USA Foreclosure Wiki

Spokane County, WA

11 min read

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

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Spokane
  • Population: ~539,339 (2020 census; second-largest county in Washington)
  • Recording unit: county
  • FIPS: 53063
  • 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. Spokane County inherits all of this; the sections below are the operational layer only.

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes. The Spokane County Treasurer forecloses delinquent parcels in Spokane County Superior Court and conducts the public auction, currently online. https://www.spokanecounty.gov/804/ForeclosureDistraint
  • Platform: Bid4Assets — https://www.bid4assets.com (Spokane County storefront). All annual tax-foreclosure auctions are conducted through Bid4Assets as the county’s third-party online auction vendor. https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4156/Real-Property-Auctions
  • Calendar: Annual, held in December. Auction schedule:
  • Rate within statutory range: Not applicable locally — delinquent-tax interest is set by state statute (9% residential / 12% other — RCW 84.56.020). See washington.
  • Registration & deposit: Bidders must:
    1. Create a free account on Bid4Assets (www.bid4assets.com).
    2. Complete vesting information before accessing the deposit step.
    3. Place a $2,000 deposit (plus a $35 processing fee charged by Bid4Assets) by credit or debit card to participate. The deposit is held against the card until the auction closes; winning bidders’ deposits are automatically transferred to the county.
    • Payment of the purchase price must be made in certified funds only (cash, cashier’s checks, money orders, or wire transfer); personal checks are not accepted. https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4162/Foreclosure-FAQs (deposit $2,000 +$35 fee from Bid4Assets search results retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Bidder requirements: Online registration via Bid4Assets; bidders must adhere to Bid4Assets’ terms and rules. All sales are “as is, where is” with no warranties from the county regarding title, zoning, buildability, existing occupants, or condition. Tax deed issues within 30 days of the close of auction. https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4162/Foreclosure-FAQs
  • Delinquent / foreclosure list location: Current parcels in foreclosure are listed at the Spokane County Treasurer’s Foreclosure portal: https://cp.spokanecounty.org/treasurer/foreclosures/ (access may require direct browser visit; 403 returned during automated fetch). The list of properties going to auction is also published on Bid4Assets prior to the sale, and historical results (PDFs) are at: https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4458/Previous-Foreclosures

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

  • Where/how to redeem locally: Pay all delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, recording costs, and foreclosure costs to the Spokane County Treasurer’s Office, 1116 W Broadway Avenue, 1st Floor, Spokane, WA 99260. Payment must be in certified funds (cash, cashier’s check, money order, or wire transfer).
  • Deadline: Redemption is allowed up to the close of business the day before the sale — consistent with state law (RCW 84.64.070; see washington). There is no post-sale redemption for ordinary owners under Washington law.
  • Local fees: All years’ taxes, interest, penalties, recording fees, and foreclosure costs must be paid in full (RCW 84.64.070). Specific local cost schedule not separately itemized on the county’s foreclosure pages → needs_verification.
  • Redemption contact:
  • Deviations from state default: None identified — Spokane County follows the standard Washington pre-sale redemption rule (RCW 84.64.060–.070) with no post-sale redemption for ordinary owners and a three-year window only for minors and legally incompetent persons (RCW 84.64.070).

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

  • Belongs to: the party or parties who held title to the property on the day the Treasurer filed the Certificate of Delinquency — Spokane County’s own wording, matching RCW 84.64.080(10). https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4162/Foreclosure-FAQs
  • Claim filing venue: Spokane County Treasurer’s Office.
  • Claim form / process: The Treasurer notifies the record title holder by letter following the sale and provides an application to claim the excess proceeds. No separate downloadable claim form URL was identified on the county website → needs_verification (form name/URL). Claimants should contact the Treasurer’s Office directly or await the notice letter.
  • Local deadline notes: Three years from the date of the sale to claim (matching RCW 84.64.080(10)). If no claim is received within three years, the excess is deposited to the county general fund and the owner’s claim is extinguished. https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4162/Foreclosure-FAQs
  • Unclaimed-funds list published? Yes — partially. The county publishes PDFs of previous foreclosure auction results (including parcels and sale amounts) at https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4458/Previous-Foreclosures, covering 2016–2025. A dedicated “excess proceeds currently held” list analogous to King County’s data downloads was not identified → needs_verification.
  • Recovery-agent fee cap (local notice): The county’s foreclosure FAQ expressly cites the Washington 5% cap on fees for locating tax-foreclosure excess proceeds held by the county (cited as RCW 63.29.350; now re-enacted by ESHB 1637 (2023), ch. 63.30 RCW — see washington and third-party-recovery-rules). https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4162/Foreclosure-FAQs
  • Contact: Spokane County Treasurer, foreclosure@spokanecounty.gov, 509-477-2073.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Spokane runs an online-only annual auction via Bid4Assets (tentatively December 7, 2026) with a $2,000 deposit plus$35 processing fee, certified funds only for final payment, and a tax deed issued within 30 days of auction close conveyed “as is” with no warranties. There is no post-sale redemption for ordinary owners (RCW 84.64.070); note the two distinct surplus tracks — tax-foreclosure excess proceeds stay at the Treasurer’s Office, while trustee’s-sale surplus from mortgage foreclosures is deposited with the Superior Court Clerk (RCW 61.24.080). Unsold parcels are managed as tax-title property by the Spokane County Surplus Department separately from the annual auction.

▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds belong to the party who held title when the Treasurer filed the Certificate of Delinquency (RCW 84.64.080(10)). Following the sale the Treasurer mails a notice letter with a claim application to the record title holder; contact the Treasurer’s foreclosure desk at foreclosure@spokanecounty.gov or 509-477-2073 if you did not receive that letter. The deadline to claim is three years from the sale date, after which the excess is deposited to the county general fund and the claim is extinguished. Washington’s 5% fee cap on locators applies (ch. 63.30 RCW).

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer / Tax CollectorMike Volz (appointed Feb 2025, replacing Michael Baumgartner)County Courthouse, 1116 W Broadway Ave., 1st Floor, Spokane, WA 99260509-477-4713 (general) · 509-477-2073 (foreclosure) · foreclosure@spokanecounty.govhttps://www.spokanecounty.gov/5523/Treasurer
Clerk of Court (Superior Court)— (name not confirmed from official page)County Courthouse, 1116 W Broadway Ave., 3rd Floor, Spokane, WA 99260509-477-2211https://www.spokanecounty.gov/172/County-Clerk---Do-Not-Delete
Recorder / Auditor (Recording)— (name not confirmed from official page)1116 W Broadway Ave., Spokane, WA 99260 (P.O. Box 2353, Spokane, WA 99210)509-477-2270https://www.spokanecounty.gov/299/Recording
AssessorTom KonisCounty Courthouse, 1116 W Broadway Ave., 1st Floor, Spokane, WA 99260509-477-3698https://www.spokanecounty.gov/5491/Assessor
Sheriff (judicial mortgage sales)— (name not confirmed)1100 W Mallon Avenue, Spokane, WA 99260509-477-4772 (Civil Division)https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4513/Sheriffs-Sales

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Online-only tax-foreclosure auction via Bid4Assets, held once a year in December (primary sale + re-offer sale for unsold parcels).
  • $2,000 deposit +$35 processing fee required through Bid4Assets to bid. Certified funds required for final payment.
  • Tax deed issued within 30 days of auction close; conveyed “as is” with no warranties.
  • Two distinct surplus tracks (do not conflate):
    1. Tax-foreclosure excess proceeds → claimed at Treasurer’s Office (this page, C3); 3-year deadline; triggered by Treasurer’s notice letter.
    2. Mortgage (deed-of-trust) trustee’s-sale surplus → deposited with the Spokane County Superior Court Clerk and disbursed only on court motion with ≥20 days’ notice (RCW 61.24.080; see washington).
  • Sheriff’s sales (judicial mortgage foreclosures): Held at the south entrance of the Spokane County Courthouse, 1116 W. Broadway Avenue, every Friday at 10:00 AM. Opening bid provided by the creditor by Thursday before the sale; 8-month to 1-year redemption period applies (ch. 6.23 RCW). Civil Division: 509-477-4772. https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4513/Sheriffs-Sales
  • Tax-title properties (parcels unsold at auction, deeded to the county): managed by the Spokane County Surplus Department and sold separately — see https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4160/Tax-Title-Property
  • Mobile homes / personal property distraint: separate contact at 509-477-5746. https://www.spokanecounty.gov/4157/Foreclosure-Resources
  • Assistance programs: housing counseling at SNAP (509-319-3040); Northwest Justice Project (1-888-201-1014); Statewide Homeownership Hotline (1-877-894-HOME).
  • Senior/disability exemptions: contact Assessor at 509-477-3698.

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

▸ For Investors / Operators — Spokane runs an online-only annual auction via Bid4Assets (tentatively December 7, 2026) with a $2,000 deposit plus$35 processing fee, certified funds only for final payment, and a tax deed issued within 30 days of auction close conveyed “as is” with no warranties. There is no post-sale redemption for ordinary owners (RCW 84.64.070); note the two distinct surplus tracks — tax-foreclosure excess proceeds stay at the Treasurer’s Office, while trustee’s-sale surplus from mortgage foreclosures is deposited with the Superior Court Clerk (RCW 61.24.080). Unsold parcels are managed as tax-title property by the Spokane County Surplus Department separately from the annual auction.

▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds belong to the party who held title when the Treasurer filed the Certificate of Delinquency (RCW 84.64.080(10)). Following the sale the Treasurer mails a notice letter with a claim application to the record title holder; contact the Treasurer’s foreclosure desk at foreclosure@spokanecounty.gov or 509-477-2073 if you did not receive that letter. The deadline to claim is three years from the sale date, after which the excess is deposited to the county general fund and the claim is extinguished. Washington’s 5% fee cap on locators applies (ch. 63.30 RCW).

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

Graph View

Backlinks