Greenville, Miss.—Bidding begins June 21 in an online auction of 1,085 tax-forfeited properties in Washington County valued at an estimated $4.1 million, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann announced at a press conference in Greenville today.
An auction of 672 parcels in Lauderdale County valued at an estimated $3.8 million begins on the same date. Almost all of the parcels up for auction in Washington County are within Greenville city limits. The properties in the Lauderdale County sale are located in Meridian and the northern part of the county.
“These online auctions are great for local communities because they make it easier for citizens to purchase property forfeited to the State for nonpayment of ad valorem taxes,” said Secretary Hosemann, who launched online auctions in July 2016. “Formerly neglected properties are restored to the tax rolls and money raised is distributed to cities, counties, and schools.”
Bids may be submitted online in both auctions on the Secretary of State’s online auction portal until Wednesday, July 19, 2017, by 5 p.m. CST. To place a bid, a user is required to register online. Users may view property details such as parcel location, pictures, and an auction map. Other information, such as auction dates, bid notices, and market values of property are also available online. Successful bidders will be notified by e-mail as soon as possible after the auction closes, and payment of the bid amount must be paid within fifteen (15) days of notification.
Buyers will also be permitted to pay a “Buy It Now” price on any parcel, which allows them purchase a property immediately instead of waiting until the end of the auction.
In recent years, successful auctions in Bay St. Louis, Greenville, Greenwood, Hinds County, Jackson, McComb, Meridian, Pearl River County, Rankin County, Waveland, Vicksburg, and Yazoo City have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Mississippi schools, municipalities, and counties.
To learn more about tax-forfeited properties, visit the Secretary of State’s website or call the Public Lands Division at (601)-359-515
