Henry County

When and where, and the list for November

The Henry County Tax Commissioner holds its tax sales on the first Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. sharp, at 140 Henry Parkway in McDonough, the county administration building that houses the tax office. The brochure adds "when held": a sale needs a court order first, and it cannot take place earlier than 45 days after the order is issued.

The property list is linked from the same page. On October 10, 2026 it was still the list for the judicial in rem sale of Tuesday, October 6, so a list for November 3 had not yet been posted. Every parcel is also advertised for four consecutive weeks before the sale in the Wednesday edition of the Henry Herald, the county's legal organ. Because a parcel has to be advertised for four weeks, a November 3 sale would show up in the paper, and on the tax office's page, from mid-October.

Registration: online first, then your money is counted

Bidding in Henry County takes two steps. First, register online before the day of the sale on the tax office's bidder form. Second, on the morning of the sale, go to the Property Tax Department at 140 Henry Parkway with your photo ID and the funds you plan to use, in hand. A property tax specialist verifies the money; the October list put the start of verification at 9:15 a.m. Only then do you get a bidding number.

The verified amount is your ceiling. You cannot bid more than the funds counted that morning, and the office tells you during the sale when your bids will no longer be recognized. Payment is cash, money order or certified check, payable to the Henry County Tax Commissioner, with a separate payment for each property: you can use several checks for one parcel, but one check cannot be split between two parcels. No personal checks and no bank statements. The October list also asked for a $25 deed fee.

You cannot bid on property that you, or your company or LLC, owns. Payment is due at the time of the sale, and all sales are final. The office quotes O.C.G.A. § 9-13-170: a buyer who does not pay is liable for the price, or for the shortfall if the property is resold.

Why a judicial sale is different

Henry County adopted the judicial in rem procedure by resolution on November 20, 2000, under O.C.G.A. § 48-4-76. The tax commissioner files a petition in Superior Court against the land itself. A lis pendens is recorded, the property is posted, the occupant gets the papers by regular mail and interested parties by certified mail, and the petition is published for two weeks. At the hearing, anyone with an interest can contest the taxes or the notice. Only after the court rules is the property advertised for sale. Before the sale, the owner or any interested party can stop it by paying the taxes, interest, penalties and fees.

The opening bid is the total taxes due plus all penalties, interest and fees, and the property goes to the highest bidder. The office's brochure says title vests absolutely in the purchaser once the redemption period is over, with no barment or quiet title action needed. That is the main attraction of a Henry County purchase compared with a regular Georgia sale.

Sixty days, then a deed

After the sale, the owner has 60 days to redeem by paying the redemption amount, which is the minimum bid, into the registry of the Henry County Superior Court. If that happens, the winning bidder is refunded the purchase price and the case is dismissed. There is no premium: a redeemed judicial purchase earns nothing. If nobody redeems, the tax commissioner issues the deed to the buyer within 90 days of the sale.

So the math is the opposite of a regular Georgia sale. Elsewhere in the state, a buyer hopes for a quick redemption and a 20% premium. In Henry County, a buyer is betting on the property itself, and a redemption only means the money comes back two months later. You also become responsible for current and future taxes and assessments. Georgia's regular sale rules are on our Georgia page.

Excess funds go to the court, not the tax office

When a parcel sells above the minimum bid, the tax commissioner deposits the surplus in the registry of the Superior Court, which pays it out to the interested parties, including the owner, in order of priority (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-81). The tax office states that it interpleads all excess funds to the Clerk of Superior Court and neither holds nor distributes them. To claim, you file a motion in Civil Court and wait for a judge to decide. Neither the tax office nor the clerk provides forms or legal advice, and the published list of excess funds is not updated to show whether money is still available.

The other Georgia counties selling on November 3 are on our November 3 Georgia list.

Three ways people lose money here

1. 1. Skipping the online registration

   You must register online before sale day and then have your funds verified in person that morning. Neither step replaces the other.

2. 2. Bidding past your verified funds

   The cash counted that morning is your limit. Bids above it are not recognized.

3. 3. Expecting a premium if the owner redeems

   In a judicial sale the owner pays the minimum bid into court and you get your purchase price back, nothing more.