Auctions are regularly held in October/November. There may be one in April/May as needed.

Available parcels are listed online (https://treasurer.danecounty.gov/taxdeedauction) in chronological order by Bid Due date. The available listing will be updated 6 weeks before an auction and upon recording a Quit Claim deed following a purchase. A courtesy notice of availability is mailed to the municipality and neighboring property owners within 300-feet.

Auctions are conducted through a sealed bid. The Bid Due date is the day before the Bid Opening. The Bid Opening will be held in the Dane County Treasurer’s Office (210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, room 114, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703) or a designated hearing room of the building.

Dane County does not sell tax deeds or tax liens. Dane County sells properties acquired via the tax deed process. Tax deed auctions are conducted pursuant to Wis. Stat. §75.35.

Available parcels are listed on the Tax Deed Auction page under the "Available Parcels" tab. This page is updated 6 weeks before an auction and upon recording a Quit Claim deed following a purchase.

• Once available and listed online
  • Bids can be accepted using the "Bid Form" button next to the specific parcel.
  • A courtesy notice of availability is mailed to the municipality and neighboring property owners within 300-feet.
• Once sold, the purchased parcels are shifted to the "Sold Parcels" tab on the same page.

Available parcel listing (https://treasurer.danecounty.gov/taxdeedauction) has links for more information on individual parcels:

• View Parcel button: links to Access Dane
  • Assessments
  • Taxes
  • Legal descriptions
• Details button: links to committee reports
  • Professional appraisals 
  • Treasurer parcel reports
  • Meeting minutes
• Bid Form button: pre-populated with the respective parcel number and bid due date/time

It is the bidder’s responsibility to:

• Investigate property details prior to putting in a bid to Dane County
• Check with the municipality for any outstanding assessments or charges not on a tax bill
• Identify current tax year amounts to pay if being collected by the municipality (see Delinquencies: who pays? below)
• Research any other additional information not included in the advertisement

IMPORTANT: Do not call the Treasurer’s Office for sale information. Staff cannot provide strategic advice or assist in bid preparation in any way. Queries for general information will be referred to this site.

Occupants may be using available parcels at the time of a Fall auction.

State law provides former owners the right to repurchase until public auction. Available parcels are quit-claimed to the successful bidders "as-is," with or without occupants. Occupant status is listed on https://treasurer.danecounty.gov/taxdeedauction*

• Click on  "Details" Button
• View the “Treasurer Parcel Report"

*NOTE:

• Available parcels will be vacant for Spring auctions.
• The repurchase process is described under Repurchasing below.

A walk-through may be possible to schedule for available parcels.

• Parcels without occupants:
  • A walk-through can be scheduled by emailing treasurer@danecounty.gov.
  • No walk-through will be provided the week of an auction.
• Parcels with occupants: No walk-through will be provided.

Available parcels are quit-claimed to successful bidders "as-is," with or without occupants. Occupant status is listed on https://treasurer.danecounty.gov/taxdeedauction

• Click on  "Details" Button
• View the “Treasurer Parcel Report"

Available parcel listing is on the Tax Deed Auction page, which identifies Bid Due date and time. Bid Opening will be the following day.

Bids are awarded according to the following criteria:

• Only bids at or exceeding the appraised value;
• Only bidders with no unpaid real estate delinquencies in Dane County;*
• Only bidders not involved with the tax deed process administration (auction included);
• Dollar amount of the bid;
• Bidder access to the property; and
• Earliest received bid (if all other criteria equal).

The Dane County Treasurer, or designee, will open and read the bids at the Bid Opening date and time. Members of the public may attend the Bid Opening, but there is no public participation.

After the bids are opened, the Treasurer will verify all the bids for compliance with the bid criteria and send notification to the successful bidder within forty-eight (48) hours by certified mail. All other deposits will be returned to the respective bidders. If the successful bidder does not complete the purchase transaction within ten (10) days of receiving the award notification, the Treasurer will notify the next qualifying bidder. If there is no additional qualifying bidder to contact, Dane Co. Ord. Ch. 26.19 (3) authorizes “…the treasurer [to] sell the parcel at anytime thereafter to any person making an offer at or exceeding the appraised value.”

*If the Bidder is a Limited Liability Company, Corporation, or any other type of business entity, then its bid will only be accepted if no member, stockholder, or other owner of the business entity has any delinquent real estate taxes in Dane County, and no other business entity owned by any member, stockholder, or other owner of the Bidder has any delinquent real estate taxes in Dane County.

Bid Forms are available online (https://treasurer.danecounty.gov/taxdeedauction) for each available parcel. The following information must be included on every bid form:

• Parcel Number
• Bid amount
• Legal Name of Bidder
• Name of Managing Partner (if applicable)
• Street Address (not PO Box)
• Mailing Address (not PO Box)
• Signature of Bidder

The following information is required on bid forms if an agent is representing a bidder:

• Agent Name
• Agent Street Address (not PO Box)
• Agent Mailing Address (not PO Box)
• Signature of Agent

IMPORTANT: To combine an auctioned parcel with a neighboring parcel, both properties must be listed as the same owner/s. To do this, the “Legal Name of the Bidder” should be identical to what is listed on the neighboring parcel.

Each bid (a completed bid form enclosed with 10% of the bid for earnest deposit) must be in a separate, sealed envelope for each bid for each parcel and clearly addressed in the following format:

The envelope must include the words “TAX DEED AUCTION BID” in bold capital letters followed by the Bid Due date in parentheses . Multiple sealed bids can be submitted in a larger mailer clearly addressed in the above format.

All bids must be received in the Dane County Treasurer’s Office by the Bid Due date and time listed to be considered. Hand-delivered bids, subject to the same timeliness requirements, will be accepted and date-stamped at the Treasurer’s Office.

All payments must be in the form of cash or cashiers check.

• Auction Bidder: Earnest Deposit (10% of the bid) must accompany each completed corresponding bid form within the sealed envelope (see Bid Forms above).
• Successful Bidder: Balance of bid must be received by the Dane County Treasurer’s Office within ten (10) days of receiving the bid award notification letter.

IMPORTANT: No payment arrangements, personal or business checks, credit or debit card transactions, ACH, or wire payments.

Available parcels are listed online (https://treasurer.danecounty.gov/taxdeedauction) in chronological order by Bid Due date.

Bid Due date & time: Tuesday at 1:30pm, day before Bid Opening

• Completed bid form
• Earnest deposit (10% of the bid)

Bid Opening date & time: Wednesday at 10:30am, day after Bid Due

• Treasurer, Treasurer Staff (x1), Staff from another office (x1)
• Public is welcome to attend

The county will notify the successful bidder within forty-eight (48) hours of the Bid Opening.

• Notice will be sent via certified mail to the successful bidder (or representative of the bidder if applicable) as identified on the bid form.
• All other deposits will be returned to the respective bidders (or representative of the bidder if applicable) as identified on the bid form.
• Please be advised that US Postal Service delivery time may vary.

After receiving the balance of the bid and any changes to the settlement statement, the Treasurer’s Office will arrange for

• A Quit Claim Deed to be prepared
• Notarization by the the County Clerk
• Recording of the deed with the Register of Deeds

Purchase transactions must be completed within ten (10) days of receiving the bid award notification letter. If there is a default,

• The 10% earnest money will be kept by Dane County.
• Dane County Treasurer will send notice within forty-eight (48) hours to the next successful bidder.
• Upon receiving the notification letter, the next successful bidder will have ten (10) days to complete the transaction.

The successful purchaser must:

• Accept the notification letter and sign the USPS return receipt.
• Be prepared with cash or cashiers check to cover the balance of the bid.
• Return the settlement statement identifying any changes on the document along with the balance of the bid.
• Arrange any desired legal counsel as desired.
• Pay current tax year property taxes when being collected by the municipality (see Delinquencies: who pays? below).
• Pay future tax bills (including specials for any unpaid service charges like water utility, snow/ice removal, lawn care, Farm Drainage, etc.).

IMPORTANT:

• All payments must be in the form of cash or cashiers check. No payment arrangements, personal or business checks, credit or debit card transactions, ACH, or wire payments.
• It is recommended that purchasers consult a legal advisor concerning details of the purchase transaction. Dane County cannot and will not function as a legal advisor to the purchaser in any way.

"Who Pays" calculated taxes, specials, interest, and penalty of tax-deeded parcels depends upon when the property is purchased.

Current Tax Year (most recent December tax bill)

• December - January: Successful Purchaser will pay in-full the most recent taxes and any associated specials to the municipality (city/village/town).
• February - July:
  • Non-Madison parcels: Dane County will pay in-full the most recent taxes and any associated specials, interest, and penalty
  • Madison parcels: Successful Purchaser will pay in-full the most recent taxes and any associated specials, interest, and penalty to Madison
• August forward: Dane County will pay in-full the most recent taxes and any associated specials, interest, and penalty

Older Tax Years: Dane County will pay the delinquent taxes, specials, interest, and penalty.

The list of available properties on the Tax Deed Auction page identifies the Bid Due date and time of the sealed bid auction. In accordance with Dane Co. Ord. Ch. 26.19 (3), “[i]f a parcel is not sold by bid at the first date offered for sale, the treasurer may sell the parcel at anytime thereafter to any person making an offer at or exceeding the appraised value.”

To make an offer after the sealed bid auction date, contact the Dane County Treasurer’s Office in writing (an email to treasurer@danecounty.gov is acceptable) no earlier than the day after the bid opening. Either attach a completed bid form (no earnest money required), or include the following information in the body of the email:

• Parcel Number
• Offer amount
• Legal Name of Bidder
• Name of Managing Partner (if applicable)
• Street Address (not PO Box)
• Mailing Address (not PO Box)

The following information is also required if an agent is representing a bidder:

• Agent Name
• Agent Street Address (not PO Box)
• Agent Mailing Address (not PO Box)

The same criteria used to review the bids will be used to determine qualification of an offer after the auction date starting no sooner than the Monday after the scheduled bid opening. Post-auction offers will be reviewed in the order they are received. The earliest received qualifying offer will be provided an opportunity to complete the transaction.

A notice to complete the transaction within ten (10) days will be sent to the first offer received that meets the bid criteria. All payments must be in the form of cash or cashiers check. If there is a default, the Dane County Treasurer will send notice within forty-eight (48) hours to the next qualified offer. Upon receiving the notification letter, the next qualified offer will have ten (10) days to complete the transaction.

The former owner, beneficiaries, or heirs whose property transferred to Dane County's ownership via tax deed have two options ...

1. Option 1: Allow the county to sell the property via public auction and return any net proceeds to the former owner.
2. Option 2: Repurchase the tax-deeded property up to 2 weeks prior to the auction Bid Due date*

*NOTE: The repurchase process is described under Repurchasing below.

Repurchasing tax-deeded property to avoid public auction is possible up to 2 weeks prior to the auction Bid Due date by completing the following*

1. Pay all encumbrances in-full to those copied on the “Notice of Application for Tax Deed"
2. Record, or ensure that all interest holders have recorded, a satisfaction of their interest
3. Pay Dane County the following in cash or with a cashier’s check ...
   • Full amount due towards the respective property taxes including specials, interest, penalty, and tax deed expenses (see the e-Statement on Access Dane)
   • 1% assessed value (see the Notice of Recording letter)
   • $60 for the Dane County Treasurer to order a new title report after all encumbrances have been satisfied (if any encumbrances were identified)

• Dane County will
  • Order a new title report, which should read no liens or other encumbrances once the tax payment clears all banks
  • Prepare and record a Quit Claim deed back to the former owner if the above criteria are met

*NOTE: The Bid Due date is listed on the Tax Deed Auction page.

If repurchased by the former owner, beneficiary, or heir: The county will prepare and record a Quit Claim Deed.

If sold via public auction or thereafter: The county will return any net proceeds to the former owner upon sale.

• Any net proceeds would be returned on or about the timing of the subsequent auction after sale (typically October & April).
• If net proceeds go unclaimed, the net proceeds will be transferred into the Unclaimed Funds process.

If sold via public auction or thereafter:

• Please discuss the potential of maintaining occupancy or sharing your relocation arrangements with the new owners to help avoid the eviction process through the courts.
• Please keep the Dane County Treasurer's Office informed of where to send any net proceeds if applicable.

If not sold at public auction or thereafter:

• Please stay in touch with the Dane County Trasurer's Office (treasurer@danecounty.gov)
• Please identify which of the following you intend to proceed with ...
  • Repurchasing before the county files for an eviction court hearing.
  • Arranging for relocation to help avoid the eviction process through the courts.