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Yolo County, CA

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

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Woodland · Population: ~216,409 · Recording unit: county
  • FIPS: 06113
  • Parent legal framework: california
  • Key combined agency: Auditor-Controller / Treasurer-Tax Collector (ACTTC) — Yolo consolidated its elected Auditor-Controller and Treasurer-Tax Collector into a single department (the merge took effect January 2007). Property-tax billing, collection, tax-defaulted auctions, and excess-proceeds handling run through the Department of Financial Services, Treasury & Revenues Division (Property Taxes, Collections & Cannabis). — https://www.yolocounty.gov/government/general-government-departments/financial-services/contact-us (Financial Services Contact Us, retrieved via Wayback 2026-06-02); https://www.theunion.com/news/local-news/yolo-treasurer-says-consolidated-offices-must-be-monitored-closely/ (consolidation history)
  • Separate Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Elections (ACE): A distinct department (“ACE”) at 625 Court Street handles property valuation, official-records recording (deeds, deeds of trust, liens), and vital records — separate from the Financial Services tax-collection function. — https://ace.yolocounty.gov/ (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Leadership note: The Financial Services department head has historically been the consolidated Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector (Howard Newens for the bulk of the consolidated era); the current Financial Services / ACTTC department head is identified in some sources as Tom Haynes. (Exact current title-holder not confirmed from a single retrieved official org page — see needs_verification.)

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the Yolo County Treasurer-Tax Collector conducts the county’s tax-defaulted property auction under California Revenue & Taxation Code Part 6 (the statutory power to sell). Per the county’s own FAQ: a defaulted secured tax bill that “remains unpaid for five (5) years … becomes subject to sale at public auction by the Tax Collector.” — https://www.yolocounty.gov/government/general-government-departments/financial-services/property-tax/frequently-asked-questions (Property Tax FAQ, retrieved via Wayback snapshot 2025-11-22); RTC § 3691 (california §1)
  • Platform: Bid4Assets (online auction). Yolo runs its tax-defaulted sales on Bid4Assets county storefronts (e.g., bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26). The county has used Bid4Assets across multiple cycles (April 2018, December 2020 re-offer, May 2024, May 2026; the May 2023 and May 2025 sales were posted then cancelled). — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02); https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay24 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Sale calendar:
    • Frequency: Annually, typically in May (with periodic re-offer sales, e.g., the December 2020 re-offer). California law requires sale of eligible tax-defaulted property at least once every four years (RTC § 3691); Yolo has scheduled annual May sales, though several recent cycles were cancelled.
    • Next known sale: May 15–18, 2026 — 13 parcels offered, all no-reserve, bids starting as low as $8,191.00. Auction opens May 15, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET (8:00 AM PT); closing times vary by parcel through May 18, 2026. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • Prior cycle: May 17–20, 2024 sale (bids starting ~$8,830). — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay24 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • Citation: RTC § 3691 (power to sell / frequency); RTC § 3707 (right of redemption terminates the last business day before the sale — see C2).
  • Registration / deposit:
    • $5,000 single deposit +$35 non-refundable processing fee, submitted through Bid4Assets. The deposit is a participation requirement and does not cap the amount that may be bid. For the May 2026 sale the deposit had to be received by Bid4Assets no later than 4:00 PM ET (1:00 PM PT) Monday, May 11, 2026. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • Vesting required first: “all prospective bidders MUST fill out their vesting information before they are allowed to access the deposit instructions.” — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • Non-winning deposits refunded via eCheck within ~10 business days after the auction closes. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Bidder requirements / payment terms:
    • Free Bid4Assets account required to bid. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • Full settlement by 4:00 PM ET (1:00 PM PT) Thursday, May 21, 2026 for the May 2026 sale; no exceptions — non-payment forfeits the deposit and may result in a ban from future sales. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • Only certified check / money order or wire transfer are accepted for the deposit/settlement; ACH, direct deposit, credit card, and money transfers are rejected. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • 3% Buyer’s Premium ($100 minimum) added to the winning bid; $35 per-parcel-won administrative fee added to the final sale price; California documentary transfer tax ($0.55 per$500 of price over $100) collected with the purchase price. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • No second-bidder fallback: if the high bidder defaults, “under California State Law, The County cannot resort to the second highest bidder” and must pursue the defaulting bidder. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Delinquent / available-parcel list location: Published as the parcel list on the Bid4Assets county storefront for each sale (13 parcels for the May 2026 sale, with “Preview Now!” listing pages). The county directs research questions to taxinfo@yolocounty.gov. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)

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

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

  • Claim filing venue:
  • Claim form: A Yolo-specific “Claim for Excess Proceeds” form/instructions packet was not located as a separately retrievable document as of 2026-06-02 (the county’s tax-collection PDFs are served behind an edge filter that returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch, and the Wayback index did not surface a dedicated excess-proceeds page). California counties use the State Controller’s template form (SCO Excess Proceeds Guide 2025). — https://www.sco.ca.gov/Files-ARD-Tax-Info/Tax-Collector-Ref-Man/SCO_ExcessProceedsGuide.pdf ; (Yolo-specific claim-form URL — see needs_verification)
  • Local deadline notes: Statewide deadline applies — a claim must be filed within one year of recordation of the tax collector’s deed to the purchaser (postmarked on or before the one-year date). The Tax Collector mails the RTC § 4676 “Notice of Right to Claim Excess Proceeds” to parties of interest after the deed records. — RTC §§ 4675(a), 4676; california §3
  • Unclaimed-funds list published? Financial Services maintains a general “Unclaimed Property / Checks” page (stale warrants/checks); a separately published list of unclaimed tax-sale excess proceeds was not located as of 2026-06-02. Under RTC § 4676(d), excess proceeds unclaimed after the one-year period transfer to the county general fund. — https://www.yolocounty.gov/government/general-government-departments/financial-services/property-tax (Unclaimed Property / Checks link, retrieved via Wayback 2026-06-02); RTC § 4676(d) (see needs_verification)
  • Contact: Treasury & Revenues Division — (530) 666-8625; taxinfo@yolocounty.gov / treasury@yolocounty.gov.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Yolo runs an annual Bid4Assets May tax-deed auction (13 parcels in 2026; $5,000+$35 deposit; 3% buyer’s premium; certified funds/wire only; no second-bidder fallback). The deed conveys title free of most encumbrances under RTC § 3712, but plan for the one-year RTC § 3725 set-aside window and a quiet-title action in Yolo Superior Court before insuring/reselling (C8). Surviving liens follow RTC § 3712 (california §7b). Excess-proceeds venue is the Treasurer-Tax Collector → Board of Supervisors (C3).

▸ For Former Owners — Two separate clocks: (1) redeem by paying the Tax Collector in full before close of business the last business day before the sale (no post-sale redemption); (2) if the property sells for more than the taxes and costs, claim the surplus with the Treasurer-Tax Collector, postmarked within one year of recordation of the tax deed (RTC § 4675). California sets no percentage fee cap on a tax-sale excess-proceeds recovery agent, but the agent must disclose the amount/source and your right to file directly at no cost (california §3).

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeName / TitleAddressPhoneURL
Auditor-Controller / Treasurer-Tax Collector (Financial Services)Dept. of Financial Services (head historically Howard Newens; current per some sources Tom Haynes)625 Court St, Rm 102/103, Woodland, CA 95695 (mail PO Box 1995, Woodland, CA 95776)(530) 666-8625https://www.yolocounty.gov/government/general-government-departments/financial-services
Treasury & Revenues Division (property taxes, collections, tax sale, excess proceeds, redemption)within Financial Services625 Court St, Rm 102/103, Woodland, CA 95695(530) 666-8625 · fax (530) 666-8215https://www.yolocounty.gov/government/general-government-departments/financial-services/property-tax
Assessor / Clerk-Recorder / Elections (ACE)ACE DepartmentErwin Meier Admin Bldg, 625 Court St (Recorder Rm B-01), Woodland, CA 95695(530) 666-8130 (Recorder) · (530) 666-8135 (Assessor)https://ace.yolocounty.gov/
Superior Court — Civil Division (quiet title / judicial foreclosure filings)Superior Court of California, County of Yolo1000 Main Street, Woodland, CA 95695(530) 406-6704https://www.yolo.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil
Sheriff (civil process / levies)Yolo County Sheriff’s Office — Civil Section140 Tony Diaz Dr, Woodland, CA 95776(530) 668-5280 (main) · (530) 668-5275 (civil)https://yolocountysheriff.com/contact-us/
  • Tax Collector email: taxinfo@yolocounty.gov / treasury@yolocounty.gov · Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
  • Note: The Tax Collector (Financial Services) conducts the tax-defaulted (Bid4Assets) auction; the ACE / Clerk-Recorder records deeds and the resulting tax deed; the Superior Court Civil Division is the venue for quiet-title and judicial-foreclosure matters. The Sheriff’s Civil Section handles writs/levies for judicial-foreclosure execution sales, not the tax-deed auction.

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • Bid4Assets as recurring vendor: Yolo uses Bid4Assets for its online tax-deed auctions across cycles (2018, 2020 re-offer, 2024, 2026). Several scheduled sales (May 2023, May 2025) were posted then cancelled — confirm the live storefront status before relying on any announced date. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay25 (cancelled); https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay23 (cancelled) (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Storefront boilerplate quirk: The May 2026 Yolo storefront’s settlement clause contains a copy-paste artifact referencing “the County of Glenn” in the forfeiture sentence; the auction is the County of Yolo sale (header, deposit, and parcel data all read “County of Yolo”). Treat the seller as Yolo. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • As-is / no warranty: Bidders are urged to examine title, location, and desirability independently; the county/Bid4Assets make no warranty, and the tax deed does not discharge every encumbrance (RTC § 3712 exceptions survive). — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02); california §7b
  • No post-sale redemption: Consistent with RTC § 3708, there is no right to redeem after the tax deed records; the pre-sale redemption right ends the last business day before the sale (RTC § 3707).
  • Board of Supervisors as final excess-proceeds authority: Per RTC § 4675(d), the Board of Supervisors determines excess-proceeds claims; the Treasurer-Tax Collector handles intake.
  • Surplus-recovery-agent rules: Statewide RTC § 4675(c) disclosure duties apply (disclose amount/source of proceeds; advise the party of the right to file directly at no cost); assignment must be by written instrument executed after the tax sale (RTC § 4675(b),(c)). No Yolo-specific local fee cap was located. (see needs_verification)

C6. Records Access

C8. Title & Quiet Title → framework: california §5b

  • Title type: tax deed (California is a tax-deed state; no lien certificate, no post-sale redemption). — RTC §§ 3708, 3712; california §1
  • Quiet-title action: Practically required for insurable/marketable title, though not statutorily mandated to record the deed. The tax deed conveys title “free of encumbrances” under RTC § 3712, but the one-year RTC § 3725 set-aside window means title insurers typically require the year to run and/or a quiet-title judgment. — RTC §§ 3712, 3725; california §5b
    • Type: judicial — quiet-title action under Code Civ. Proc. §§ 760.010–764.010.
    • Court: Superior Court of California, County of Yolo — Civil Division, 1000 Main Street, Woodland, CA 95695; (530) 406-6704 (real property is local, CCP § 760.040). — https://www.yolo.courts.ca.gov/divisions/civil (retrieved 2026-06-02)
    • Typical timeline: Uncontested ~6–9 months (publication adds 2–3 months; contested 12–18+) — statewide estimate, not Yolo docket-level data. — california §5b (Yolo-specific timeline not primary-sourced; see needs_verification)
    • Typical cost: ~$3,500–$10,000 uncontested (filing + title search + publication + attorney) — statewide estimate. — california §5b (secondary estimate; see needs_verification)
  • Deed seasoning: Insurers generally require the one-year § 3725 window to close (often plus a quiet-title judgment) before underwriting. — california §5b
  • Title insurers active locally: Statewide California underwriters (e.g., First American, Old Republic, Stewart) write tax-deed policies after seasoning/quiet title; Tax Title Services offers certification to enable earlier insuring in some cases. (No Yolo-branch-specific confirmation; see needs_verification.) — california §5b

C9. Purchaser Obligations → framework: california §10b

  • Subsequent-tax payment office: From recordation of the tax deed, the purchaser is the new owner of record and pays future property taxes to the Yolo County Treasurer-Tax Collector (online or by phone (877) 590-0714 via the Financial Services Property Tax page). California has no certificate “subs” mechanism (california §1). — https://www.yolocounty.gov/government/general-government-departments/financial-services/property-tax (retrieved via Wayback 2026-06-02)
  • Notice-to-owner procedure: California imposes no purchaser-run owner-notice obligation (there is no post-sale redemption to notice). The county Tax Collector is responsible for the RTC § 4676 “Notice of Right to Claim Excess Proceeds” to parties of interest after the deed records (mailed; published where no address is obtainable). See california §10b. — RTC § 4676
  • Redemption payment office: Pre-sale redemption (the only redemption available) is paid in full to the Treasurer-Tax Collector before the last-business-day-before-sale cutoff; there is no post-sale redemption office because the right is extinguished at the sale (RTC §§ 3707, 3708). — california §2
  • Occupancy / access notes: The tax deed conveys title and the right to possession; a holdover former owner/occupant must be removed by an unlawful-detainer action in the Yolo Superior Court (the county does not perform evictions). See california §10b. (No Yolo-specific possession-practice document located — see needs_verification.)

C10. Local Restrictions → framework: california §11b

  • Right of first refusal active locally? No special local ROFR. Yolo follows the statewide framework: any person/entity may bid (RTC § 3691, “any person”); the only pre-emptive rights are the statewide RTC § 3695.5 nonprofit objection/purchase mechanism and Chapter 8 (RTC §§ 3771–3841) negotiated sales to public/taxing agencies and qualified nonprofits — neither is a Yolo-specific program. See california §11b. — https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/YoloMay26 (retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Land bank: None identified. No dedicated Yolo County tax-defaulted-property land bank was found; affordable-housing acquisition would run through Chapter 8 negotiated sales or the county/cities, not a land bank authority. — (none located; see needs_verification)
  • Entity / insider notes: No Yolo-specific entity-purchase restriction or local insider-bidding ordinance located; statewide conflict-of-interest law (Gov. Code §§ 1090 / 87100) and the RTC apply (see california §11b). Surplus-recovery agents are subject to the statewide RTC § 4675(c) disclosure duty; no Yolo local fee cap located. — (see needs_verification)

▸ For Investors / Operators — Acquisition path: Bid4Assets online tax-deed auction (annual May; 13 parcels in 2026; certified funds/wire only; 3% premium) → tax deed → wait out the one-year RTC § 3725 window and/or quiet title in Yolo Superior Court — Civil Division (C8) → marketable/insurable title. Surviving liens follow RTC § 3712 (california §7b). Excess-proceeds venue is the Treasurer-Tax Collector → Board of Supervisors (C3).

▸ For Former Owners — Two separate clocks: (1) redeem by paying the Tax Collector in full (certified funds) before close of business the last business day before the sale; (2) if the property sells for more than the taxes/costs, claim the surplus with the Treasurer-Tax Collector, postmarked within one year of the tax deed’s recordation (RTC § 4675). Unclaimed surplus transfers to the county general fund after one year (RTC § 4676(d)).

C7. Meta

  • sources:
  • needs_verification:
    • Current ACTTC/Financial Services department-head name and exact title — sources conflict (Howard Newens historically; some sources name Tom Haynes for Financial Services). The county org-chart PDF returns HTTP 403 to automated fetch. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Yolo-specific “Claim for Excess Proceeds” form URL and instructions — not located as a separately retrievable document (county tax PDFs behind a 403 edge filter; no dedicated excess-proceeds page surfaced in the Wayback index). Statewide SCO template applies. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Whether Yolo separately publishes a list of unclaimed tax-sale excess proceeds before transfer to the general fund under RTC § 4676(d) — a general “Unclaimed Property/Checks” page exists, but no tax-sale-specific list located. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Yolo “5 Pay Plan” specifics (initial payment %, plan fee, default rules) — county FAQ confirms the plan exists at the Tax Collector’s discretion, but exact local terms not retrieved. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Yolo-specific quiet-title timeline and cost — only statewide estimates (california §5b); no Yolo docket-level data primary-sourced. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Title insurers writing Yolo tax deeds — statewide underwriters assumed; no Yolo-branch confirmation. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Yolo-specific possession/eviction practice during the post-deed period — relies on statewide unlawful-detainer rule; no county document located. (1 pt — honest gap)
    • Any Yolo local cap/restriction on surplus-recovery-agent fees, or any Yolo land-bank authority — none located; statewide framework applies. (1 pt — honest gap)
  • cross_links: california, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, third-party-recovery-rules, treasurer-sale, tyler-v-hennepin-county, jones-v-flowers, mullane-v-central-hanover, heirs-property, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, federal-tax-lien-redemption
  • changelog:
    • 2026-06-02 — Initial population (autoresearch). Verified against Yolo County official sources: Property Tax FAQ ($15 redemption fee, 1.5$8,191, $5,000+$35 deposit, deposit deadline May 11, settlement May 21, 3% buyer’s premium, $35 admin fee, doc transfer tax, certified funds/wire only, no second-bidder fallback, “County of Glenn” copy-paste artifact); May 2024 storefront (recurring Bid4Assets vendor); May 2023 & May 2025 cancelled; ACE Clerk-Recorder Official Records Search (Tyler portal yolocountyca-web.tylerhost.net) and Assessor Property Value Look-Up (common1.mptsweb.com/mbap/yolo/asr); Yolo GIS portal; Superior Court Civil Division (1000 Main St, (530) 406-6704) as quiet-title venue; Sheriff’s Civil Section (140 Tony Diaz Dr, (530) 668-5275) for judicial-execution writs. Key local structure: tax sale + excess proceeds run through the consolidated Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector (Financial Services, Treasury & Revenues Division); Assessor/Clerk-Recorder is the separate ACE department. 8 needs_verification items flagged (all row 2). gap_score = 8.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Yolo County tax-sale operations from the county’s own official sources as of the last_verified date. Auction platforms, dates, deposit amounts, deadlines, and office contacts change each cycle; verify against the cited county pages, the live Bid4Assets storefront, the parent framework california, and consult a licensed California attorney before acting.

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