Bidder Registration

Anyone wishing to participate as a bidder in our tax sale must be registered to bid.

Bidder Registration and Deposit Requirements

To purchase a property through the internet auction, you must:

  1. Be 18 years of age or older.
  2. Be a valid, registered bidder and submitted the required deposit
  3. Have sufficient payment in the proper form to complete your purchase(s)

A $1,000 advance bid deposit, and a non-refundable $35 bid deposit processing fee, is required of each bidder prior to bidding on any property that is part of this internet auction. The deposit payment shall be made via an electronic debit (ACH debit) to Grant Street Group starting on April 19, 2024, at 9 a.m. Pacific Time. In order to participate in this tax auction, all bid deposit payments shall be received by Grant Street Group no later than 5 p.m., Pacific Time, on May 9, 2024. Registration is not permitted through the mail and will not be permitted after this date.

Refund of the bid deposit shall be made to unsuccessful bidders within ten (10) business days after the close of the internet tax auction. Grant Street Group shall transfer the deposit of the successful bidders (i.e., the highest bidder of each property auction) to the County of San Diego where the deposit shall be credited toward their purchases, subject to meeting the Settlement Requirements described in the next section.

The online property tax auction is scheduled for May 17 – 22, 2024.

The auctions will begin at 8 a.m., Pacific Time, on May 17, 2024, and auctions will begin closing on May 20, 2024, at 8 a.m., Pacific Time, and continue through May 22, 2024, at various intervals.    Please check auction listings for the correct close date and time for each property that you are interested in.

To receive emails about the Public Auction Tax Sale registration requirements and timeline, please sign up for our e-notifications:

  • Enter your email in the e-notification section at the bottom of this page.
  • Click the "Submit" button.
  • Fill out the New Subscriber information form.
  • Choose "Public Auction Tax Sale Events" to receive timely updates regarding the tax sale.

DEED INFORMATION

If you want to become a bidder, you must complete and submit a Deed Information Sheet. This sheet is available online when registering. All parties who will be taking title to a property must sign the sheet.

Know how you wish to have a title to the property vested. NO CHANGES to vesting will be allowed after registration. The title will appear exactly as instructed by the Deed Information Sheet. After that, any changes to the name(s) or manner must be made after the Tax Deed has been recorded.

To help you determine how a title is to be vested, please refer to the   Title Vesting Schedule .  This information is provided for informational purposes only. Specific questions for actual real property transaction should be directed to your attorney, accountant, or financial advisor.

If you want the title to be held in the name of a legal entity, you must provide additional documentation to show the legal name and existence of the entity, as well as the name and capacity of the person(s) authorized to act on behalf of the legal entity. You must also show that the party/parties have the authority to purchase property at the Public Auction Tax Sale on behalf of the entity to be vested on the title.

A successful bidder may take possession of a property after the Tax Deed to Purchaser has been recorded. However, most title companies will not insure the title until one year after the tax sale deed is recorded. Legal action to challenge a tax sale must be brought within one year of the tax sale deed recording date. Therefore, it is not advisable to make any improvements to the property during the first year of ownership.

NOTE: In the event that a sale is canceled, all payments made will be returned without interest. Any costs incurred by the purchaser during the process will be borne by the purchaser.

TAX SALE FORMS

All tax sale forms (Deed Information Sheet & Wire Instructions) are available at the online auction site. These forms can be filled in online and printed out for mailing to the Treasurer-Tax Collector.

COMPLETING FILL-IN FORMS

We are providing a fill-in function for some of our forms. This will allow you to enter information directly on the form and print the form with the information you entered. You are still required to sign and mail the form through regular mail.

Fill-in forms are identified by the icon. There is no computation, validation or verification of the information you enter, and you are still responsible for entering all required information.

Acrobat Reader does not allow you to save your completed forms. When you have finished entering your information, print as many copies of the document as you may need (e.g., one copy for the Treasurer-Tax Collector, one copy for your files).

To use the fill-in forms:

  • Open the PDF form.
  • The hand tool from the Acrobat toolbar menu should already be selected. Move the hand tool inside a form field. Click when it changes to an I-beam pointer. - The I-beam pointer allows you to type text. - The pointing finger allows you to check a box by clicking on it. Note: You cannot access the check-boxes using the Tab key.
  • Press Tab to accept the information you have typed and go to the next field.
  • Press Shift + Tab to accept the information you have typed and go to the previous field.
  • You may also use your mouse to move from field to field.
  • When you have completed the form, print, sign and mail the form to:

ATTN: Tax Sales
County of San Diego Treasurer-Tax Collector
1600 Pacific Highway, Rm 162
San Diego, Ca 92101-2474

  • Don't forget to print a copy for your records.