Tarrant County, Texas — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (redemption periods, surplus rights, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → texas. This page covers how Tarrant County actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-01.

C0. Identity

• County seat: Fort Worth · Recording unit: county (one of Texas’s 254 counties).
• Population: ~2.1 million (2nd-largest Texas county; specific current count not pinned to a county source — see needs_verification).
• Parent legal framework: texas — Texas is a redeemable tax-deed state; sales are judicial (delinquent-tax suit → judgment → officer’s sale) under Tex. Tax Code Ch. 34. Redemption is 2 years (homestead/ag/mineral) or 180 days (other). See right-of-redemption.

C1. Local Tax Sale

• Conducts own sale? Yes. The delinquent-tax foreclosure sale is conducted by Constable Precinct 3 (Constable Darrell Huffman), the “officer charged with selling the property” for Tarrant County. — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/delinquent-tax-sales.html
• Platform: In person — no online auction vendor. Sales are held on the west-side steps of the 1895 (Old) Courthouse, 100 W. Weatherford St., Fort Worth. Bidders must be physically present; proxies/representatives may not bid for you. — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/frequently-asked-questions.html
• Calendar: First Tuesday of each month, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (consistent with Tex. Tax Code § 34.01(r)). Registration closes at 10 a.m. on sale day. Next known sale: June 2, 2026 (per the published monthly listings; upcoming dates shown include July 7, Aug 4, 2026). — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/delinquent-tax-sales/monthly-tax-sales-listings.html
• Rate within statutory range: N/A — Texas pays no bid-down rate (no certificates); the investor return is the statutory redemption premium (25%/50%), set by state law, not the county. See texas § 34.21.
• Registration & deposit:
  • Complete the Tax Sale Bidder Registration form; online registration is available via the county portal (public registration username noted as dtsbidder).
  • Obtain a Tax Sale Bidders Authorization (a.k.a. “Statement of No Delinquent Taxes” certificate) from the Tax Assessor-Collector’s Property Tax Division — $10 fee — and present valid, unexpired photo ID.
  • Payment: cash, cashier’s check, or money order only, made payable to “Constable Darrell Huffman”; certified funds for the winning bid are due within one hour after the bid. — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/delinquent-tax-sales.html
• Bidder requirements: purchaser must owe no delinquent ad valorem taxes to the county or any school district/municipality in the county (Tex. Tax Code § 34.015 bidder’s certificate, administered locally via the Tax Assessor-Collector). — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/delinquent-tax-sales.html
• Delinquent / sale list location: Published monthly on the Constable Precinct 3 “Monthly Tax Sales Listings” page (HTML, by sale date); post-sale results (cause numbers; status withdrawn / struck-off / sold) remain available ~45 days after the sale. — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/delinquent-tax-sales/monthly-tax-sales-listings.html

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

• Where/how to redeem locally: Redemption is governed by state law (Tex. Tax Code § 34.21) and is made to the tax-sale purchaser (or, if the purchaser cannot be found, to the Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector). The redemption clock starts when the Constable’s Deed is filed for record with the County Clerk. See texas.
• Local fees: redemption amount = purchaser’s bid + recording fee + taxes/penalties/interest/costs paid by the purchaser + the statutory premium (25% year-1 / 50% year-2 for 2-year property; 25% for 180-day property). No additional county-specific redemption fee located. (local fee schedule not separately published — see needs_verification)
• Redemption contact: Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector, Property Tax Division — 817-884-1186 — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/tax/property-tax/public-auctions.html
• Deviations from state default: none identified; Tarrant follows the statewide § 34.21 scheme.

C3. Local Surplus / Excess Proceeds → framework: surplus-funds, third-party-recovery-rules

• Where excess proceeds are held: After a tax-foreclosure sale, surplus above the judgment is deposited into the registry of the court that ordered the sale (a Tarrant County district court), held by the District Clerk. Claims follow the Tex. Tax Code § 34.04 waterfall (purchaser → taxing units → lienholders → former owner), filed before the 2nd anniversary of the sale. See texas.
• Claim filing venue: Tarrant County District Clerk, Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center, 401 W. Belknap St., Fort Worth, TX 76196, 817-884-1342 — file the motion in the cause that ordered the seizure/sale. — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/district-clerk/services/district-clerk-court-document-lookup.html
• Claim form: “Excess Funds – Motion and Order” (fillable PDF), published by the Tarrant County Dell DeHay Law Library for use by claimants seeking distribution of excess funds on deposit with the District Clerk. — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/law-library/forms.html ; form PDF: https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/content/dam/main/law-library/pdfs/updated-forms-2024/fillable-forms-2025/Fillable_Excess_Funds_Motion_and_Order.pdf
• How to find what surplus exists: the county directs requesters to email openrecords@tarrantcountytx.gov, specifying the month and year of the tax sale, to obtain excess-proceeds results held in the court registry. — (per Tarrant County open-records guidance located via official search results; exact open-records page not directly fetched — see needs_verification)
• Local deadline notes: the statutory 2-year claim window (§ 34.04(a)) controls; after it lapses unclaimed excess proceeds are distributed to the participating taxing units (not escheated). See texas.
• Unclaimed-funds list published? Yes, but not specifically for tax-sale surplus. The County Auditor publishes a general Unclaimed Property List (county holds items $25–$100; amounts over $100 are remitted to the Texas Comptroller at claimittexas.org). Tax-sale excess proceeds in the court registry are handled through the District Clerk/court, not this list. — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/auditor/financial-accounting/unclaimed-funds.html
• Contact: District Clerk 817-884-1342 (registry funds); County Auditor Unclaimed Property 817-884-1205. — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/auditor/financial-accounting/unclaimed-funds.html

▸ For Investors / Operators — Tarrant runs a monthly in-person sale on the first Tuesday of each month, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., on the west-side steps of the 1895 Old Courthouse (100 W. Weatherford St., Fort Worth) — physical presence is mandatory; no proxies, no online bidding. Obtain a $10 “Statement of No Delinquent Taxes” from the Tax Assessor-Collector (817-884-1186) before attending; pay cash, cashier’s check, or money order to Constable Darrell Huffman within one hour of the winning bid. Struck-off properties (no sufficient bid) vest in the taxing entities and may be available under Tex. Tax Code § 34.05. The Constable’s Deed issues without warranty; redemption periods are 2 years (homestead/ag/mineral) or 180 days (other) running from deed recording.

▸ For Former Owners — Surplus above the judgment amount is deposited in the Tarrant County district-court registry held by the District Clerk (401 W. Belknap St., Fort Worth; 817-884-1342). To claim, file the “Excess Funds – Motion and Order” (fillable PDF from the Dell DeHay Law Library at tarrantcountytx.gov/en/law-library/forms.html) in the specific cause that ordered the sale. To find out whether surplus exists for a given sale, email openrecords@tarrantcountytx.gov with the month and year of the tax sale. The deadline is the 2nd anniversary of the sale; unclaimed proceeds after that deadline are distributed to the participating taxing units under § 34.04.

C4. Offices & Contacts

C5. Local Procedure Notes

• In-person only. Unlike many Texas counties that have authorized online tax-sale auctions, Tarrant runs its delinquent-tax sale live at the courthouse steps; physical presence is mandatory. — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/frequently-asked-questions.html
• Struck-off properties (no sufficient bid) are bid in by and deeded to the taxing entities, then later available for resale (Tex. Tax Code § 34.05). — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/frequently-asked-questions.html
• Deed type: the Constable issues a “Constable’s Deed to Individual in Delinquent Tax Suits” (without warranty), which the foreclosing attorneys file with the County Clerk; redemption period runs from that recording. — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/frequently-asked-questions.html
• Mortgage (trustee) foreclosure is separate: substitute trustees post notices 21 days before the first-Tuesday sale at the west courthouse steps, 100 W. Weatherford St.; notices are filed with the County Clerk. See texas (Prop. Code § 51.002). — https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/county-clerk/real-estate-records/foreclosures.html

C6. Records Access

• Parcel / appraisal search (CAD): Tarrant Appraisal District — https://www.tad.org/ (property search at https://www.tad.org/search-results)
• Deed / official records search (incl. foreclosure notices): Tarrant County Clerk Official Public Records — https://tarrant.tx.publicsearch.us/
• GIS / interactive map: Tarrant County Public Map Viewer — https://gisit.tarrantcounty.com/publicmapviewer/ ; TAD interactive map — https://www.tad.org/resources/interactive-map
• Tax payment / account search: Tarrant County Tax Office portal — https://www.tax.tarrantcountytx.gov/Accounts/AccountDetails
• Court document lookup (district court causes / registry): https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/district-clerk/services/district-clerk-court-document-lookup.html

C7. Meta

• sources:
  • {type: county_official, url: “https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/delinquent-tax-sales.html”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — sale officer, in-person location, registration, $10 authorization, payment terms, bidder no-delinquent-tax rule
  • {type: county_official, url: “https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/frequently-asked-questions.html”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — first-Tuesday 10–4 schedule, 1895 courthouse steps, must be present, struck-off to taxing entities, Constable’s Deed, payment payable to Constable Darrell Huffman, 817-581-3610
  • {type: county_official, url: “https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/constables/constable-3/delinquent-tax-sales/monthly-tax-sales-listings.html”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — published monthly listings; next sale dates (June 2, 2026; July 7; Aug 4)
  • {type: county_official, url: “https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/tax/property-tax/public-auctions.html”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — public auctions overview; Tax Assessor-Collector 817-884-1186; bidder registration via Constable Pct 3
  • {type: county_official, url: “https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/law-library/forms.html”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — “Excess Funds – Motion and Order” form listing (Dell DeHay Law Library)
  • {type: county_form, url: “https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/content/dam/main/law-library/pdfs/updated-forms-2024/fillable-forms-2025/Fillable_Excess_Funds_Motion_and_Order.pdf”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — Excess Funds Motion & Order PDF (binary; title confirmed via forms page, body not text-parsed)
  • {type: county_official, url: “https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/auditor/financial-accounting/unclaimed-funds.html”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — Auditor unclaimed-property list ($25–$100 held; >$100 to Comptroller); claim forms; 817-884-1205
  • {type: county_official, url: “https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/county-clerk/real-estate-records/foreclosures.html”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — foreclosure notice posting, 21-day rule, County Clerk Rm B30 address, official records search portal
  • {type: county_official, url: “https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/district-clerk/services/district-clerk-court-document-lookup.html”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — District Clerk / court document lookup
  • {type: records_portal, url: “https://www.tad.org/”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — Tarrant Appraisal District parcel search
  • {type: records_portal, url: “https://tarrant.tx.publicsearch.us/”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — County Clerk official public records / foreclosure notices
  • {type: records_portal, url: “https://gisit.tarrantcounty.com/publicmapviewer/”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — County GIS public map viewer
  • {type: records_portal, url: “https://www.tax.tarrantcountytx.gov/Accounts/AccountDetails”, retrieved: 2026-06-01} — tax payment / account portal
• needs_verification:
  • Exact open-records page/procedure URL for requesting excess-proceeds results (openrecords@tarrantcountytx.gov address surfaced via official search results, but the specific page was not directly fetched).
  • Excess_Funds_Motion_and_Order.pdf body text (caption / court designation) — PDF returned as binary; title confirmed from the law-library forms index but inner text not parsed.
  • Current Tarrant County population figure from a county/Census primary source.
  • Whether the County Auditor’s unclaimed-property list ever includes lapsed tax-sale excess proceeds distributed to taxing units (the page describes general unclaimed county funds, not § 34.04 surplus).
  • District Clerk physical address building name (“Tim Curry”) corroborated via official search summary; not confirmed against a directly fetched District Clerk contact page.
• cross_links: texas, surplus-funds, right-of-redemption, third-party-recovery-rules, sheriff-sale, treasurer-sale, due-process-notice, tyler-v-hennepin-county
• changelog:
  • 2026-06-01 — Initial population (autoresearch). All C0–C7 modules filled from Tarrant County’s own official pages. Confirmed in-person constable sale (no online vendor), first-Tuesday calendar, $10 bidder authorization, excess proceeds in district-court registry with Dell DeHay Law Library “Excess Funds – Motion and Order” form, and open-records path for surplus lookups. Honest gaps flagged in needs_verification.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Tarrant runs a monthly in-person sale on the first Tuesday of each month, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., on the west-side steps of the 1895 Old Courthouse (100 W. Weatherford St., Fort Worth) — physical presence is mandatory; no proxies, no online bidding. Obtain a $10 “Statement of No Delinquent Taxes” from the Tax Assessor-Collector (817-884-1186) before attending; pay cash, cashier’s check, or money order to Constable Darrell Huffman within one hour of the winning bid. Struck-off properties (no sufficient bid) vest in the taxing entities and may be available under Tex. Tax Code § 34.05. The Constable’s Deed issues without warranty; redemption periods are 2 years (homestead/ag/mineral) or 180 days (other) running from deed recording.

▸ For Former Owners — Surplus above the judgment amount is deposited in the Tarrant County district-court registry held by the District Clerk (401 W. Belknap St., Fort Worth; 817-884-1342). To claim, file the “Excess Funds – Motion and Order” (fillable PDF from the Dell DeHay Law Library at tarrantcountytx.gov/en/law-library/forms.html) in the specific cause that ordered the sale. To find out whether surplus exists for a given sale, email openrecords@tarrantcountytx.gov with the month and year of the tax sale. The deadline is the 2nd anniversary of the sale; unclaimed proceeds after that deadline are distributed to the participating taxing units under § 34.04.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Tarrant County, Texas operational procedure from the county’s own official sources as of the last_verified date. Offices, forms, fees, portals, and sale dates change; verify against the cited county pages and consult a licensed Texas attorney before acting.