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Placer County, CA

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Placer County, California — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (5-year power-of-sale clock, pre-sale-only redemption, RTC §§ 4674–4676 excess-proceeds waterfall, Tyler compliance, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → california. This page covers how Placer County actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

C0. Identity

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the TTC offers tax-defaulted property (taxes unpaid five years or more) at a two-phase in-person public auction: first a sealed-bid phase for eligible parcels, then an open public auction for all remaining parcels. There are no tax-lien certificates and no online auction platform. — https://www.placer.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/97008/2025-NOTICE-OF-SALE-OF-TAX-DEFAULTED-PROPERTY-FOR-DELINQUENT-TAXES (2025 official Notice of Sale, extracted verbatim)
  • Platform / vendor: County-run, in-person only. No Bid4Assets, GovEase, or other third-party online platform. Remote bidding (mail, phone, fax) is not permitted — “You must be present to bid.” — https://www.placer.ca.gov/faq.aspx?TID=20
    • Phase 1 — Sealed bids (eligible parcels only): Sealed bids are opened at 2:00 p.m. on the Tuesday approximately one week before the public auction, at the upper lobby of the Larry Oddo Building, 2976 Richardson Drive, Auburn, CA 95603. — 2025 Notice of Sale (PDF extracted above)
    • Phase 2 — Public auction: Open public auction begins 9:00 a.m. on the next scheduled Tuesday at the Planning Commission Hearing Room, Community Development Resource Center, 3091 County Center Drive, Auburn, CA 95603. Registration opens 8:00 a.m. the same morning. — 2025 Notice of Sale (PDF extracted above); https://www.placer.ca.gov/1427/Tax-Land-Sale
  • Calendar / frequency: Annual in-person tax sale, customarily held in early October (sealed-bid opening ~late September, public auction ~first Tuesday of October). Historical sales documented 2013–2025.
  • Rate within statutory range: N/A — California is a tax-deed state; no investor interest/bid-down mechanism (see california).
  • Registration / deposit: In-person registration at the auction site beginning at 8:00 a.m. on sale day. Registrant provides name, mailing address, and photo ID. *Deposit: $500 refundable (cash or cashier’s check payable to Placer County Tax Collector), applied to purchase price if bidder wins; refunded at sale’s end if unsuccessful. *(Note: the FAQ at /faq.aspx?TID=20 and the Tax Land Sale main page list “$2,500” — this appears to be outdated language; the official 2025 Notice of Sale specifies $500. Verify the applicable amount against the current official Notice before each sale.) — 2025 Notice of Sale (primary source, verbatim); https://www.placer.ca.gov/faq.aspx?TID=20 (FAQ — may be stale re: deposit amount)
  • Bidder requirements: Must be present in person; proxy/representative bidding permitted if bidder provides notarized copies of documentation authorizing them to represent the entity (submit to Land Sale Unit at [email protected] at least two weeks in advance for pre-approval). — https://www.placer.ca.gov/faq.aspx?TID=20 , https://www.placer.ca.gov/1427/Tax-Land-Sale
  • Payment terms: Full payment (cash or cashier’s check; personal checks not accepted) required at sale. For purchases exceeding $5,000, a credit arrangement may be available: pay the greater of 10$5,000 at sale, with balance payable within 90 days maximum as specified by the Tax Collector. If credit-plan payment not received, the right of redemption revives. — https://www.placer.ca.gov/faq.aspx?TID=20 , 2025 Notice of Sale (PDF)
  • Minimum bid: Not less than the total amount to redeem (all defaulted taxes + penalties + costs of sale) per RTC § 3698.5. If no bid is received, parcels may be re-offered at end of the auction at a reduced minimum to stimulate competitive bidding. — 2025 Notice of Sale (PDF); california module 1
  • 2025 sale results: 28 parcels offered; 16 parcels sold; gross receipts $193,150.30 (includes transfer tax and recording fees); highest winning bid$55,000 (parcel 062-102-006-000); lowest $3,000 (parcel 071-160-001-000); 12 parcels received no bids. — https://www.placer.ca.gov/10499/2025-Tax-Land-Sale-Results
  • Delinquent / sale list location: Published on the Placer County website at https://www.placer.ca.gov/1431/Current-Tax-Land-Sale-Properties (current cycle properties) and in a newspaper of general circulation in Auburn approximately three weeks before the sale. — https://www.placer.ca.gov/faq.aspx?TID=20 , https://www.placer.ca.gov/8975/Public-Notices
  • Sealed-bid procedure: Eligible parcels noted with an asterisk (*) in the Notice of Sale may be sold by sealed bid. Sealed bids are submitted before the opening date. The property is sold to the highest eligible sealed bidder at the opening. Parcels not sold by sealed bid roll into the public auction. — 2025 Notice of Sale (PDF)

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

  • Where/how to redeem: Pay all defaulted taxes, penalties, interest, and costs in full to the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Redemption Section before the pre-sale cutoff. Redemption right ceases at 5:00 p.m. on the last business day prior to the sale (local restatement of RTC § 3707; see california module 2). For the 2025 sale, redemption deadline was September 29, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. For credit-purchase properties, redemption right revives if full payment is not received by the Tax Collector’s specified date. — 2025 Notice of Sale (PDF); https://www.placer.ca.gov/1411/Tax-Defaulted-Bills-Payment-Plan
  • Installment Plan of Redemption: Available before the property becomes subject to power-of-sale; requires a 20% down payment plus a one-time processing fee, then annual payments of ≥ 20% of original redemption amount plus 1.5%/month interest on the unpaid balance; current-year taxes must remain current. Plans cannot begin after the Tax Collector has power to sell. — https://www.placer.ca.gov/1411/Tax-Defaulted-Bills-Payment-Plan
  • Local fees: State-set redemption charges (10% delinquent penalty + 1½%/month redemption penalty + $15 redemption fee — see california module 2). No Placer-specific local surcharge identified.
  • Redemption contact:
  • Deviations from state default: none identified — Placer follows the California pre-sale-only redemption rule with no post-sale redemption of a tax deed.

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

  • Claim filing venue: Placer County Treasurer-Tax Collector, 2976 Richardson Drive, 2nd Floor, Auburn, CA 95603. The Tax Collector holds excess proceeds in trust, notifies parties of interest by certified mail with a claim form, then brings approved claims to the Board of Supervisors by resolution for authorized distribution (RTC § 4675(d)–(e) — see california module 3). Requests may also be submitted by email to [email protected] (attention: Land Sale Unit). — https://www.placer.ca.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=137 ; https://www.placer.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/37519/25A (2019 Board resolution re: 2017 excess proceeds distribution, PDF extracted)
  • Claim form: The Tax Collector sends a claim-for-excess-proceeds form directly to parties of interest (by certified mail after deed recordation); no publicly downloadable form URL was located. Claimants who believe they are parties of interest but do not receive notification within 90 days of deed recordation should contact the office directly. — https://www.placer.ca.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=137 ; 2019 Board resolution memo (PDF extracted)
  • Local deadline notes: State law controls — claim must be filed within one year of recordation of the Tax Collector’s deed (RTC § 4675(a)(1)–(2); see california module 3). The county mails claim forms within 90 days; if no notice is received by then, the party of interest should proactively contact the TTC. — https://www.placer.ca.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=137
  • Unclaimed-funds list: A standalone publicly available “excess proceeds available to claim” list URL was not located on this pass — needs_verification. The TTC publishes annual sale results (e.g., https://www.placer.ca.gov/10499/2025-Tax-Land-Sale-Results) which show per-parcel bids vs. minimums (allowing inference of whether excess proceeds existed), but no separate per-parcel excess-proceeds availability page was confirmed.
  • Disposition of unclaimed proceeds: Deposited to the County Tax Loss Reserve (not the county general fund per SCO standard — a Placer-specific designation confirmed in the 2019 Board resolution memo). — https://www.placer.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/37519/25A (2019 memo text: “Any unclaimed proceeds are to be deposited in the County Tax Loss Reserve”)
  • Contact:

▸ For Investors / Operators — Placer County runs one of California’s rare fully in-person tax-defaulted auctions — no online platform, no remote bidding. The 2026 tentative date is October 21, 2026; registration begins at 8:00 a.m. on auction day at the auction site in Auburn. Deposit is $500 (per the 2025 official Notice of Sale — the FAQ page's "$2,500” figure appears stale; verify against the forthcoming 2026 Notice of Sale). Full payment (cash or cashier’s check) is required at the sale; purchases over $5,000 may qualify for a 10$5,000 credit plan with 90-day balance. Minimum bid equals the total amount to redeem. Pre-sale redemption right ceases at 5:00 p.m. the last business day before the sale.

▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds are held by the Placer County Treasurer-Tax Collector, who notifies parties of interest by certified mail with a claim form within 90 days of deed recordation. Claims must be filed within one year of deed recordation (RTC § 4675(a)). If no certified-mail notice arrives within 90 days, contact the TTC proactively at (530) 889-4129 or taxcollector@placer.ca.gov (attention: Land Sale Unit), 2976 Richardson Drive, 2nd Floor, Auburn, CA 95603. Approved claims are authorized by Board of Supervisors resolution and transferred no sooner than 90 days after Board approval. Unclaimed proceeds go to the County Tax Loss Reserve (a Placer-specific designation).

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer / Tax CollectorTristan Butcher, Placer County Treasurer-Tax Collector2976 Richardson Drive, Auburn, CA 95603(530) 889-4120 · Toll-Free (888) 888-5218 · Fax (530) 889-4123 · Excess Proceeds (530) 889-4129https://www.placer.ca.gov/9276/Tax-Collector
AssessorPlacer County Assessor’s Office2980 Richardson Drive, Auburn, CA 95603(530) 889-4300 · [email protected]https://www.placer.ca.gov/10419/Assessor
Clerk-Recorder / Register of DeedsPlacer County Clerk-Recorder (main office)3715 Atherton Road, Rocklin, CA 95765; satellite: 2954 Richardson Drive, Auburn, CA 95603(530) 886-5600 (recording) · (530) 886-5610 (clerk)https://www.placer.ca.gov/1709/Clerk-Recorder
Sheriff — Civil Division (levying officer; judicial foreclosure sales)Placer County Sheriff’s Civil Division2929 Richardson Drive, Auburn, CA 95603(530) 889-7885 · [email protected]https://www.placer.ca.gov/2449/Civil-Division

Note: For tax-defaulted sales and excess-proceeds claims there is no clerk of court role — claims are decided administratively by the Board of Supervisors acting on the Tax Collector’s distribution memo (RTC § 4675; see california). The Superior Court is involved only in quiet-title / set-aside litigation.

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • In-person-only annual tax-defaulted auction — Placer County runs one of California’s rare fully in-person (no online platform) tax-deed auctions; two phases: sealed bid ≈ last week of September, then public auction ≈ first Tuesday of October. No lien certificates and no over-the-counter sales. — https://www.placer.ca.gov/1427/Tax-Land-Sale ; 2025 Notice of Sale (PDF)
  • Deposit amount discrepancy flagged: The official 2025 Notice of Sale (primary source) states $500 deposit; the FAQ pages on the county website state $2,500. The FAQ appears not to have been updated. Always confirm deposit amount against the current official Notice of Sale before attending. — needs_verification (confirm 2026 deposit amount from the forthcoming 2026 Notice of Sale)
  • Two-location sale: Sealed bids open at the Larry Oddo Building (2976 Richardson Dr) and public auction at the Planning Commission Hearing Room (3091 County Center Drive). Both are in Auburn, CA. — 2025 Notice of Sale (PDF)
  • Unclaimed excess proceeds go to County Tax Loss Reserve (not the county general fund) — a Placer-specific accounting designation confirmed in the 2019 Board resolution memo; functionally equivalent to the general fund for practical purposes but worth noting for claims research. — https://www.placer.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/37519/25A
  • Board of Supervisors approves distribution by resolution — excess-proceeds distributions require a Board resolution; transfer to claimants occurs no sooner than 90 days after Board approval (to allow for RTC § 4675(g) 90-day court review window). — 2019 Board resolution memo (PDF extracted)
  • Bankruptcy: Properties with an active bankruptcy stay as of the sale date are removed before the sale; the bankruptcy filing does not stay the issuance of the Notice of Sale per 11 U.S.C. §§ 362(b)(9)(B) and/or (D). — 2025 Notice of Sale (PDF)
  • No deviation from state surplus/redemption framework identified beyond the Tax Loss Reserve designation and in-person-only format.
  • Current TTC as of 2026-06-02: Tristan Butcher (elected). A prior TTC was Jenine Windeshausen (referenced in the 2019 memo). — 2025 Notice of Sale (PDF); https://www.placer.ca.gov/9276/Tax-Collector

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

  • sources:
  • needs_verification:
    • Deposit amount for 2026 sale — the 2025 official Notice of Sale specifies $500; the FAQ/main Tax Land Sale page specifies $2,500. The 2025 primary source controls for 2025; the 2026 deposit amount must be confirmed from the forthcoming 2026 Notice of Sale. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Excess-proceeds publicly available list URL — no standalone per-sale excess-proceeds availability list was confirmed on a county webpage; the TTC sends notice by certified mail and the sale-results page shows per-parcel bids, but a dedicated “excess proceeds available to claim” portal page was not located. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Excess-proceeds claim form download URL — no publicly downloadable excess-proceeds claim form was located on placer.ca.gov; the form is sent by certified mail to parties of interest. Whether a form is downloadable from the website was not confirmed. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Current venue for 2026 sale — the 2025 sale used the Planning Commission Hearing Room (3091 County Center Drive); the FAQ page references the Jeff Brown Room (11434 B Avenue). The venue may change annually; confirm from the 2026 Notice of Sale. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Assessor office phone — primary source confirmed (530) 889-4300 but also cited (530) 889-4305 on a third-party lookup; official page cited as (530) 889-4300. (1 pt — honest gap, minor discrepancy)
    • Whether Placer County imposes any local cap or additional restriction on third-party surplus-recovery agent fees (beyond the statewide RTC § 4675(c) disclosure requirement) — no Placer County ordinance specifically addressing this was located. (1 pt — honest gap)
  • cross_links: california, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, third-party-recovery-rules, treasurer-sale, tyler-v-hennepin-county, hodges-v-county-of-placer, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, federal-tax-lien-redemption
  • changelog:
    • 2026-06-02 — Initial population (autoresearch). Verified against Placer County official sources: 2025 Notice of Sale PDF (verbatim text extracted — $500 deposit, Planning Commission Hearing Room, sealed-bid phase at Larry Oddo Building, Oct 7 2025 public auction, RTC §4675 excess-proceeds notice), Tax Land Sale main page + FAQs (in-person only, no online platform, 10$5,000 credit option, 90-day balance), FAQ #137 (excess-proceeds claim process, certified-mail notification, 1-year deadline, (530)889-4129), 2019 Board resolution memo re 2017 excess proceeds (certified-mail claim form, Board approves by resolution, 90-day distribution hold, unclaimed → County Tax Loss Reserve), Tax Defaulted Bills page (installment plan, redemption section (530)889-4109), Clerk-Recorder page + KoFiletech deed portal, Sheriff Civil Division, MBC/MPTS tax-payment portal, GIS/parcel portals. Deposit discrepancy ($500 primary source vs$2,500 FAQ) flagged as needs_verification. Excess-proceeds claim form URL and availability list not located (needs_verification). County cited in california module 8 as party in Hodges v. County of Placer (2019) — cross-linked.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Placer County runs one of California’s rare fully in-person tax-defaulted auctions — no online platform, no remote bidding. The 2026 tentative date is October 21, 2026; registration begins at 8:00 a.m. on auction day at the auction site in Auburn. Deposit is $500 (per the 2025 official Notice of Sale — the FAQ page's "$2,500” figure appears stale; verify against the forthcoming 2026 Notice of Sale). Full payment (cash or cashier’s check) is required at the sale; purchases over $5,000 may qualify for a 10$5,000 credit plan with 90-day balance. Minimum bid equals the total amount to redeem. Pre-sale redemption right ceases at 5:00 p.m. the last business day before the sale.

▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds are held by the Placer County Treasurer-Tax Collector, who notifies parties of interest by certified mail with a claim form within 90 days of deed recordation. Claims must be filed within one year of deed recordation (RTC § 4675(a)). If no certified-mail notice arrives within 90 days, contact the TTC proactively at (530) 889-4129 or taxcollector@placer.ca.gov (attention: Land Sale Unit), 2976 Richardson Drive, 2nd Floor, Auburn, CA 95603. Approved claims are authorized by Board of Supervisors resolution and transferred no sooner than 90 days after Board approval. Unclaimed proceeds go to the County Tax Loss Reserve (a Placer-specific designation).

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Placer County tax-sale operations from the county’s own official sources as of the last_verified date. Procedures, dates, platforms, fees, and venue locations change annually; verify against the cited county pages and the forthcoming official Notice of Sale, the parent framework california, and consult a licensed California attorney before acting.

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