Deschutes 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

ORS 312.200

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.

interest 1-1/3% per month on delinquent taxes; 5% penalty plus interest on redemption (ORS 312.120(2))

ORS 311.505

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.

2 years after judgment of foreclosure, unless sooner redeemed

ORS 312.120

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.

public high-bid auction to highest bidder (after county holds property)

ORS 312.520

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 (auctioned only after redemption period if not retained/transferred)

ORS 312.520

Auction platforms

No platform listing found yet.

Parcels in this county

No parcels listed yet.

1. 1.Confirm the county has foreclosed: real property is subject to foreclosure once three years have elapsed from the earliest delinquency date, and title is deeded to the county after the redemption period (ORS 312.010(1), 312.200)
2. 2.Watch for the county's disposition of the property: a former primary residence is listed with a real estate broker or agent, while other property goes to a public high-bid auction (ORS 312.520(1)-(3))
3. 3.Find the auction advertisement, which must run in a multiple listing service for at least 30 days before the auction; the auction may include real-time online bidding (ORS 312.520(3)(c)(A), (3)(e))
4. 4.Bid at least the minimum starting bid: two-thirds of the property's fair market value, or, at a re-auction after a failed sale, the outstanding taxes and allowable costs (ORS 312.520(3)(c)(C), (4))
5. 5.Win as the highest bidder, provided the bid exceeds the outstanding taxes and other allowable costs (ORS 312.520(3)(b))
6. 6.Close the sale with the county and take the deed; the county deposits the gross proceeds and determines any surplus for the former owner (ORS 312.520(8), 312.530)

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: UnknownUnknown

Not verified from a source yet.

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: UnknownUnknown

Not verified from a source yet.

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

EligibilityRules about who may bid. Some counties restrict non-residents or bar anyone who owes delinquent taxes from participating. See the full glossary for more terms.

Residency required: UnknownNo delinquent taxes: Unknown

Oregon does not auction tax liens: the county forecloses judicially, takes a deed, and later disposes of the property. ORS 312.520 (rewritten by 2025 c.475) sends former primary residences to a broker listing and everything else to a public high-bid auction with a two-thirds fair-market-value floor; a second auction drops the floor to the taxes and allowable costs. Bidder registration, deposits, and forms are not addressed in the statutes cited, so they remain unknown.