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Tippecanoe County, IN

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Tippecanoe County, Indiana — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

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

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Lafayette, IN 47901
  • Population: ~186,255 (FIPS 18157)
  • Recording unit: county
  • Parent legal framework: indiana — tax-lien-certificate state; IC 6-1.1-24/25

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the County Auditor and County Treasurer apply to the court for judgment and conduct the annual tax sale (IC 6-1.1-24). The Treasurer’s office page expressly lists “Conducts annual real estate tax sale” among its duties. Held in person at the Tippecanoe County Office Building, Tippecanoe Room, 20 N 3rd Street, Lafayette, IN 47901. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02; Treasurer, retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Platform: SRI Services — bidder registration at sriservices.com; a single SRI registration covers all SRI-serviced Indiana counties. “At the discretion of local officials, the tax sale may switch to an online format” conducted electronically at www.zeusauction.com under IC 6-1.1-24-2(b)(10), commencing at the same date/time; “All location updates will be posted at www.sriservices.com prior to the tax sale.” Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02; Tax Sale, retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Calendar:
    • Frequency: annual (IC 6-1.1-24-5; between Aug 1 and Nov 1 each year)
    • 2025 sale: September 24, 2025, 10:00 AM Local Time, Tippecanoe Room. The Auditor and Treasurer apply for the court judgment on or after 09/05/2025; any defense must be filed with the Tippecanoe County Superior #2 Court and served on the Auditor and Treasurer before 09/05/2025. Redemption period for publicly-sold certificates expires Thursday, September 24, 2026; for certificates struck to the county, redemption may expire Thursday, January 22, 2026. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
    • Commissioners’ (certificate) sale: the 2025 Commissioners’ Sale is scheduled for April 23, 2026 for certificates struck off to the county that did not sell at the regular tax sale; listings via sriservices.com. Source: Commissioners’ Sale, retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Rate within statutory range: Tippecanoe County does not set a county-specific rate — state redemption-premium rates apply (110% of minimum bid if redeemed ≤6 months, 115% if >6 months, plus 5%/yr on the overbid and on subsequent taxes, per IC 6-1.1-25-2), as recited verbatim in the county tax-sale notice. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Registration & deposit: No pre-auction deposit stated. Bidders register online at sriservices.com (good for all SRI counties; register once) or the morning of the sale. Required: completed SRI registration form and W-9 (both printable from the SRI registration site); arrive at least 30 minutes before the 10:00 AM start to receive a bid number. Business entities must provide a Certificate of Existence or Foreign Registration Statement in accordance with IC 5-23 from the Indiana Secretary of State to the Tippecanoe County Treasurer (IC 6-1.1-24-5.1). Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Bidder requirements: A person who owes delinquent taxes on Indiana property (or their agent) may not bid (IC 6-1.1-24-5.3 — see indiana). No property is sold if the Total Amount for Judgment is paid in full before the sale. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Delinquent list location: Complete property list at www.sriservices.com (or in alternative form on request); the county also archives tax-sale advertisements and results back to 2016 on the official Tax Sale page. Per the notice, the publication appears only once in newspapers and subsequent notices are posted at tippecanoe.in.gov. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Minimum bid components: (A) delinquent taxes and special assessments; (B) taxes/special assessments due and payable in the year of sale; (C) all penalties; plus (D) an auditor-prescribed amount equal to $30 for postage and publication plus any other costs directly attributable to the tax sale; plus (E) any unpaid costs due under IC 6-1.1-24-2(c) from a prior tax sale. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.

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

  • Where to redeem: Redemption money is paid to the Tippecanoe County Treasurer, 20 N 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, Lafayette, IN 47901 (the office that “collects delinquent property taxes and taxes in judgment”). For tax-sale redemption information or information on taking title, the county directs callers to the Auditor’s office at 765-423-9207 (the Auditor preserves/endorses the certificate and approves surplus). Source: Treasurer, retrieved 2026-06-02; Tax Sale, retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Local fees: State schedule applies — 110% of the minimum bid if redeemed ≤6 months after sale, 115% if >6 months; plus the amount by which the purchase price exceeded the minimum bid; plus 5% per annum on that excess; plus all subsequent taxes/special assessments the purchaser paid plus 5%/yr; plus IC 6-1.1-25-2(e) costs (IC 6-1.1-25-4.5 attorney fees and notice cost, and title-search/abstract costs). Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Redemption period (2025 sale): Expires Thursday, September 24, 2026 for publicly-sold certificates; certificates struck to the county may expire Thursday, January 22, 2026. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Redemption contact: Tippecanoe County Auditor’s Office, 765-423-9207 (tax-sale redemption / taking-title information). Source: Tax Sale, retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • To prevent sale: No property is sold if the Total Amount for Judgment is paid in full at any time before the sale. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Deviations from state default: None identified. County follows the standard IC 6-1.1-25 redemption schedule.

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

  • Claim filing venue: Tippecanoe County Auditor’s Office, 20 N 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, Lafayette, IN 47901, phone 765-423-9207. Under IC 6-1.1-24-7 a verified claim is filed with the county auditor; if approved jointly by the county auditor and county treasurer, the auditor issues a warrant to the claimant. The county’s tax-sale page directs surplus / taking-title inquiries to the Auditor at 765-423-9207. Source: Tax Sale, retrieved 2026-06-02; see indiana (IC 6-1.1-24-7).
  • Who may claim / when available: The tax-sale notice states that where the property sells for more than the minimum bid and is not redeemed, “the owner of record of the property who is divested of ownership at the time the tax deed is issued may have a right to the tax sale surplus” — i.e., surplus becomes claimable after the redemption period runs and the tax deed issues. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Claim form: No standalone downloadable surplus-claim form was located on the county site; the verified claim is processed through the Auditor’s office. The Tax Sale page links a “Schedule of Fees” and a “Statement of Costs – 137B.” [see needs_verification — confirm whether a downloadable surplus-claim form exists or is provided in-office.] Source: Tax Sale, retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Local deadline notes: State 3-year deadline applies — IC 6-1.1-24-7 requires the verified claim be filed within 3 years after the surplus is received; unclaimed funds are then transferred to the county general fund and may not be disbursed. Source: see indiana (IC 6-1.1-24-7); Tax Sale, retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Third-party recovery cap: 10% fee cap applies per IC 6-1.1-24-7.5 with mandatory disclosure and Attorney-General enforcement. See indiana and surplus-recovery-fee-cap.
  • Unclaimed list published? [see needs_verification — no county-maintained public unclaimed tax-sale surplus list located; claims are initiated through the Auditor’s office.]
  • Contact: Tippecanoe County Auditor (Jennifer Weston), 765-423-9207, auditor@tippecanoe.in.gov.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Surplus claims here are filed with and approved through the Tippecanoe County Auditor (jointly with the Treasurer), and the overbid is not disbursable until the redemption period expires and the tax deed issues. Weigh the acquisition path: 1-year redemption (Sept 24, 2026 for the 2025 sale; ~Jan 22, 2026 for county-struck certificates), the IC 6-1.1-25-4.6 court petition before the deed issues, and the surviving liens — see indiana §5b (marketable-title path) and §7b (federally-protected liens and subsequent taxes).

▸ For Former Owners — If your Tippecanoe parcel sold for more than the minimum bid and you did not redeem, the surplus may be yours as the divested owner of record. File the verified claim with the Auditor’s office (765-423-9207); the state deadline is 3 years after the surplus is received, after which the funds transfer to the county general fund. Third-party recovery fees are capped at 10% (IC 6-1.1-24-7.5).

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer (tax collection / conducts sale)Yadira Salazar20 N 3rd St, 2nd Floor, Lafayette IN 47901765-423-9273tippecanoe.in.gov/503
Auditor (tax-sale authority / surplus / redemption)Jennifer Weston20 N 3rd St, 2nd Floor, Lafayette IN 47901765-423-9207tippecanoe.in.gov/174
Clerk of the Circuit/Superior Courts—301 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Lafayette IN 47901 (mailing: PO Box 1665, Lafayette IN 47902)765-423-9326tippecanoe.in.gov/202
RecorderKristy Martin20 N 3rd St, 2nd Floor, Lafayette IN 47901765-423-9352tippecanoe.in.gov/343
Sheriff (mortgage/judgment sales)—2640 Duncan Road, Lafayette IN 47904765-423-9388tippecanoe.in.gov

Sources: Auditor, Treasurer, Recorder, Clerk, all retrieved 2026-06-02; Clerk and Sheriff addresses/phones via county directory search, retrieved 2026-06-02. [see needs_verification — current Clerk and Sheriff officeholder names not pinned from a primary county page.]

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Tax sale court: The Auditor and Treasurer apply for the judgment and order of sale in the Tippecanoe County Superior #2 Court; any defense to the application for judgment must be filed there and served on the Auditor and Treasurer before the judgment-application date (09/05/2025 for the 2025 sale). Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Commissioners’ (certificate) sale: Certificates struck off to the county that do not sell at the regular tax sale are offered at a separate Commissioners’ Sale (next: April 23, 2026), with a shorter redemption window than the regular sale. Listings via sriservices.com. Source: Commissioners’ Sale, retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Electronic-sale switch: Local officials may convert the live auction to an electronic sale at www.zeusauction.com under IC 6-1.1-24-2(b)(10); updates posted at sriservices.com. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Newspaper publication once only: Per a change in law, the tax-sale publication appears only once in newspapers; subsequent notices posted at tippecanoe.in.gov. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Mortgage foreclosure / sheriff’s sales: Conducted by the Tippecanoe County Sheriff (2640 Duncan Road, Lafayette) under IC 32-29-7 — judicial process, no post-sale redemption (see indiana §4). [see needs_verification — confirm the Tippecanoe sheriff’s-sale schedule, registration, and bidding terms.]

C6. Records Access

C8. Title & Quiet Title

  • Title type: Tax lien certificate — a certificate of sale issues at the auction; a tax deed issues only after the redemption period expires and the IC 6-1.1-25-4.5/4.6 notice-and-petition process is completed (see indiana §5b).
  • Quiet title action:
    • Required? Not statutorily mandated, but practically necessary for insurable title. Indiana tax deeds are presumptive evidence of regularity (IC 6-1.1-24-11), but most title insurers will not commit without a quiet title (IC 6-1.1-25-14) or equivalent certification given the void-deed/notice risk (see crowe-v-savvy-in, indiana-land-trust-v-xl-investment-properties).
    • Type: Judicial — IC 6-1.1-25-14 provides that the deed-holder may file to quiet title in the court that entered the judgment and order of sale.
    • Court: The Tippecanoe County Superior #2 Court entered the tax-sale judgment per the 2025 notice; quiet-title under IC 6-1.1-25-14 is filed in that same court (Tippecanoe Circuit/Superior Courts). Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02; see indiana (IC 6-1.1-25-14).
    • Typical timeline: [see needs_verification — no Tippecanoe-specific data] — general Indiana quiet-title actions run ~3–12 months (uncontested to contested); a Tax Title Services certification can substitute in ~30–40 days for some underwriters. Source: Tax Title Services — Indiana, retrieved 2026-06-02 (secondary/commercial).
    • Typical cost range: [see needs_verification — no Tippecanoe-specific data] — general Indiana estimates run from ~$1,500 uncontested to over$4,500+ per Tax Title Services. Source: Tax Title Services — Indiana, retrieved 2026-06-02 (secondary/commercial).
  • Deed seasoning local notes: No Tippecanoe-specific seasoning rule identified beyond state practice; standard practice is to obtain quiet title (or a Tax Title Services certification) before resale or financing. [see needs_verification — confirm with local title agents.]
  • Title insurers active locally: National underwriters active in Indiana (Old Republic, First American, Stewart, Chicago Title, Fidelity National) plus Indiana agency Meridian Title operate statewide and in Tippecanoe County. [see needs_verification — confirm which underwriters will commit on a Tippecanoe County tax deed without a full quiet-title judgment.] See indiana §5b.

C9. Purchaser Obligations

  • Subsequent tax payment office: Subsequent taxes and special assessments are paid to the Tippecanoe County Treasurer, 20 N 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, Lafayette, IN 47901 (765-423-9273); online via the Beacon portal. These payments are added to the redemption amount plus 5%/yr (IC 6-1.1-25-2(d)). Source: Treasurer, retrieved 2026-06-02; see indiana §10b.
  • Notice to owner procedure: The certificate purchaser/assignee must give the IC 6-1.1-25-4.5 notice (date of expiration of the redemption period and intent to petition for a deed) by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the owner of record and any person with a substantial property interest of public record; if mail is returned undeliverable, additional reasonable steps are required (Jones v. Flowers as applied in crowe-v-savvy-in, Ind. 2023). The IC 6-1.1-25-4.5 attorney fees and notice costs are recited as redemption costs in the county notice. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02; see indiana (IC 6-1.1-25-4.5) and crowe-v-savvy-in.
  • Redemption payment office: The former owner redeems through the Tippecanoe County Treasurer (delinquent/judgment taxes); redemption and taking-title questions are directed to the Auditor (765-423-9207). Source: Treasurer, retrieved 2026-06-02; Tax Sale, retrieved 2026-06-02.
  • Occupancy and access notes: During the redemption period the certificate holder has no right of possession; the owner retains possession and the purchaser may not enter until a tax deed issues by court order (see indiana §10b). [see needs_verification — no Tippecanoe-specific occupancy ordinance found.]

C10. Local Restrictions

  • Right of first refusal active? [see needs_verification] — No evidence found that any Tippecanoe County municipality or government entity exercises a formal ROFR at the county tax sale. Unsold/county-held certificates are offered through the Commissioners’ Sale (IC 6-1.1-24-6.1/6.4); the IC 36-7-38 land-bank ROFR on county-held certificates (see indiana §11b) would require an organized land bank, none of which serves Tippecanoe County.
  • Land bank name: No active Tippecanoe County / Lafayette, IN land bank identified. Indiana’s enabling statute is IC 36-7-38, and active Indiana land banks (per the Prosperity Indiana registry and indiana §11b) include Renew (Indianapolis), Muncie, Evansville, and the Uplands Regional Land Bank — none serving Tippecanoe County. Source: Prosperity Indiana — Land Banks, retrieved 2026-06-02; see indiana (IC 36-7-38).
  • Land bank URL: N/A
  • Entity or insider notes: State law bars persons/agents who owe delinquent Indiana property taxes from bidding (IC 6-1.1-24-5.3), and business entities must provide a Secretary of State Certificate of Existence/Foreign Registration Statement to the Tippecanoe County Treasurer before bidding (IC 6-1.1-24-5.1), as recited in the county notice. No additional Tippecanoe-specific entity restrictions found. Source: NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE (2025), retrieved 2026-06-02; see indiana §11b.

C7. Meta

  • parent_state: indiana
  • last_verified: 2026-06-02
  • confidence: 0.88
  • completeness_score: 0.88
  • gap_score: 9

Sources

TypeURLRetrieved
official_countyhttps://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/DocumentCenter/View/505812026-06-02
official_countyhttps://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/199/Tax-Sale2026-06-02
official_countyhttps://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/174/Auditor2026-06-02
official_countyhttps://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/503/Treasurer2026-06-02
official_countyhttps://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/186/Commissioners-Sale2026-06-02
official_countyhttps://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/343/Recorder2026-06-02
official_countyhttps://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/202/Clerk2026-06-02
official_countyhttps://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/1048/Assessor-GIS2026-06-02
official_countyhttps://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/556/Geographic-Information-System-GIS-Mappin2026-06-02
official_countyhttps://beacon.schneidercorp.com/?site=TippecanoeCountyIN2026-06-02
official_countyhttps://treasurer—tippecanoe—in.datapitstop.us/cgi.exe?PAGEID=00122026-06-02
vendorhttps://sriservices.com/2026-06-02
vendorhttps://www.zeusauction.com/2026-06-02
vendorhttps://tapestry.fidlar.com/Tapestry2/2026-06-02
secondaryhttps://www.taxtitleservices.com/quiet-title-action-indiana2026-06-02
official_statehttps://www.prosperityindiana.org/Land-Banks2026-06-02

needs_verification

  • Surplus claim form: No downloadable surplus-claim form located on the county site; the verified claim is processed through the Auditor’s office. Confirm whether a form is provided in-office or in advance.
  • Unclaimed surplus list: No public unclaimed tax-sale surplus list found for Tippecanoe County; confirm whether the Auditor publishes one.
  • Clerk / Sheriff officeholder names: Current Clerk of Court and Sheriff names were not pinned from a primary county page (addresses/phones from county directory search). Verify before relying for filings/service.
  • Sheriff’s-sale logistics: Tippecanoe County sheriff’s-sale schedule, registration, and bidding terms (mortgage foreclosure) not retrieved from a primary source.
  • Quiet-title local cost/timeline: No Tippecanoe-specific attorney-fee or court timeline data; estimates from national/state secondary sources only.
  • Title insurer commitment on tax deeds: Which underwriters will issue on a Tippecanoe County tax deed without a full quiet-title judgment needs a primary source.
  • Occupancy during redemption: No Tippecanoe-specific ordinance found; state default applies (no possession right before the deed issues).
  • ROFR / land bank: No ROFR policy or active land bank found for Tippecanoe County; confirm with the Auditor whether any municipality exercises a statutory ROFR or whether a local land bank has since organized.

indiana, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, third-party-recovery-rules, surplus-recovery-fee-cap, crowe-v-savvy-in, indiana-land-trust-v-xl-investment-properties, tyler-v-hennepin-county, jones-v-flowers, mullane-v-central-hanover, due-process-notice, treasurer-sale, sheriff-sale, quiet-title-after-tax-sale, land-bank-programs

changelog

  • 2026-06-02 — Initial population. Tax sale confirmed on the SRI Services platform (sriservices.com) with zeusauction.com electronic fallback; 2025 sale date (Sept 24, 2025, 10:00 AM, Tippecanoe Room), Superior #2 Court judgment venue, redemption-expiry dates (Sept 24, 2026 publicly-sold; Jan 22, 2026 county-struck), $30 postage/publication minimum-bid component, and entity Certificate-of-Existence requirement all verified from the official 2025 NOTICE OF REAL PROPERTY TAX SALE PDF (read locally via pdftotext). Auditor (Jennifer Weston, 765-423-9207), Treasurer (Yadira Salazar, 765-423-9273), and Recorder (Kristy Martin) verified from official county department pages. Commissioners’ Sale (next April 23, 2026) and surplus venue (Auditor) documented. No active Tippecanoe County land bank found (Prosperity Indiana registry). Records portals: Beacon (Schneider), DataPitStop, Fidlar Tapestry/Laredo. gap_score 9 — all remaining points are row-2 needs_verification only; no fabricated cites, no missing primary citations.

Disclaimer: This page provides legal information, not legal advice. Tax sale law is complex and changes frequently. Verify all procedures against current official sources before acting. Consult a licensed Indiana attorney for advice specific to your situation.

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