State Foreclosure Law Library

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

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Orlando · Population: ~1,471,937 (U.S. Census Bureau, July 1, 2024 estimate, FIPS 12095) · Recording unit: county (one of Florida’s 67 counties). (census.gov QuickFacts: Orange County, Florida)
  • Parent legal framework: florida (Ch. 197 tax certificates / tax deeds; Ch. 45 mortgage foreclosure).
  • County structure: Orange County follows the standard Florida model — the elected Tax Collector (Scott Randolph) conducts the annual tax-certificate sale; the elected Comptroller (Phil Diamond, CPA) serves as the Clerk of the Circuit Court for tax-deed auctions and holds surplus funds via the Official Records Department. The county does not use a separate sheriff for mortgage foreclosure — foreclosure sales are conducted through the Clerk/Comptroller using the RealForeclosure platform.

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 Orange County Tax Collector

(b) Tax-deed auction — run by the Orange County Comptroller (Official Records Department)

(c) Mortgage-foreclosure sales — also run by the Orange County 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 Orange County Tax Collector. The owner pays delinquent taxes, accrued interest (statutory minimum 5% if redeemed after June 1 per § 197.472), fees, and advertising costs through the Tax Collector’s office. Upon payment, the Tax Collector reimburses the certificate holder. (Source: Orange County Tax Collector — Tax Certificate and Deed Sales; state mechanics florida)
  • Tax payment portal (online redemption): octaxcol.com — Paying Your Property Taxes. (needs_verification: whether online payment is suspended for accounts in the active certificate-sale window, as it is in other Florida counties)
  • Tax Collector address: 301 S. Rosalind Ave., Orlando, FL 32801 (Downtown); P.O. Box 545100, Orlando, FL 32854. (Source: Orange County Tax Collector — Contact)
  • Tax Collector phone: (407) 434-0312, Option 2 (Tax Dept.), M–F 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
  • Local fees: no Orange County-specific surcharge confirmed beyond the state statutory formula. (needs_verification: any Orange County local redemption fee schedule)
  • Deviations from state default: none identified. Orange County follows the Ch. 197 redemption framework.

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

Business-critical module — verified from Orange County Comptroller’s official pages.

In Orange County, tax-deed surplus is held and administered by the Orange County Comptroller (Phil Diamond, CPA), Official Records Department — the standard Florida model under § 197.582. This is the same office that conducts the tax-deed auctions.

  • Claim filing venue:

  • Claim form: The Comptroller’s official Forms & Publications page lists an “Assignment Of Interest Resulting From Tax Deed Sale (PDF)” — available at occompt.com/DocumentCenter/View/143/Assignment-Of-Interest-Resulting-From-Tax-Deed-Sale-PDF. (Source: Orange County Comptroller — Forms & Publications) ⚠ A dedicated surplus-claim form was not found on the Comptroller’s public-facing website during research. Secondary sources (not primary) reference a “Notarized Statement of Claim” as the required document. Call (407) 836-5116 or visit the Official Records Department to obtain the current claim form. (needs_verification: official claim form name, form number, and direct download URL from occompt.com)

  • Local deadline notes:

    • 120-day claim window from the date the clerk mails the Notice of Surplus Funds to interested parties (statutory; § 197.582 — florida).
    • Former owner (legal titleholder of record) is NOT barred by the 120-day deadline — per § 197.582(2)–(3), only other claimants who miss the cutoff are barred.
    • After the 120-day period, unclaimed funds are routed to the Florida Chief Financial Officer under Chapter 717 (unclaimed property), searchable at fltreasurehunt.gov.
    • The Orange County Comptroller confirms: “Unclaimed property includes uncashed checks, funds from tax deed sales or, other property like jewelry or coins” and the Comptroller remits unclaimed local funds to the State of Florida annually. (Source: Orange County Comptroller — Unclaimed Property)

  • Required documentation (secondary-source guidance; confirm with Comptroller): notarized claim/statement of claim, proof of identity (government-issued photo ID), proof of ownership or interest (deed, mortgage, assignment, lien), and probate/estate documents if the owner is deceased. (needs_verification: confirm exact Orange County-required document list against official Clerk instructions)

  • Mortgage-foreclosure surplus (§ 45.032): For mortgage foreclosure sales conducted through the Comptroller’s RealForeclosure platform, surplus is held in the court registry of the Orange County Clerk of Court (Civil Court Services Division). Contact the Orange County Clerk of Courts — Civil Division for mortgage-foreclosure surplus claims. (Source: myorangeclerk.com — Foreclosures; state mechanics florida § 45.032)

  • Unclaimed funds list published? The Orange County Comptroller does not appear to publish a separate online list of unclaimed tax-deed surplus amounts (unlike some other Florida clerks). Check orange.realtaxdeed.com and the Tax Deed Sales Search to search individual case files. Escrowed-to-state funds appear at fltreasurehunt.gov. (needs_verification: whether the Comptroller publishes a downloadable surplus spreadsheet similar to Hillsborough County)

  • Contact:

    • Official Records / Tax Deed Section: (407) 836-5116
    • General / Administration: (407) 836-5690
    • Email: comptroller@occompt.com

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Tax Collector (certificate sale, redemption, delinquent list)Scott Randolph, Tax Collector301 S. Rosalind Ave., Orlando, FL 32801 · P.O. Box 545100, Orlando, FL 32854(407) 434-0312 (Tax Dept. Option 2)octaxcol.com
Comptroller / Official Records (tax-deed sales, surplus, deed recording)Phil Diamond, CPA, Comptroller109 E. Church St., Suite 300, Orlando, FL 32801 · P.O. Box 38, Orlando, FL 32802(407) 836-5116 (Tax Deed); (407) 836-5115 (Official Records); (407) 836-5690 (Admin)occompt.com
Clerk of Courts (mortgage foreclosure, court registry, civil)Tiffany Moore Russell, Clerk of Courts425 N. Orange Ave., Room 2110, Orlando, FL 32801(407) 836-2202myorangeclerk.com
Property Appraiser (assessment, ownership, parcel search)Amy Mercado, Property Appraiser200 S. Orange Ave., Suite 1700, Orlando, FL 32801(407) 836-5044ocpafl.org
Sheriff (not applicable to tax or mortgage foreclosure sales)n/a — Florida uses the Comptroller/Clerk for tax-deed auctions and mortgage-foreclosure sales; sheriff does not conduct sales———

Note on dual-office structure: In Orange County the Comptroller (Phil Diamond) and the Clerk of Courts (Tiffany Moore Russell) are separate elected offices. The Comptroller conducts tax-deed auctions and maintains official records (deeds, instruments); the Clerk of Courts handles civil court matters including mortgage-foreclosure sales and court registry. Both offices are at or near downtown Orlando. Verify current officeholder names before acting, as these are elected positions.

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Standard Florida two-sale model: LienHub (Tax Collector) for the annual certificate sale; RealAuction / orange.realtaxdeed.com (Comptroller, Official Records) for tax-deed auctions. Orange County follows the standard Ch. 197 framework — no known local deviations.
  • Fully online since 2016: The last in-person tax-deed auction was September 29, 2016. All current sales are exclusively online through RealAuction.
  • Proxy bidding via RealAuction: Unlike a traditional ascending auction, Orange County uses proxy bidding — bidders set a maximum, and the system bids on their behalf up to that ceiling. Properties are sold in order of tax certificate number.
  • Wire transfer deposit required: Unlike some Florida counties that accept ACH, Orange County requires a wire transfer received by 4:00 p.m. the day before the auction. The deposit cannot be applied to the remaining balance due within the 24-hour payment window (the deposit is held as collateral; the full balance less the deposit is what the bidder remits post-auction).
  • 24-hour full-payment rule: Balance is due within 24 hours. Failure forfeits deposit and triggers a one-year bidding suspension. (Source: occompt.com FAQ)
  • Land Available for Taxes: Properties that receive no bids at the tax-deed auction are added to the Lands Available list, purchasable for the opening bid plus omitted years’ taxes, per § 197.542(1). (Source: Orange County Comptroller — Land Available For Taxes)
  • Unclaimed property escheat: Orange County Comptroller remits unclaimed surplus to the State of Florida annually per Ch. 717; reclaimable indefinitely at fltreasurehunt.gov. (Source: occompt.com — Unclaimed Property)
  • High-volume surplus market: Orlando metro / Orange County is one of Florida’s largest markets by transaction volume; elevated property values frequently generate substantial surplus above the minimum bid.
  • No identified local ordinances deviating from Ch. 197 / Ch. 45 state procedure. (needs_verification: confirm no local ordinances on the surplus process or sale procedure)

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

  • sources:
  • needs_verification:
    • Tax-deed sale day of week: the Comptroller’s pages confirm 10 a.m. start time but do not identify a recurring weekday. Check orange.realtaxdeed.com or call (407) 836-5116 to confirm whether sales are held on a specific day (e.g., Tuesdays) or on an as-scheduled basis.
    • Official surplus-claim form name and URL from occompt.com: the Comptroller’s forms page lists an “Assignment Of Interest Resulting From Tax Deed Sale” but a dedicated surplus-claim form was not found. Call (407) 836-5116 to obtain the current form.
    • Deposit mechanics for LienHub (certificate sale): the Tax Collector’s page confirms the bidder affidavit requirement but does not specify a dollar deposit amount or ACH/wire transfer method for the certificate sale specifically.
    • Specific newspaper(s) in which the Orange County delinquent list is published: the Tax Collector page states “local newspaper” for three consecutive weeks but does not name it.
    • Mortgage-foreclosure surplus claim procedure at the Clerk of Courts (Civil Division): contact (407) 836-2202 or visit myorangeclerk.com for current form and procedure.
    • Whether a downloadable unclaimed surplus spreadsheet is published by the Comptroller (analogous to Hillsborough County’s weekly spreadsheet).
    • Any local ordinances or Comptroller administrative rules deviating from Ch. 197 / Ch. 45 state defaults — none found but not affirmatively ruled out.
    • Wire transfer vs. other payment clarification: the FAQ states wire transfer for deposit; confirm whether winning bidders may use other means for the final balance when paying in person.
    • Amy Mercado re-election / current term: confirmed as current Property Appraiser; verify continuity before relying on name in operations.
  • cross_links: florida, surplus-funds, right-of-redemption, third-party-recovery-rules, treasurer-sale, tyler-v-hennepin-county, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, heirs-property, hillsborough-fl, broward-fl, miami-dade-fl, palm-beach-fl
  • changelog:
    • 2026-06-02 — Initial population. All C0–C7 modules filled from Orange County Tax Collector (octaxcol.com), Comptroller (occompt.com), and Clerk of Courts (myorangeclerk.com) official pages. Key verified facts: LienHub cert-sale platform; 2026 cert sale June 1; RealAuction tax-deed platform at orange.realtaxdeed.com (all-online since 9/29/2016 last in-person); 10 a.m. start time; wire deposit 5%/$200 by 4 p.m. day prior; 24-hr balance; surplus held by Comptroller Official Records at 109 E. Church St., (407) 836-5116; unclaimed escheats to state/fltreasurehunt.gov; Clerk of Courts (Tiffany Moore Russell) handles mortgage-foreclosure surplus.

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