GuidesMichigan
How to buy tax-sale property in Michigan (2026)
You buy the property itself, not a lien. The redemption period is not documented. You earn 0.5% interest a month. You buy at the minimum bid price. Sales are held once a year, typically in July and November.
Michigan sells deeds, not liens
Michigan is a tax-foreclosure state. The foreclosing governmental unit takes absolute title by judgment of foreclosure and then sells the property itself, so the bidder buys real property rather than a lien. There is no post-sale redemption from the auction purchaser in the way a lien state has one.
How the public land auction works
Sales run from the third Tuesday in July through the first Tuesday in November after the judgment, with at least 30 days' published notice of the time and location. Property is sold to the minimum bidder, or, if a bid exceeds the minimum, to the highest amount above the minimum. The minimum bid covers delinquent taxes, interest, penalties and fees, and may include the unit's foreclosure and auction expenses.
Registration and $ deposit
Bidding and payment terms
Bidding is at auction on the minimum-bid structure above. The unit must require full payment at the close of each day's bidding or by a date not more than 21 days after the sale, and must see proof that the purchaser paid any property taxes owed to the local tax collecting unit before conveying.
After the sale
Before a deed issues, the buyer must file a penalty-of-perjury affidavit that they hold no more than a minimal legal interest in property with delinquent taxes in the same county and owe no ordinance civil fines to the local tax collecting unit. A person convicted of a false affidavit is barred from future bidding. The unit must convey the deed not more than 14 days after payment of all required amounts.
Platforms (tax-sale.info) and county list
Michigan auctions are run county by county, and the state registry does not yet verify a platform for each county; the auction may be conducted on a website set by the foreclosing governmental unit. Confirm the host county's site before the sale.
| County | Sale type | Redemption | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcona County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Alger County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Allegan County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Alpena County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Antrim County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Arenac County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Baraga County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Barry County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Bay County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Benzie County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Berrien County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Branch County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Calhoun County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Cass County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Charlevoix County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Cheboygan County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Chippewa County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Clare County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Clinton County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Crawford County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Delta County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Dickinson County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Eaton County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Emmet County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Genesee County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Gladwin County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Gogebic County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Grand Traverse County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Gratiot County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Hillsdale County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Houghton County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Huron County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Ingham County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Ionia County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Iosco County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Iron County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Isabella County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Jackson County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Kalamazoo County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Kalkaska County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Kent County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Keweenaw County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Lake County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Lapeer County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Leelanau County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Lenawee County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Livingston County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Luce County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Mackinac County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Macomb County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Manistee County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Marquette County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Mason County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Mecosta County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Menominee County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Midland County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Missaukee County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Monroe County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Montcalm County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Montmorency County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Muskegon County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Newaygo County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Oakland County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Oceana County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Ogemaw County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Ontonagon County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Osceola County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Oscoda County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Otsego County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Ottawa County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Presque Isle County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Roscommon County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Saginaw County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Sanilac County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Schoolcraft County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Shiawassee County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| St. Clair County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| St. Joseph County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Tuscola County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Van Buren County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Washtenaw County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Wayne County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
| Wexford County | deed | until March 31 following foreclosure judgment | not documented |
The registry lists 83 Michigan counties. No county-level platform is verified yet, so treat it as varies by county.
FAQ
- Does Michigan sell tax liens?
- No — Michigan is a tax-foreclosure state and sells deeds after the foreclosing governmental unit takes title. MCL 211.78m
- How do Michigan tax auctions work?
- Property is sold to the minimum bidder, or the highest amount above the minimum, in sales running from the third Tuesday in July through the first Tuesday in November. MCL 211.78m(2); MCL 211.78m(2)
- Can you buy Michigan tax foreclosed property online?
- Yes, where the foreclosing governmental unit conducts an internet auction; the statute permits sales by internet website. Registration and deposit rules vary by county.
- What do I actually buy at a Michigan tax sale?
- The investor buys the property itself at sale. No redemption period usually follows, so title transfers directly.
- How long does the owner have to redeem the property in Michigan?
- Not verified from an official source yet, so treat it as unknown and confirm with the county.
- What interest or penalty do I earn on a Michigan tax sale?
- 0.5% flat per month.
- How is the winning bidder chosen in Michigan?
- The sale is at a fixed minimum bid, with no bidding above it.
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