State Foreclosure Law Library

snohomish-wa

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Snohomish County, Washington — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (redemption periods, surplus rights, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → washington. This page covers how Snohomish County actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Everett
  • Population: ~864,100 (2024 estimate; third-most populous county in Washington) https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/snohomishcountywashington
  • Recording unit: county (recorder = Snohomish County Auditor, Recording Division)
  • FIPS: 53061
  • Parent legal framework: washington — Washington is a tax-deed, judicial-foreclosure state; the county treasurer is the selling authority (RCW 84.64.080). No private lien certificates are sold to investors. Snohomish County inherits all of this; the entries below are the operational layer only.

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes. The Snohomish County Treasurer’s Foreclosure Division forecloses delinquent parcels in Snohomish County Superior Court and conducts the online auction itself through Bid4Assets. https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/220/Tax-Foreclosures
  • Platform: Bid4Assets — https://www.bid4assets.com/ Historical storefronts confirm Bid4Assets use for every tax-foreclosure and tax-title-property auction (e.g., storefronts SnohomishCoNov24, SnohomishCoDec22, SnohomishCoDec19). The 2026 auction will also be listed on Bid4Assets per the county FAQ. https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/5318/Frequently-Asked-Questions
  • Calendar: Annual, typically in mid-to-late November (with a re-offer auction following in December–January for any unsold parcels).
    • 2025 sale: Bidding opened December 29, 2025; sale ran through early January 2026. (Confirmation of the final sale is filed in Superior Court in January.)
    • 2026 tentative sale date: November 11, 2026. The county FAQ states: “The tentative Auction date is November 11, 2026.” Last day to pay delinquent 2023 (or prior) taxes to stop foreclosure initiation: April 30, 2026 (online). Last day to pay to avoid the sale entirely: November 10, 2026 (certified funds to the Treasurer). https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/220/Tax-Foreclosures https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/5318/Frequently-Asked-Questions
  • Rate within statutory range: N/A locally — delinquent-tax interest is set by state statute (RCW 84.56.020), not by the county. See washington.
  • Registration & deposit: Registration is done through the Bid4Assets platform (https://www.bid4assets.com/). Based on the county’s historical Terms of Sale (and the FAQ referencing bid4assets.com for instructions), the deposit requirements are:
    • 35 non-refundable processing fee paid to Bid4Assets) to participate in the tax-foreclosure sale.
    • Bidders must complete vesting information before receiving deposit instructions.
    • Only certified check, money order, or wire transfer accepted; ACH, credit cards, and direct deposit are rejected.
    • The deposit does not cap bidding; bidders may bid on any number of parcels.
    • Terms of Sale are posted on the county website approximately six weeks before the sale date. https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/5318/Frequently-Asked-Questions (Specific deposit dollar amounts confirmed from historical auction descriptions; the 2026 Terms of Sale will be published ~late September 2026.)
  • Bidder requirements: Online registration via Bid4Assets; payment in full for winning bids is due in certified funds within approximately 48 hours of the close of auction. https://snohomishcountywa.gov/FAQ/Topic?topic=15&mobile=ON
  • Delinquent list location: The county does not maintain a separate “delinquent property list.” Instead it makes available (without a formal public records request) the following documents on the Requests for Foreclosure Information page:
    • Certificates of Delinquency (filed ~May annually; years 2021–2026 available)
    • Affidavits of Publication (filed ~August annually; years 2020–2025 available)
    • Final Orders of Sale (filed ~mid-November annually; years 2019–2025 available)
    • Returns of Sale (filed early January; years 2019–2025 available; identifies unsold parcels that become Tax Title property)
    • Foreclosure Excess Funds Lists (years 2023–2025 available; updated periodically) https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/3399/Requests-For-Foreclosure-Information For a list of individuals associated with foreclosure parcels, a “Form 2: Declaration to Release List of Individuals” is required, declaring non-commercial use.

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

  • Where/how to redeem locally: Pay all delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and foreclosure costs to the Snohomish County Treasurer’s Office, Foreclosure Division in certified funds (cash, cashier’s check, or money order — personal checks and online payments are not accepted for foreclosure parcels). Office: 3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 501, Everett, WA 98201 (1st floor, Robert J. Drewel Building — Administration East).
  • Deadline: Redemption is allowed up to close of business the day before the sale (November 10, 2026 for the tentative November 11, 2026 auction), consistent with the state rule — see washington (RCW 84.64.070).
  • Local fees: Court costs, prosecuting attorney fees, and deed-preparation fees accrue as foreclosure costs and must be paid to redeem; specific local cost schedule not itemized on the Treasurer’s pages → needs_verification.
  • Redemption contact: Snohomish County Treasurer, Foreclosure Division — 425-388-3606. https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/1939/Contact-the-Treasurer
  • Deviations from state default: None identified — Snohomish County follows the state pre-sale redemption rule with no post-sale redemption for ordinary owners. The narrow 3-year post-sale window for minors and legally incompetent persons (RCW 84.64.070) applies by statute. See washington.

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

  • Belongs to: the Record Title Holder — Snohomish County’s FAQ describes this as “the person who held record title at the time the Certificate of Delinquency was filed,” matching RCW 84.64.080(10). (See washington for statutory waterfall and 5% fee cap on recovery agents.)
  • Claim filing venue: Snohomish County Treasurer’s Office — Foreclosure Division 3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 501, Everett, WA 98201 (1st floor, Administration East Building) Phone: 425-388-3606 Email: Treasurer@SnoCo.org https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/5318/Frequently-Asked-Questions https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/1939/Contact-the-Treasurer
    • Critical: This is a Treasurer’s Office claim — not a court filing. The claim is handled entirely within the Treasurer’s Foreclosure Revenue Officer’s workflow.
  • Claim form: There is no pre-published, downloadable claim form. The county’s process is:
    1. The claimant contacts the Foreclosure Revenue Officer at 425-388-3606.
    2. The Treasurer’s office orders a title report to confirm the party is the Record Title Holder.
    3. A custom form is created for their unique situation and mailed to the claimant, who must have their signature notarized and follow all directions in the letter.
    4. Once the verification is complete, a check is forwarded to the claimant. https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/5318/Frequently-Asked-Questions
  • 120-day IRS hold: Under 26 U.S.C. § 7425, when a county sells property subject to a federal tax lien, it must hold surplus funds for 120 days to allow the IRS to satisfy any federal tax lien against the former owner before releasing the remainder. The county’s FAQ references this federal-law requirement as the reason funds may not be released immediately after the sale; it is an IRS discharge-of-lien window, not a county notification period to the former owner. https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/5318/Frequently-Asked-Questions
  • Local deadline notes: Three years from the date of the sale (RCW 84.64.080(10)). After three years the funds are deposited into the county current expense fund and the former owner’s right is extinguished.
  • Processing time: Verification can require six months or longer; the IRS may need to satisfy federal tax liens before any funds are released. https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/5318/Frequently-Asked-Questions
  • Unclaimed-funds list published? Yes. “Foreclosure Excess Funds Lists” for years 2023–2025 are published and updated periodically (as funds are claimed). They are accessible without a formal public records request on the Requests for Foreclosure Information page: https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/3399/Requests-For-Foreclosure-Information (Also reachable via the Treasurer Public Records page: https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/5568/Treasurer-Public-Records)
  • Mortgage / trustee-sale surplus (separate track — do NOT confuse): For surplus from Trustee’s Sale (non-judicial deed-of-trust foreclosure), contact the Superior Court Clerk at [email protected] (ph. 425-388-3466); for Sheriff Levy Sales (judicial mortgage foreclosure), contact the Sheriff Civil Unit at 425-388-3522. These are completely different offices and processes from the Treasurer’s tax-sale surplus. See washington (RCW 61.24.080). https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/220/Tax-Foreclosures
  • Contact: Snohomish County Treasurer, Foreclosure Division — 425-388-3606 | Treasurer@SnoCo.org

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer / Tax Collector (Foreclosure Division)Brian Sullivan, County Treasurer3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 501, Everett, WA 98201 (1st fl., Admin East)425-388-3606 (Foreclosure) · 425-388-3366 (General) · Treasurer@SnoCo.orghttps://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/treasurer
Superior Court ClerkHeidi Percy, County Clerk3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 605, Everett, WA 98201425-388-3411 (main) · 425-388-3466 (surplus/civil) · [email protected]https://snohomishcountywa.gov/5492/Superior-Court-Clerk
Recorder / Register of Deeds (County Auditor)Garth Fell, County Auditor3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 204, Everett, WA 98201 (Admin West, 1st fl.)425-388-3483 (Recording) · recording@snoco.govhttps://snohomishcountywa.gov/278/Recording
Sheriff (Civil Unit — judicial mortgage sales only)N/A — tax sales are conducted by Treasurer, not Sheriff3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett, WA 98201425-388-3060 (Civil) · 425-388-3522 (Sheriff Levy Sale) · sshciv@co.snohomish.wa.ushttps://snohomishcountywa.gov/3336/Sheriffs-Sales-Information

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Online-only tax-foreclosure auction via Bid4Assets (bid4assets.com), held once a year in mid-to-late November; re-offer auctions for unsold parcels follow in December–January.
  • Certified funds only for redemption payoffs and winning-bid payments; no online payment for foreclosure parcels (note: the county’s standard tax payment portal at paydici.com explicitly excludes foreclosure parcels, which require cash, cashier’s checks, or money orders paid at the Treasurer’s window or by mail). https://snohomishcountywa.gov/232/Web-Payments
  • Two distinct surplus tracks (do not conflate):
    1. Tax-foreclosure excess funds → claimed at the Treasurer’s Foreclosure Division (no court filing; custom form mailed to claimant; 3-year deadline; 120-day IRS lien hold per 26 U.S.C. § 7425); unclaimed list published at snohomishcountywa.gov/3399.
    2. Deed-of-trust (trustee’s sale) surplus → deposited with/claimed through Superior Court Clerk (RCW 61.24.080; disbursed by court order; contact clerk at [email protected] / 425-388-3466).
    3. Sheriff-sale (judicial mortgage) surplus → contact the Sheriff Civil Unit (425-388-3522; sshciv@co.snohomish.wa.us); real property judicial sales list at salesweb.civilview.com (countyId=26); buyer pays to the Court Clerk by noon on sale day.
  • Tax-title properties: Parcels that fail to sell at the tax-foreclosure auction become county Tax-Title property managed by the Property Management Division, which may re-offer them on separate Bid4Assets storefronts (e.g., SnohomishTaxTitleJun24B). https://snohomishcountywa.gov/359/Tax-Title-Properties
  • System-processing delays in 2026: As of the verification date, the Treasurer’s office is experiencing temporary processing delays due to a software-system transition throughout summer 2026. https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/treasurer
  • Eligibility trigger for 2026 sale: Any parcel with 2023 taxes (or any prior year) unpaid as of June 1, 2026 is eligible for the mid-November 2026 sale. The Certificate of Delinquency is filed ~May annually. https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/220/Tax-Foreclosures
  • Recording note (as of March 2, 2026): A free account is required to access the Snohomish County recorded-documents search system. https://snohomishcountywa.gov/278/Recording

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

Legal information, not legal advice. Verify against the cited official sources before acting. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

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