Riverside County

Sale typeWhat you actually buy. A lien sale gives you a claim on the property and the owner keeps it for now; a deed sale transfers the property itself. A redeemable deed transfers ownership but still gives the former owner time to pay you back. See the full glossary for more terms.

deed

Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 3691

Interest / penaltyWhat you earn when the owner redeems. Interest is a rate paid over time; a penalty is usually a one-time percentage of the tax or redemption amount. A rate that is bid down during the auction is still interest. See the full glossary for more terms.

1.5% per month redemption penalty

Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 4103

RedemptionHow long the former owner has to repay the debt and keep the property after the sale. Your money stays tied up until this window closes, so a long period can mean a multi-year wait on a lien. See the full glossary for more terms.

none after sale; right of redemption terminates before the sale

Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 3707

Bid methodHow the winner is chosen: bidding the interest rate down, bidding a premium above the amount owed, a random or rotating draw, or simply buying at the minimum bid. See the full glossary for more terms.

highest bidder at public auction

Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 3693

Sale timingWhen sales are typically held. Many counties publish sale lists only a few weeks ahead, and some sell continuously or on their own schedule. See the full glossary for more terms.

varies by county

Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 3692

Auction platforms

• Bid4Assets

Parcels in this county

No parcels listed yet.

1. 1.Research the parcel before bidding: all property is offered and sold as is, the county makes no guarantee as to title, physical location or condition, and liens, bonds or assessments levied by other agencies may still be outstanding after the sale
2. 2.Confirm the property is subject to the Treasurer-Tax Collector's power of sale: the county states it does not offer tax lien certificates or make over-the-counter sales, so the public auction is the only way to buy
3. 3.Pre-register as a bidder with the county's online auction contractor and pay the $5,000.00 refundable deposit plus the $35.00 processing fee no later than the county's stated deadline
4. 4.Bid online on the advertised parcel list; the minimum bid is not less than the total amount needed to redeem the tax default plus costs, and parcels that receive no acceptable bid may be re-offered at a reduced minimum bid under Rev. & Tax. Code 3698.5(c)
5. 5.If you are the high bidder, the deposit is applied to the purchase price and you must submit deed vesting information within 48 hours of the close of the auction
6. 6.Pay the full purchase price by electronic fund transfer or cashier's check by the county's payment deadline; a documentary transfer tax is added to and collected with the purchase price

RegistrationSigning up as a bidder before the sale. Counties set the deadlines and paperwork, which may include an application, identification, and a no-delinquent-taxes statement. See the full glossary for more terms.

Required: YesOnline

before bidding: the county requires anyone wishing to participate as a bidder at a scheduled tax sale to be registered, and the notice for the April 23 - April 28, 2026 online sale set the pre-registration and deposit deadline at April 20, 2026

DepositMoney you must post before or at the sale, often a flat amount or a percentage of your bid. It is usually applied to the purchase price if you win and is often non-refundable if you fail to pay. See the full glossary for more terms.

Required: YesUnknown$5,00010% of amount owed

a single refundable deposit of $5,000.00 plus a $35.00 processing fee must be made online no later than the county's pre-registration deadline (April 20, 2026 for the April 23 - April 28, 2026 sale) and is applied to the successful bidder's purchase price

FormsPaperwork a county may collect before you can bid, such as a bidder ID card or a W-9 for tax reporting. See the full glossary for more terms.

Bidder ID card: UnknownW-9: Unknown

Riverside County (FIPS 06065) sells tax-defaulted property, not tax lien certificates: the Treasurer-Tax Collector conducts a public auction and the county states it makes no over-the-counter sales. Bidders must pre-register with the county's online auction contractor and post a refundable $5,000.00 deposit plus a $35.00 processing fee by the county's deadline; the April 23 - April 28, 2026 sale required pre-registration and deposit by April 20, 2026 and final payment by May 1, 2026 through electronic fund transfer or cashier's check. The county documents do not state the deposit's acceptable instruments, any bidder identification or W-9 requirement, a residency rule or a delinquent-tax bar, so those fields remain unknown. Statewide framing is Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 3691 et seq. (see data/bidder_process/state/CA.json).