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Monterey County, CA

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

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Salinas
  • Population: ~439,035 (2020 census)
  • FIPS: 06053
  • Recording unit: County
  • Parent legal framework: california
  • Sale type inherited from state: Tax deed (administrative, no lien certificate, no post-sale redemption) — RTC §§ 3691, 3708

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector conducts the tax-defaulted property sale. Properties are offered online via Bid4Assets (bid4assets.com). — County auction page (403 on direct fetch; confirmed via SCO public auctions portal and multiple search-result snippets, retrieved 2026-06-02)

  • Sale platform: Bid4Assets — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/MontereyMar26 (March 2026 auction storefront; prior auctions used slug pattern MontereyFeb22, MontereyMay24, MontereyMar26, consistent with Bid4Assets county sub-domains). Bid4Assets is the confirmed platform for all recent Monterey County online tax auctions. — Bid4Assets search results retrieved 2026-06-02

  • Sale calendar:

    • Frequency: Approximately biennial (every ~two years), though not a fixed statutory interval. Recent history: February 2022, May 2024, March 2026.
    • Typical months: Spring (February–May window based on observed pattern).
    • Next known sale: March 21, 2026 (confirmed by Bid4Assets storefront and search snippets, retrieved 2026-06-02); settlement deadline March 30, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM PT.
    • Citation: Bid4Assets MontereyMar26 storefront (retrieved via search result snippet 2026-06-02); SCO public auctions page (retrieved 2026-06-02)

  • Rate within statutory range: N/A — California is a tax-deed state; there is no investor-bid interest rate. The auction is a highest-bid premium auction (no minimum reserve for most parcels — “NO RESERVE auctions”). Minimum bid = amount necessary to redeem + costs of sale. — RTC § 3698.5; Bid4Assets Monterey storefront snippet retrieved 2026-06-02.

  • Registration and deposit:

    • Deposit: $5,000 single deposit (plus a $35 non-refundable processing fee) required to participate. Accepted via certified check/money order or wire transfer only (ACH, credit card, and money transfers rejected).
    • No bidding cap: The deposit does not cap how much you can bid; it is a participation prerequisite only.
    • Processing time: Allow up to 48 business hours for deposit acknowledgment; bidder notified by email and message center when cleared.
    • Minimum age: 18 years old.
    • Citation: Bid4Assets MontereyMar26 storefront details (retrieved via search result snippet 2026-06-02)

  • Bidder requirements:

    • Must register on Bid4Assets.com and post the $5,000 deposit (+$35 processing fee) before bidding opens.
    • Must be at least 18 years old.
    • Properties sold “AS IS” — the County makes no guarantee as to title, location, or condition. Prospective purchasers urged to examine title, location, and desirability prior to the sale.
    • Citation: Bid4Assets Monterey County storefront snippets retrieved 2026-06-02; County auction page description (retrieved via search result snippet 2026-06-02)

  • Delinquent list location:

    • The Treasurer-Tax Collector publishes the delinquent list in a local newspaper before the sale (state law requires notice per RTC §§ 3701–3704; publication in a newspaper of general circulation). A news article confirmed the county “lists delinquent properties for biennial auction” approximately 3–4 weeks before the auction date.
    • Public notices also posted at: County Public Notices page (403 on direct fetch; URL confirmed from search results retrieved 2026-06-02).
    • Citation: Montereycountynow.com article (retrieved via search result snippet 2026-06-02); RTC § 3701 notice framework

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

  • Where to redeem locally: The Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector accepts pre-sale redemption payments. The right of redemption exists up to close of business the day before the auction — consistent with state law (RTC § 3707).

    • Office: 168 W. Alisal Street, 1st Floor, Salinas, CA 93901
    • Phone: (831) 755-5057 (Salinas) · (831) 647-7857 (Monterey) · (831) 385-8357 (King City)
    • Email: taxcollector@countyofmonterey.gov
    • Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (excluding County holidays)
    • Online tax search / payment portal: https://common3.mptsweb.com/mbc/monterey/tax/search (parcel search + payment; service fees apply for online payments — 2.49% for debit/credit card, $0.25 for e-check)
    • Citation: californialocal.com Monterey County Treasurer profile (retrieved 2026-06-02); mptsweb.com portal (retrieved 2026-06-02); tax payment search results 2026-06-02

  • Local fees: Redemption amount = prior-year defaulted taxes + 10% delinquent penalty + 1½%/month redemption penalty + $15 redemption fee — set by state law (RTC §§ 4102, 4103). No county-specific surcharge identified beyond the state formula.

  • Redemption contact: Treasurer-Tax Collector, (831) 755-5057, taxcollector@countyofmonterey.gov

  • Deviations from state default: None identified. Monterey County follows the standard RTC framework. Installment plans available under RTC §§ 4216–4218 for properties not yet subject to power to sell.

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

  • Claim filing venue:

  • Claim form: “Claim Form with Guide” and “Notice of Right to Claim Excess Proceeds” available from the Treasurer-Tax Collector. The County publishes the form per the SCO sample (SCO Figure 9.8). The exact current URL for the form requires visiting or contacting the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office directly (direct county website access returned 403 during research). Contact taxcollector@countyofmonterey.gov or call (831) 755-5057 to obtain the form. — needs_verification: exact current form URL not confirmed from a retrieved page

  • Local deadline notes: One year from recordation of the tax collector’s deed to the purchaser — state law (RTC § 4675(a)(1)). No local extension identified.

  • Unclaimed list published: Yes — the county is required to make available excess-proceeds information. A “Available Excess Proceeds” list is referenced on the County auction page (confirmed via search result snippet 2026-06-02). Specific URL for the published list requires direct access. — needs_verification: direct URL for unclaimed/available excess proceeds list not retrieved

  • Contact for surplus claims:

▸ For Investors / Operators — Monterey County runs biennial online-only auctions through Bid4Assets with a $5,000 deposit plus a non-refundable$35 processing fee and a no-reserve format; the minimum bid equals the statutory redemption amount. Title passes as a tax deed under RTC § 3708 with no post-sale redemption for the former owner, but a one-year challenge window (RTC §§ 3725–3726) means title insurers (First American, Stewart, Old Republic all active locally) typically require the challenge period to lapse or a quiet-title judgment at Monterey County Superior Court (240 Church St., Salinas) before insuring. The RTC § 3695.5 nonprofit preference applies and can block a parcel from reaching the public auction.

▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds from a Monterey County tax-deed sale are claimed through the Treasurer-Tax Collector (168 W. Alisal St., Salinas; (831) 755-5057; taxcollector@countyofmonterey.gov) using the county’s “Claim Form with Guide.” The filing deadline is one year from the date the tax collector’s deed is recorded (RTC § 4675(a)(1)). The county is required to notify parties of interest within 90 days of deed recordation (RTC § 4676(b)). Unclaimed funds are eventually reportable to the state; a published “Available Excess Proceeds” list is maintained on the county auction page.

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer-Tax CollectorJake Stroud (appointed Dec. 30, 2025)168 W. Alisal St., 1st Floor, Salinas, CA 93901(831) 755-5057 (Salinas) · (831) 647-7857 (Monterey) · (831) 385-8357 (King City)https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/government/departments-i-z/treasurer-tax-collector
Assessor-County Clerk-RecorderXochitl Marina Camacho168 W. Alisal St., 1st Floor, Salinas, CA 93901(831) 755-5035 (Assessor) · (831) 755-5041 (Recorder) · (831) 647-7741 (toll-free Monterey Peninsula)https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/government/departments-a-h/assessor/assessor-county-clerk-recorder
Recorder (within Assessor-Clerk-Recorder)Same office as above168 W. Alisal St., 1st Floor, Salinas, CA 93901(831) 755-5041https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/government/departments-a-h/assessor/recorder
Superior Court (civil / quiet title)Monterey County Superior Court — Salinas Courthouse240 Church St., Salinas, CA 93901(831) 775-5400https://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/
Sheriff (civil division)Monterey County Sheriff’s Office1414 Natividad Rd., Salinas, CA 93906(831) 755-3712 (civil) · (831) 755-3700 (general)https://mcso.countyofmonterey.gov/how-to-find-us-blog/civil-division

Source notes:

  • Jake Stroud appointment: Monterey County News (retrieved 2026-06-02); cmta.org profile (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Xochitl Marina Camacho: capropeforms.org (Monterey County 2024 form citing her name), californialocal.com profile (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Recorder contact: search result snippet from recorder contact page (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Salinas Courthouse: monterey.courts.ca.gov (fetched 2026-06-02)
  • Sheriff Civil Division: mcso.countyofmonterey.gov (fetched 2026-06-02)

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Biennial auction cadence: Monterey County has run auctions roughly every two years (Feb. 2022, May 2024, March 2026), consistent with the county’s delinquency build-up cycle. California law does not require a fixed frequency; the tax collector schedules the sale when a sufficient parcel pool exists.
  • Online-only auctions: All recent Monterey County tax-defaulted auctions have been conducted online via Bid4Assets. No in-person auction component has been identified.
  • No-reserve format: Recent auctions listed as “NO RESERVE” — the minimum bid equals the statutory minimum (amount to redeem + costs), not an additional county reserve.
  • “AS IS” sale: The County makes no warranty of title, location, or condition; purchasers are responsible for their own due diligence.
  • Evictions post-sale: The county does not handle evictions of prior occupants. Purchasers must pursue unlawful detainer actions through Monterey County Superior Court. The tax deed conveys title and the right to possession, but physical removal of occupants requires a court order.
  • Three-county clerk offices: The Recorder/County Clerk serves the entire county from the Salinas main office. Monterey and King City branch offices handle some TTC functions but the Recorder function is centralized in Salinas.
  • No local ROFR ordinance identified: No Monterey County ordinance establishing a municipal right of first refusal at tax sales was located. The state-level RTC § 3695.5 nonprofit preference applies county-wide.
  • Citation: Bid4Assets auction snippets (2026-06-02); County auction page snippets (2026-06-02); mcso.countyofmonterey.gov civil division (fetched 2026-06-02)

C6. Records Access

C8. Title & Quiet Title

  • Title type inherited from state: Tax deed (not a lien certificate; no post-sale redemption period for the former owner). — california module 1; RTC §§ 3691, 3708

  • Quiet title action:

    • Required? Technically not required to receive the tax deed (which is issued administratively by the tax collector). However, as under California statewide practice, quiet title is practically required before resale to a financed buyer or before obtaining title insurance, because of the one-year statutory challenge window (RTC §§ 3725–3726).
    • Type: Judicial (Code Civ. Proc. §§ 760.010–764.010)
    • Court: Superior Court of California, County of Monterey — civil matters filed at the Salinas Courthouse, 240 Church St., Salinas, CA 93901, (831) 775-5400. Civil cases also handled at the Monterey Courthouse (1200 Aguajito Rd., Monterey, CA 93940, (831) 647-5800). — monterey.courts.ca.gov (fetched 2026-06-02)
    • Typical timeline (uncontested): 6–9 months; publication adds 2–3 additional months; contested: 12–18+ months. — consistent with statewide CA estimates (liensuite.com, retrieved via california module 5b); no Monterey-specific case data located.
    • Typical cost range (uncontested): $3,500–$10,000 total (filing fee $435–$450 + title search $250–$500 + publication costs $300–$800 + attorney fees $3,000–$8,000). Tax-sale- specific quiet title starts at approximately $2,750–$4,500+ (avenuelegalgroup.com and titlebarrier.com estimates, retrieved 2026-06-02; secondary only — needs_verification: Monterey County-specific attorney rates not primary-sourced).
    • Alternative: Tax Title Services offers a certification alternative accepted by some title companies in lieu of a full quiet-title action — potentially completing in 30–40 days (taxtitleservices.com, retrieved 2026-06-02). County-specific availability not confirmed. — needs_verification: Tax Title Services’ acceptance by Monterey County title insurers not confirmed from a retrieved primary source

  • Deed seasoning local notes: Title insurers in Monterey County (First American, Stewart, Old Republic — all confirmed active locally) generally follow the statewide practice of requiring the one-year RTC § 3725 challenge period to expire before issuing a policy, and often require a quiet-title judgment. — consistent with california module 5b; insurer practice confirmed from insurer presence search (retrieved 2026-06-02).

  • Title insurers active locally:

    • First American Title — offices in Salinas (local.firstam.com/ca/offices/salinas, confirmed active 2026-06-02) and Monterey area
    • Stewart Title — Monterey County offices (stewart.com/en/markets/monterey-county, retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • Old Republic Title — Monterey office at 503 Abrego St., Monterey, CA 93940, (831) 372-7378; Carmel office at 3855 Via Nona Marie #204, Carmel, CA 93923 (oldrepublictitle.com/california/monterey, fetched 2026-06-02)
    • Note: None of these insurers published specific tax-deed / quiet-title underwriting guidelines on their local pages. Seasoning and quiet-title requirements are per standard California statewide practice. Contact each insurer’s commercial division for current underwriting criteria.

C9. Purchaser Obligations

  • Subsequent tax payment office:

    • Subsequent property taxes are paid to the Monterey County Treasurer-Tax Collector.
    • Office: 168 W. Alisal St., 1st Floor, Salinas, CA 93901
    • Phone: (831) 755-5057
    • Online portal: https://common3.mptsweb.com/mbc/monterey/tax/search
    • From the date the tax deed is recorded, the purchaser is the owner of record and is responsible for all future property taxes assessed. — RTC § 3712(a); california module 10b

  • Notice to owner procedure:

    • The County (Treasurer-Tax Collector) bears the obligation to notify parties of interest of excess proceeds within 90 days of deed recordation — not the purchaser. — RTC § 4676(b)
    • Purchaser has no statutory duty to notify the former owner of the RTC § 3725 one-year challenge period’s expiration. — california module 10b
    • Purchaser’s practical obligation: ensure the county has correct address information for parties of interest (e.g., if the purchaser learns of other claimants).

  • Redemption payment office:

    • Pre-sale only — redemption is made to the Treasurer-Tax Collector (same office as above). There is no post-sale redemption for California tax deed sales. After the deed is recorded, the former owner’s only recourse is a § 3725 challenge (filed within one year) or a claim for excess proceeds (filed within one year). — RTC §§ 3707, 3708; california

  • Occupancy and access notes (local practice):

    • The tax deed conveys title and the right to possession immediately upon recordation. The county does not manage occupancy or conduct evictions.
    • Former occupants who remain are holdovers; the purchaser must file an unlawful detainer (eviction) action in Monterey County Superior Court (Salinas Courthouse, 240 Church St.) to remove them. Filing fee for unlawful detainer: variable depending on claim amount (contact court clerk at (831) 775-5400).
    • Sheriff Civil Division enforces court-ordered evictions: 1414 Natividad Rd., Salinas, CA 93906; (831) 755-3712; Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Tue/Thu 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. — mcso.countyofmonterey.gov (fetched 2026-06-02)

C10. Local Restrictions

  • Right of first refusal active locally?

    • No municipality-level or land-bank ROFR identified for Monterey County.
    • The statewide RTC § 3695.5 nonprofit preference applies: a qualified nonprofit may file a written objection and application to purchase before the first publication or posting of the notice of intended sale, effectively vetoing the public auction for that parcel. This applies county-wide in Monterey. — RTC § 3695.5 (retrieved via leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, confirmed from search result 2026-06-02)
    • Under RTC Chapter 8 (§§ 3771–3841), a taxing-agency governing body may negotiate to purchase tax-defaulted property with five+ years of default, subject to Board of Supervisors agreement and SCO approval. This is a pre-auction negotiated-purchase option, not a post-auction match ROFR.
    • needs_verification: whether any Monterey County municipality (e.g., City of Salinas, City of Monterey) has adopted a local ordinance invoking a ROFR or preferential purchase right beyond the state framework has not been confirmed from a retrieved primary source.

  • Land bank name / URL:

  • Entity / insider notes:

    • No entity restriction: Any person or entity may purchase at a Monterey County tax- defaulted sale — RTC § 3691(a) (“Any person, regardless of any prior or existing lien on, claim to, or interest in, the property, may purchase at the sale.“) — california module 11b. LLCs, corporations, trusts, foreign entities all eligible.
    • Insider restriction: No county-specific insider-prohibition ordinance identified. County employees involved in the sale would be subject to Gov. Code §§ 1090/87100 conflict-of- interest law. — california module 11b

C7. Meta

▸ For Investors / Operators — Monterey County runs biennial online-only auctions through Bid4Assets with a $5,000 deposit plus a non-refundable$35 processing fee and a no-reserve format; the minimum bid equals the statutory redemption amount. Title passes as a tax deed under RTC § 3708 with no post-sale redemption for the former owner, but a one-year challenge window (RTC §§ 3725–3726) means title insurers (First American, Stewart, Old Republic all active locally) typically require the challenge period to lapse or a quiet-title judgment at Monterey County Superior Court (240 Church St., Salinas) before insuring. The RTC § 3695.5 nonprofit preference applies and can block a parcel from reaching the public auction.

▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds from a Monterey County tax-deed sale are claimed through the Treasurer-Tax Collector (168 W. Alisal St., Salinas; (831) 755-5057; taxcollector@countyofmonterey.gov) using the county’s “Claim Form with Guide.” The filing deadline is one year from the date the tax collector’s deed is recorded (RTC § 4675(a)(1)). The county is required to notify parties of interest within 90 days of deed recordation (RTC § 4676(b)). Unclaimed funds are eventually reportable to the state; a published “Available Excess Proceeds” list is maintained on the county auction page.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes public records and procedural information about Monterey County, California’s tax-sale and surplus process as of the last_verified date. Laws and procedures change; verify against official county sources and consult a licensed California attorney before acting.

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