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Sonoma County, CA

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

C0. Identity

C1. Local Tax Sale

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

  • Where to redeem: Sonoma County Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector, Revenue Accounting Division — 585 Fiscal Drive, Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Redemption (payment of defaulted taxes, penalties, and redemption fee) is made to the Tax Collector. In person (cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card) or by mail (check or money order).
  • Right of redemption termination: Terminates at 5:00 p.m. on the last business day before the scheduled auction start (consistent with RTC § 3707). For the November 2025 auction, the cutoff was November 6, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PDT. For the September 2022 auction, the cutoff was September 2, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. — auction pages (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Installment plan: Property owners may enter a 5-year installment redemption plan under RTC §§ 4216–4218 to avoid the power of sale: requires a signed plan agreement, an initial payment of at least 20% of the redemption amount, and a one-time $25 plan fee. Annual payments of at least 20% of remaining redemption amount plus 1.5%/month interest on unpaid balance are due by April 10 each year. — https://sonomacounty.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/auditor-controller-treasurer-tax-collector/divisions/revenue-accounting/installment-plans/redemption-of-defaulted-property-taxes (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Local fees: $25 one-time installment plan fee (in addition to state-mandated 1.5$15 redemption fee under RTC § 4103 / § 4102). — ACTTC redemption page (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Redemption contact: Phone: (707) 565-2281 · Email: taxcollector@sonomacounty.gov · Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. — https://sonomacounty.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/auditor-controller-treasurer-tax-collector (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Deviations from state default: No material deviations identified; the local installment plan fee ($25) is permitted under RTC § 4216 (which allows the tax collector to charge a reasonable fee). (Exact fee authority citation to § 4216 text not separately retrieved — see needs_verification.)

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

  • Claim filing venue: Sonoma County Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector, Revenue Accounting Division
  • Claim form:
  • Local deadline notes:
    • Claims must be received (not just postmarked) by the Tax Collector before the expiration of one year following the date of recordation of the tax collector’s deed to purchaser. — Claim form instructions (retrieved 2026-06-02); consistent with RTC § 4675(a)(1)–(2).
    • Claims will be processed after one year has passed from the date of deed recordation; funds may be distributed 3–12 months thereafter following county review. If approved, the Auditor-Controller issues a county warrant after 90 days. — auction-2022-09-06 page and claim form instructions (both retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • “Claims filed after the one-year period cannot be accepted.” — auction-2025-11 page (retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • The successful purchaser at the tax sale cannot participate in excess proceeds claims. — auction-2022-09-06 page (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Assignment of claim: Permitted under RTC § 4675(c). Assignment must be by a dated, written instrument that explicitly states the right to claim excess proceeds is being assigned, and only after each party to the proposed assignment has disclosed to the other all facts relating to the value of the right being assigned. This disclosure-and-assignment requirement is reproduced verbatim in the claim form instructions. — Claim form instructions (retrieved 2026-06-02); RTC § 4675(c) — https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=4675.&lawCode=RTC
  • Unclaimed-funds list published: Not identified as a separately published list on the ACTTC site. After the one-year claim period, unclaimed excess proceeds pass to the county general fund under RTC § 4676(d). (needs_verification: whether Sonoma County separately publishes an unclaimed excess-proceeds list before transfer to the general fund.)
  • Contact: Phone: (707) 565-2631 (form) / (707) 565-2281 (main) · Email: taxcollector@sonomacounty.gov · 585 Fiscal Drive, Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

▸ For Investors / Operators — Sonoma County runs online tax-defaulted auctions on either Bid4Assets (2023, 2025) or GovEase (2022), with the platform selected per auction — check the ACTTC auction page (sonomacounty.gov ACTTC/revenue-accounting) before registering. The deposit is consistently $5,000 +$35 non-refundable fee (Bid4Assets) or $5,000 guaranteed funds (GovEase), due before the registration deadline. Payment windows differ: GovEase required full payment within 24 hours; Bid4Assets allows three business days. Note the city-level transfer taxes in Santa Rosa and Petaluma ($2.00/$1,000 each, layered on top of the statewide$0.55/$500 rate). Tax deeds do not discharge all recorded encumbrances — perform independent lien research before bidding.

▸ For Former Owners — Excess-proceeds claims are filed with the Sonoma County ACTTC, Revenue Accounting Division (585 Fiscal Drive, Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403; Attn: CLAIM FOR EXCESS PROCEEDS; (707) 565-2631). Use the notarized “Sonoma County Claim for Excess Proceeds” form (PDF available on the ACTTC auction page). Claims must be received (not just postmarked) within one year of deed recordation; claims after one year are not accepted. Processing occurs after the one-year period closes, with funds distributed 3–12 months thereafter following county review; the Auditor-Controller issues a county warrant 90 days after approval. The Board of Supervisors is the final determining authority on claims (RTC § 4675(d)).

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeName / TitleAddressPhoneURL
Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector (ACTTC)Erick Roeser585 Fiscal Drive, Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403(707) 565-2281https://sonomacounty.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/auditor-controller-treasurer-tax-collector
Revenue Accounting Division (tax sales & excess proceeds)within ACTTC585 Fiscal Drive, Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403(707) 565-2281https://sonomacounty.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/auditor-controller-treasurer-tax-collector/divisions/revenue-accounting
County Clerk-RecorderDeva Marie Proto, County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor585 Fiscal Drive, Room 103, Santa Rosa, CA 95403(707) 565-3800https://sonomacounty.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/clerk-recorder-assessor/clerk-recorder
AssessorDeva Marie Proto, County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor585 Fiscal Drive, Room 104F, Santa Rosa, CA 95403(707) 565-1888https://sonomacounty.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/clerk-recorder-assessor/assessor
Sheriff — Civil BureauThomas Amador, Civil Bureau Manager2796 Ventura Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95403(707) 565-2751https://www.sonomasheriff.org/about-civil-bureau
  • ACTTC email: taxcollector@sonomacounty.gov · ACTTC hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (public lobby 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.); phone support 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
  • Clerk-Recorder email: ClerkRecorder@sonomacounty.gov · hours: Mon–Tue & Thu–Fri 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Wed 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
  • Sheriff Civil Bureau email: Sheriff-Civil@sonomacounty.gov · fax: (707) 526-0403 · hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
  • Note: The Sheriff Civil Bureau conducts judgment execution (levy) sales and writs of possession — not the ACTTC-administered tax-defaulted auctions.

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Two-platform history: Sonoma County has used GovEase (2022) and Bid4Assets (2023, 2025) for its online auctions. The county selects the platform on a per-auction basis; confirm the current vendor on the ACTTC auction page before registering.
  • Payment forfeiture difference: GovEase (2022) required payment within 24 hours of auction close under penalty of deposit forfeiture; Bid4Assets (2025) allowed three business days. Check the specific auction page for the current payment window.
  • City transfer taxes: Santa Rosa and Petaluma impose additional transfer taxes of $2.00/$1,000 beyond the state rate of $0.55/$500. Buyers should identify whether a subject parcel is within these city limits. — auction pages (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Press Democrat publication: Notice of impending power to sell and the auction property list are published in the Press Democrat (newspaper of general circulation) once weekly for three successive weeks, approximately one month before the auction — satisfying RTC § 3701 publication requirements. Also published at https://www.capublicnotice.com for the November 2025 auction.
  • Surplus-recovery agent disclosure: Agents acting for a party of interest must comply with the mutual-disclosure requirement before assigning the claim (RTC § 4675(c)), which is explicitly reproduced on the Sonoma claim form. No local ordinance capping recovery-agent fees identified beyond state disclosure rules. (needs_verification: whether Sonoma County has adopted any local resolution under RTC § 4675 imposing additional restrictions.)
  • Board of Supervisors role: Under RTC § 4675(d), the Board of Supervisors is the final decision-maker on excess-proceeds claims, though the ACTTC office handles intake, processing, and notification. The Auditor-Controller issues the county warrant after approval.
  • No post-sale redemption: Consistent with California law (RTC § 3708), there is no right to redeem after the tax deed is recorded. The right to redeem terminated at 5:00 p.m. the last business day before the auction.

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

▸ For Investors / Operators — Sonoma County runs online tax-defaulted auctions on either Bid4Assets (2023, 2025) or GovEase (2022), with the platform selected per auction — check the ACTTC auction page (sonomacounty.gov ACTTC/revenue-accounting) before registering. The deposit is consistently $5,000 +$35 non-refundable fee (Bid4Assets) or $5,000 guaranteed funds (GovEase), due before the registration deadline. Payment windows differ: GovEase required full payment within 24 hours; Bid4Assets allows three business days. Note the city-level transfer taxes in Santa Rosa and Petaluma ($2.00/$1,000 each, layered on top of the statewide$0.55/$500 rate). Tax deeds do not discharge all recorded encumbrances — perform independent lien research before bidding.

▸ For Former Owners — Excess-proceeds claims are filed with the Sonoma County ACTTC, Revenue Accounting Division (585 Fiscal Drive, Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95403; Attn: CLAIM FOR EXCESS PROCEEDS; (707) 565-2631). Use the notarized “Sonoma County Claim for Excess Proceeds” form (PDF available on the ACTTC auction page). Claims must be received (not just postmarked) within one year of deed recordation; claims after one year are not accepted. Processing occurs after the one-year period closes, with funds distributed 3–12 months thereafter following county review; the Auditor-Controller issues a county warrant 90 days after approval. The Board of Supervisors is the final determining authority on claims (RTC § 4675(d)).

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Sonoma County operational procedures as of the last_verified date. Auction platforms, dates, deposit amounts, and office contacts change; verify against the cited official sources and consult a licensed California attorney before acting. See california for the underlying statutory framework.

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