurable title on a tax-foreclosure / state-deed parcel; judicial action under A.R.S. §§ 12-1101 to 12-1103 filed in Mohave County Superior Court (Kingman), in the county where the property sits. The county’s tax-deed FAQ markets parcels “as-is” with no warranty of marketability — reinforcing the need to quiet title. [Source: azleg.gov §12-1101–1103 → arizona; mohave.gov Tax-Deed FAQ (quit-claim, as-is, no marketability warranty); mohavecourts.com]
  • Typical timeline: ~4–12 months uncontested; longer if service by publication. (No Mohave-specific quiet-title timeline published — needs_verification; range per arizona §5b.)
  • Typical cost range: ~$2,000–$6,000 attorney fees + court costs uncontested. (No official Mohave cost schedule — needs_verification; range per arizona §5b.)
  • Deed seasoning / title insurers: treasurer’s deeds and Supervisors’ quit-claim deeds are quitclaim-quality; major underwriters (Fidelity National, First American, Old Republic, Stewart) operate in Mohave but commonly require a quiet-title judgment (or seasoning) before insuring tax-deed parcels. (Specific underwriter practice for Mohave parcels — needs_verification.) [Source: arizona §5b title-industry practice]

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

  • Subsequent-tax payment office: the Mohave County Treasurer — the CP holder may pay and endorse subsequent years’ taxes (“subs”) onto the certificate, which then earn interest at the CP rate and are added to the redemption amount (A.R.S. § 42-18121). Paid via the Treasurer / EagleWeb portal. [Source: mohave.gov Treasurer Tax Liens page; §42-18121 → arizona]
  • Notice to owner: before foreclosing the right to redeem (allowed only after the 3-year mark), the CP holder must mail the § 42-18202 “Letter of Intent” by certified mail, 30–180 days before filing the Superior Court action — this is jurisdictional in Arizona (Advanced Property Tax Liens v. Othon; see advanced-property-tax-liens-v-othon-2023). The Treasurer’s Foreclosure Instructions require a copy of the Letter of Intent in the deed-issuance packet. [Source: mohave.gov Foreclosure Instructions (Letter of Intent, § 42-18202); §42-18202 → arizona]
  • Redemption payment office: the Mohave County Treasurer (holds the CP and issues the certificate of redemption); redemption remains available until a treasurer’s deed is delivered or judgment is entered. [Source: mohave.gov Foreclosure Instructions; §42-18152 → arizona]
  • Occupancy/access: the CP holder acquires no possessory right during the redemption period; the lien is a security interest, not title. (Local possession practice — n/a until deed issues.)

C10. Local Restrictions → framework: arizona §11b

  • Right of first refusal exercised locally? No dedicated municipal/land-bank ROFR identified for Mohave tax sales — unsold tax-deed parcels go over-the-counter to the public (April 15–Nov 30) and state-deed parcels are offered to the highest bidder via the Board of Supervisors. [Source: mohave.gov Over-the-Counter Tax Deed Sales page, retrieved 2026-06-02]
  • Land bank: none identified operating in Mohave County. (needs_verification — no Mohave land-bank entity located on an official source.)
  • Entity / insider notes: Arizona imposes no general bidder-residency or entity restriction on CP purchasers (broad “any person who pays,” § 42-18114/-18122 → arizona §2b); standard conflict-of-interest rules bar county officers/employees from purchasing at their own sale. No Mohave-specific insider restriction located; the tax-deed auction requires only a free Public Surplus account. (needs_verification.)

C7. Meta

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Mohave County, Arizona tax-sale and surplus procedure as of the last_verified date and may be incomplete or out of date. Verify against the cited county sources and the parent arizona statutes, and consult a licensed Arizona attorney before acting.

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