Butte County, CA
Tax-defaulted properties re-offer auction, runs through Aug 10
Butte County is running a tax-defaulted property re-offer auction from August 7 through August 10.
A "re-offer" auction lists parcels that didn't sell — or didn't meet the minimum bid — at a prior county tax sale. California tax-defaulted sales are deed sales: the winning bidder receives the property directly, with no certificate stage. The owner's right to redeem ends at the close of business on the last business day before the sale begins, and there is no redemption period after it (Rev. & Tax. Code § 3707).
California rules at a glance
California sells the property itself, not a certificate. Five years after taxes go into default (three for nonresidential commercial property), the county tax collector can auction the parcel to the highest bidder, opening at the amount needed to redeem (Rev. & Tax. Code §§ 3691, 3698.5). The owner can redeem only until the close of business on the last business day before the sale (§ 3707). Afterward, anyone challenging the sale must first petition the board of supervisors within one year of the deed (§§ 3725, 3731) — a validity check, not a buy-back right.
The statute, the bidding and what goes wrong for new buyers are on the California page.
Property & tax profile
The median homeowner in Butte County pays $2,951 a year in property tax — below the California median of $5,124 (U.S.: $3,119). That is roughly what a typical home here owes for each year it goes unpaid — the debt that the opening bid at a deed sale is usually built from, plus interest and costs. Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $3,376; homes owned outright, $2,285.
On a home with a mortgage, the lender has its own reason to pay a delinquent tax bill: the tax lien outranks the mortgage, and a tax deed can wipe out the loan. On a home owned outright, nobody but the owner — or the heirs — has that reason. In Butte County, 41.7% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (California: 32.6%, U.S.: 39.4%). That is more than the state as a whole, so a larger share of the delinquent bills here have no lender behind them.
10.2% of all housing units in Butte County are vacant. The figure that matters for a buyer at the tax sale is the Census “other vacant” category — not for rent, not for sale, not a holiday home, but a catch-all that includes foreclosures, homes held up by legal proceedings or family reasons, homes needing repairs, and abandoned ones. Here it is 3.5% of all units (California: 2.1%, U.S.: 3.6%). That is above the state rate, so expect more empty properties on the delinquent list: the ones least likely to redeem, and the most likely to need work if the deed ends up yours. Drive by before you bid.
Half of the homes in Butte County were built in or before 1981 (California: in or before 1976). The typical tax bill is 4.3% of the median household income of $67,928 (California: 5.2%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013) — see the figures on data.census.gov. Survey estimates with margins of error; anything too uncertain to state is left out.
Before you bid: Confirm current parcel list, minimum bids, and registration deadlines with the Butte County Treasurer-Tax Collector before the sale closes.
More sales: The upcoming sales in California.
This page reflects publicly posted county auction notices as of publication and is general information, not financial or legal advice. Sale details can change — always confirm current terms with the county directly.