USA Foreclosure Wiki

Thurston County, WA

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

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Olympia (state capital)
  • Population: ~290,536 (2020 census); Thurston County is the home of the Washington state capital and Olympia metropolitan area.
  • Recording unit: county
  • FIPS: 53067
  • 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. Thurston County inherits all of that framework; the sections below are the operational layer only.

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes. The Thurston County Treasurer’s Office (Jeff Gadman, Treasurer) forecloses delinquent parcels in Thurston County Superior Court with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and conducts the sale via internet auction. https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/treasurer/real-property-foreclosure-tax-sale-information
  • Platform: Bid4Assets — www.bid4assets.com. The Thurston County Treasurer contracts with Bid4Assets for the online tax-foreclosure auction. Registration, log-in, and bidding are handled entirely through the Bid4Assets platform; bidders do not register with the Treasurer’s office directly. https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/treasurer/real-property-foreclosure-tax-sale-information https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/node/605
  • Calendar: Annual — one real-property tax-sale auction per year, normally held in early January. Properties become viewable on Bid4Assets in mid-November prior to the sale. The final property list is updated the day before the auction. Approximately 10–50 properties sell per year.
    • 2026 Foreclosure Sale cycle (as of March 2026):
      • May 29, 2026 — last day to pay full year 2023 and prior years’ taxes by 4:30 PM (postmark not accepted).
      • June 1, 2026 — foreclosure begins; Certificate of Delinquency filed with Superior Court; $1,100.00 per-property collection cost added; 2023 and prior taxes + interest, penalties, and costs must be paid to stop foreclosure; payment only accepted from a party with a recorded interest.
      • June 11, 2026 — last day to pay to avoid Title Search fee ($500 est. cost added per property starting June 12).
      • Aug 27, 2026 — properties listed by parcel number and ownership on county website and published in the Nisqually Valley News (to avoid publication, payment must be received by Aug 13, 2026).
      • Week of Nov 30 – Dec 4, 2026 — physical notice of sale posted on properties with buildings; Treasurer’s representative escorted by a Sheriff’s Deputy.
      • December 2026 — public notice of sale published once per week for two successive weeks in a newspaper, at least 14 days prior to sale; also posted at courthouse, Treasurer’s Office, and on the county website.
      • Jan 8, 2027 — last day to pay 2023 and prior taxes to avoid tax sale (by 4:30 PM).
      • Jan 11, 2027 — TAX SALE BEGINS ONLINE 8:00 AM Pacific Time via Bid4Assets (auction runs Jan 11–12, 2027 and continues until properties are sold or Treasurer closes the auction). Source: Thurston County Foreclosure Tax Sale Schedule 2026 (PDF, March 2026): https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/media/15298 → redirects to https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/thurstoncountywa.gov.if-us-west-2/s3fs-public/2026-03/Foreclosure%20Schedule.pdf
  • Rate within statutory range: N/A — delinquent-tax interest is set by state statute (RCW 84.56.020; 9% residential ≤4 units / 12% all other), not by the county. See washington.
  • Registration & deposit: Bidders must register and pay a deposit to Bid4Assets. Specific deposit dollar amounts are set by Bid4Assets and posted on their platform → needs_verification (exact deposit amount not published on the county pages at verification). All payments are handled by Bid4Assets; they normally accept only wire transfers and certified checks via overnight delivery. Payment must be made in full by the date specified in the Bid4Assets Terms of Sale; no county financing; bids are irrevocable. https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/node/605
  • Bidder requirements: Register via Bid4Assets (www.bid4assets.com). No separate registration with the Treasurer’s Office is required. Winning bidders must comply with the Bid4Assets terms of sale.
  • Delinquent list location: Published on the Thurston County Treasurer’s website by parcel number and ownership name starting approximately August 27 of the foreclosure year, and in the Nisqually Valley News newspaper. The property list is also posted on Bid4Assets in mid-November. No county mailing list is maintained for auction notifications. https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/treasurer/real-property-foreclosure-tax-sale-information
  • Payment timing note (post-5/8/2026): Effective May 8, 2026, all payments to the Treasurer must be in cash, cashier’s check, or money order (no personal or business checks); credit card payments are accepted by phone or in person. A $100 pre-collection cost is added on properties qualifying for foreclosure effective 5/8/2026.

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

  • Where/how to redeem locally: Pay all 2023-and-prior taxes, interest, penalties, and foreclosure costs (including the $1,100 collection cost and$500 title search cost if applicable) to the Thurston County Treasurer’s Office, The Atrium Building, Suite 130, 3000 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501.
  • Who may redeem: Only a person or entity with a legal (recorded) interest in the property may pay taxes to remove the property from the foreclosure process. General members of the public cannot pay another owner’s taxes to redeem the property. https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/thurstoncountywa.gov.if-us-west-2/s3fs-public/2023-01/Treasurer_Foreclosure_FAQ.pdf
  • Deadline: Any time before the sale; the final payment deadline for the 2026 cycle is January 8, 2027 by 4:30 PM (the day before the auction begins). Consistent with state rule (RCW 84.64.070; see washington).
  • Local fees: $1,100.00 per-property collection cost (added on filing of Certificate of Delinquency, June 1); estimated$500 title search fee (added June 12 if not paid); $100 pre-collection cost (added from 5/8/2026); plus accruing interest and penalties. These costs must be paid in full to redeem. Effective 5/8/2026 — cash, cashier’s check, or money order only; credit card accepted by phone or in person. Source: Foreclosure Tax Sale Schedule 2026 PDF (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Redemption contact: Bonni Taylor, Revenue Officer (Past Due Accounts, Foreclosure, Collections), 360-786-5546, bonni.taylor@co.thurston.wa.us. General: 360-786-5550, trsr@co.thurston.wa.us.
  • Deviations from state default: No post-sale redemption for ordinary owners (consistent with washington). Three-year post-sale redemption right for minors and legally incompetent persons under RCW 84.64.070 (which is also why title companies may decline to insure for up to 3 years without a quiet title action).

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

  • Belongs to: the owner of record at the time the lawsuit (Certificate of Delinquency) was filed in Superior Court — Thurston County Treasurer’s own description, matching RCW 84.64.080(10). Source: Treasurer FAQ PDF (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Claim filing venue: The Thurston County Treasurer’s Office is responsible for paying surplus funds to the record owner. Claims should be directed to the Treasurer (not the Superior Court Clerk, which handles mortgage-sale surplus under RCW 61.24.080).
  • Claim form: No named or downloadable surplus-claim form was identified on the Thurston County Treasurer’s web pages at verification → needs_verification. (Per state law, the Treasurer notifies the record owner and provides a claim application — RCW 84.64.080(10); contact the Treasurer’s foreclosure staff to initiate a claim.)
  • Local deadline notes: Three years from the date of the sale to request surplus funds. If no request is made within three years, the surplus is deposited to the county’s general fund (consistent with RCW 84.64.080(10)). Source: Treasurer FAQ PDF (retrieved 2026-06-02).
  • Unclaimed-funds list published? Not confirmed — no published unclaimed surplus list was identified on the Thurston County Treasurer’s website at verification → needs_verification.
  • Recovery-agent fee cap: Washington’s 5% cap applies statewide — see washington and third-party-recovery-rules (ESHB 1637, 2023; formerly RCW 63.29.350, now ch. 63.30 RCW).
  • Contact: Bonni Taylor, Revenue Officer — 360-786-5546, bonni.taylor@co.thurston.wa.us; General: 360-786-5550, trsr@co.thurston.wa.us.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Thurston County conducts an annual online-only tax-deed auction via Bid4Assets (typically January, with the 2026 cycle scheduled for January 11, 2027). The Treasurer issues a non-warranty Treasurer’s Tax Deed within 30 days of the close of the auction, sold “as is, where is.” Note the three-year post-sale redemption right for minors and legally incompetent persons under RCW 84.64.070 — the same reason title companies often decline to insure without a quiet-title action during that window. Tax-title parcels that do not sell are separately offered through the Treasurer’s tax-title program, also on Bid4Assets.

▸ For Former Owners — Surplus from a Thurston County tax-foreclosure sale belongs to the owner of record at the time the Certificate of Delinquency was filed in Superior Court (RCW 84.64.080(10)). Claims are filed with the Thurston County Treasurer’s Office (The Atrium Building, Suite 130, 3000 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501; contact Bonni Taylor, 360-786-5546). The deadline is three years from the date of sale; after that, unclaimed surplus is deposited to the county general fund and is not recoverable. Mortgage-foreclosure (deed-of-trust) surplus goes instead to the Superior Court Clerk and follows a different process.

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer / Tax CollectorJeff Gadman, Treasurer; Bonni Taylor (foreclosure)The Atrium Building, Suite 130, 3000 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501360-786-5550 (general); 360-786-5546 (Bonni Taylor, foreclosure); trsr@co.thurston.wa.us; bonni.taylor@co.thurston.wa.ushttps://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/treasurer
Clerk of Court (Superior Court)Linda Myhre Enlow, Thurston County Clerk2000 Lakeridge Dr SW, Olympia, WA 98502 (Civil/Criminal); 2801 32nd Ave SW, Tumwater, WA 98512 (Family/Juvenile)TCClerk@co.thurston.wa.ushttps://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/county-clerk
Auditor / Recorder (Register of Deeds)Mary Hall, Thurston County Auditor; Recording: 360-786-5405, recording@co.thurston.wa.us3000 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501360-786-5224 (general); TCAuditor@co.thurston.wa.ushttps://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/auditor
Assessor (parcel / valuation)Steven J. Drew, Thurston County Assessor3000 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501360-867-2200; asrinfo@co.thurston.wa.ushttps://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/assessor
Sheriff (judicial mortgage sales)Derek Sanders, Thurston County Sheriff2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Building 3, Olympia, WA 98502360-786-5500https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/sheriff

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Online-only tax-foreclosure auction via Bid4Assets (www.bid4assets.com), held once per year in early January (Jan 11, 2027 for the 2026 cycle).
  • Payment note: Effective 5/8/2026, payments to the Treasurer’s Office must be cash, cashier’s check, or money order (no personal/business checks); credit card accepted by phone or in person. Bid4Assets accepts wire transfer and certified checks via overnight delivery for winning bidders.
  • Foreclosure process begins in June each year: Certificate of Delinquency filed in Superior Court (with Prosecuting Attorney); properties with 3+ years of delinquent taxes are included.
  • Two distinct surplus tracks (do not conflate):
    1. Tax-foreclosure surplus → claimed at the Treasurer’s Office (this page, C3); 3-year deadline; deposits to county general fund if unclaimed.
    2. Mortgage (deed-of-trust) foreclosure surplus → deposited with the Superior Court Clerk and disbursed only by court order (RCW 61.24.080; see washington). Different office, different process.
  • Tax-title properties (parcels that do not sell at the foreclosure auction become county trust property) are separately offered for sale; the Treasurer uses Bid4Assets for these as well but no auction is currently scheduled (per Treasurer website at verification). https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/treasurer/tax-title-property-sale-information
  • Tax deed issued within 30 days of close of auction to winning bidder; mailed to the address on file. Deed is a Treasurer’s Tax Deed without expressed or implied warranty; property sold “as is, where is, buyer beware.”
  • Approximately 10–50 properties are offered at each annual auction.
  • No mailing list for auction notifications maintained by the Treasurer’s Office; monitor the Treasurer’s website and Bid4Assets.
  • Sheriff’s sales (judicial mortgage foreclosures) are separate from the tax-foreclosure sale; the Sheriff publishes upcoming sales on the county website (support services bureau page) with opening bids provided by the creditor. Surplus from sheriff’s/trustee’s sales goes to the Superior Court Clerk under RCW 61.24.080. https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/sheriff

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

▸ For Investors / Operators — Thurston County conducts an annual online-only tax-deed auction via Bid4Assets (typically January, with the 2026 cycle scheduled for January 11, 2027). The Treasurer issues a non-warranty Treasurer’s Tax Deed within 30 days of the close of the auction, sold “as is, where is.” Note the three-year post-sale redemption right for minors and legally incompetent persons under RCW 84.64.070 — the same reason title companies often decline to insure without a quiet-title action during that window. Tax-title parcels that do not sell are separately offered through the Treasurer’s tax-title program, also on Bid4Assets.

▸ For Former Owners — Surplus from a Thurston County tax-foreclosure sale belongs to the owner of record at the time the Certificate of Delinquency was filed in Superior Court (RCW 84.64.080(10)). Claims are filed with the Thurston County Treasurer’s Office (The Atrium Building, Suite 130, 3000 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501; contact Bonni Taylor, 360-786-5546). The deadline is three years from the date of sale; after that, unclaimed surplus is deposited to the county general fund and is not recoverable. Mortgage-foreclosure (deed-of-trust) surplus goes instead to the Superior Court Clerk and follows a different process.

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

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