Indiana tax sale list: how the sale works and how to use the list

An Indiana tax sale list names every parcel a county is about to offer for unpaid property taxes. Counties publish it once a year, shortly before the sale. Parcels whose certificates sell then enter a redemption period, and during that time the owner can still pay or sell. This guide explains how the sale works, what "unredeemed" means, the risks for a buyer, and how to build a list of owners you can reach before the deadline.

How Indiana's annual tax sale works

1. Taxes go delinquent. Parcels that stay behind on property taxes can end up on the county's next tax sale list.
2. The county publishes the list. It comes out before the sale. In 2026, many counties held their sales in September and October.
3. Bidders buy certificates. The winning bidder on each parcel gets a tax sale certificate. The property stays in the owner's name while the redemption period runs.
4. The owner can redeem. The owner has a set period to redeem by paying what is owed.
5. Tax deed. If the period ends without a redemption, the certificate holder may petition for a tax deed.
6. Commissioners' sale. Parcels that get no bid can be offered again later at a county commissioners' sale, on different terms.

Many counties run their sale on an online auction site, and a few run it themselves. The auditor's notice names the venue, the dates and the bidder rules. Read it before you register to bid.

What "unredeemed" means

To redeem, the owner pays what is owed and keeps the property. An unredeemed parcel is one whose certificate sold and whose owner hasn't done that yet. Each one has a deadline running: when the redemption period ends, the certificate holder can move to take the property with a tax deed.

Status changes quickly. Marion County's list carries a current status for each parcel, such as sold, owner redeemed, payment plan, county lien or bankruptcy, and statuses are posted daily as owners pay. Check the status again right before you mail. The Marion County tax-sale post explains each status on that list.

The risks: redemption, title and occupancy

• Redemption. Many owners redeem. On Marion County's list, most parcels from older sales show the owner redeemed, and far fewer show a deed issued. If you buy certificates, plan for most to be redeemed. If you write to owners, expect many to pay the taxes and keep the house.
• Title. A tax deed comes only after a petition, and some sales don't stand. Marion's statuses include invalid sale and encroachment issues. If you buy from the owner during redemption, the unpaid taxes and any mortgage have to be paid at closing. Order a title search and check with a local real-estate attorney before you bid or sign.
• Occupancy. During redemption the property still belongs to the owner, and someone may live there. Marion County's public roll has no homestead deduction field, so it can't tell you whether that someone is the owner. Treat occupancy and condition as unknown until you see the house.

Build a list from the treasurer and auditor lists

1. Start with the auditor's advertised list. It names every parcel offered at the sale. Where the county uses an auction site, the list is usually posted there as well.
2. Add the treasurer's results. After the sale they show which parcels sold, which didn't, and which have paid since. In Marion County the Treasurer's list is on IndyGIS, the city-county map service, with a status for every parcel and sale year back to 2008.
3. Keep the open parcels. Drop the ones marked paid, redeemed or removed. Keep sold certificates still in redemption, county liens headed to the commissioners' sale, payment plans and bankruptcies, and record which is which.
4. Match each parcel to the assessor roll. Join on the parcel number to get the owner's name and mailing address. The statewide IndianaMap parcel layer has no owner names, so you need the county's own roll. Several large counties, Marion among them, publish owner layers on public map services.
5. Read the license first. Indiana lets a county limit commercial use of the electronic data it hands out (IC 5-14-3-3(e)). Hamilton County has an ordinance that does, and Lake County's parcel layer bars commercial use.
6. Flag the owner situation. A mailing address outside Indiana marks an out-of-state owner, and one that differs from the property address marks an absentee owner. Where the roll shows the homestead deduction, treat the owner as living there.
7. Add sale history. Indiana's sales-disclosure files give the date and price of recorded sales back to 2008, which helps you judge how long the owner has held the property.
8. Refresh before every mailing. Owners pay throughout the year, and a parcel that redeemed last week shouldn't get your letter.

Reach owners before they lose the property

The useful window is the redemption period. The owner can still pay the taxes, stay on a payment plan, or sell and pay the taxes at closing. An owner with equity who sells before a tax deed keeps what is left after the taxes and any mortgage are paid. Write to the mailing address on the assessor roll and keep the letter plain: what you'd offer, how fast you can close, and that paying the taxes is also an option.

Propertiz applies these rules in Indiana:

What Propertiz reads

Propertiz reads Indiana tax-sale lists in Indianapolis and South Bend, from each county's own published list. It keeps the parcels from recent sales that are still open, ties each one to its parcel on the assessor roll, and adds the owner's mailing address, absentee and out-of-state flags, HUD market rents and DSCR at your purchase price. A parcel that pays, redeems or comes off the list drops out.

Each county page shows what is covered there and what isn't yet: Indianapolis (Marion County) and South Bend (St. Joseph County). The Indiana page lists every county. For foreclosures, homestead and where each record lives, see the Indiana distressed property playbook.