- 1). Read the community newspaper for updates on government tax sales. City, town and county boards typically publish legal notices to note which properties are delinquent. That serves as a notice that the properties will be put on the auction block if the back taxes are not paid soon. When the payment deadline has passed, there should be a legal notice that has information about a scheduled land sale, and the address of every property should be noted in it. The paper might also do a news story about such properties.
- 2). Call the clerks' offices at all area cities and towns, and ask if a land sale will be scheduled soon. Information and photos of the properties that are scheduled to be sold might be posted in those offices, and may also be on a given locality's website. Local governments often could be motivated to promote the sale heavily, because more bidders typically means more money.
- 3). Contact the state's real property office. States do not charge property taxes, but they set the assessment and property exemption guidelines that towns, cities and counties must follow. Personnel in the state office may have dates and locations for several tax sales across the state. Follow up with each municipality's notice to obtain information and possibly photos of the properties that are scheduled to be sold. The state office may also know about U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-funded homes that have been foreclosed on. HUD grants are often administered at the state level.
- 4). Check with the Internal Revenue Service, which can seize and sell properties if income taxes remain unpaid. According to the IRS, all properties are sold "where is" and "as is," and the buyers have no legal recourse against the U.S. government after the sale if they are unhappy with their purchase.
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