Bell County

Who runs it, and where

In Bell County the taxes for every taxing unit are collected by the Tax Appraisal District of Bell County, whose main office is at 411 East Central Avenue in Belton, and its sales are handled by the law firm McCreary, Veselka, Bragg & Allen (MVBA). The sheriff conducts them. Each sale begins at 10 a.m. on a first Tuesday in the Bell County Clerk's alcove, outside and to the east of the main entrance of the Bell County Justice Complex, 1201 Huey Drive, Belton.

The bid sheet for each sale goes up on MVBA's tax sales page about three weeks ahead, with each tract's minimum bid. The November 3 sheet was posted when we checked on October 10. Many tracts are withdrawn before the sale, at any time, so check MVBA's page again on the Friday afternoon before; the firm updates withdrawals there. The notice of sale is published in the Temple Daily Telegram.

Registering on the morning

You must register with the person conducting the sale before it begins; there is no online registration and no bidding by mail, phone or internet. Registration starts at about 9:30 a.m. at the alcove. Bring a valid driver's license or an ID card issued by a state agency or the U.S. government; without one you cannot bid. The district says 50 to 75 people usually register.

The bid sheet includes a bidder's acknowledgement to fill in before you arrive. The grantee name you print on it is exactly how it will appear on the deed, and the deed is mailed to the address you give. Anyone bidding for a company needs a power of attorney or other proof of authority, and an out-of-state LLC, corporation or partnership must present a file-stamped copy of its registration with the Texas Secretary of State. The bid sheet also requires that the bidder, or the company, not be barred from buying Texas real property under Property Code § 5.253 because of an affiliation with a designated country.

Bidding and paying the District Clerk

The auction is by oral bid, to the highest bidder, starting at each tract's minimum bid. The minimum includes the taxes that were delinquent at the date of judgment but not the current year; you pay every tax that accrues after the judgment. Have the money ready before you raise your hand: the district's advice is that if you do not have the funds readily accessible, do not bid.

Winners pay with a cashier's check payable to the Bell County District Clerk, for the exact amount, at the District Clerk's office in the Justice Complex, between 1 and 3 p.m. on sale day. Personal checks are not accepted for the price. A bidder who fails to pay is liable for 20% of the value of the property plus the costs of the default under Rule 652, and someone who registered for a company is personally liable if the company does not pay. There are no refunds and no changes of mind.

After the sale, go back to the registration table. You pay the deed recording fee there (most deeds are two pages, $14, by personal check to the County Clerk or cash) and the $10 for the statement that you owe no delinquent taxes in Bell County, which Texas law requires before a deed is delivered (Tax Code § 34.015). The statement is valid for 90 days. The deed is mailed three to four weeks after the sale.

What the sheriff's deed covers

You receive an ordinary sheriff's deed, without warranty, and the district warns that title insurance may be hard to get. The sale should extinguish the ownership and recorded liens of everyone named as a defendant in the judgment, including federal tax liens; anyone who was not named keeps their interest or lien. The judgment is at the District Clerk's office. Tracts may also carry city or owners' association liens for demolition, mowing or maintenance, which you may have to pay. The appraisal district cannot let you onto a property before the sale: look from the street, and remember the address on the sheet may be wrong.

Redemption, possession and resale

Every tract is subject to redemption, counted from the day your deed is recorded: two years for a homestead, land appraised as agricultural and mineral interests, 180 days for everything else. A property can be someone's homestead even without a homestead exemption. The owner pays your bid, the recording fee, the taxes you paid and the reasonable costs of maintaining and protecting the property, plus 25% in the first year or 50% in the second (Tax Code § 34.21). The bid sheet's advice: make no unnecessary repairs or renovations during the redemption period.

Unlike some counties, Bell's sheet spells out possession: buyers have the right to it 20 days after the deed is recorded, and to a writ of possession under Tax Code § 33.51 for occupied property, but neither the district nor the sheriff will put you in. You may also resell during the redemption period; your buyer takes subject to what is left of it. More on Texas redemption on our Texas page.

If a tract sells for more than the judgment, the excess goes to the clerk of the court, who notifies the former owner and holds it for two years for claims filed by petition (Tax Code §§ 34.03, 34.04). The other Texas counties selling on November 3 are on our November 3 Texas list.

Three ways people lose money here

1. 1. Bidding without the cashier's check

   Payment is due between 1 and 3 p.m. that day, by cashier's check to the District Clerk, for the exact amount. A default can cost 20% of the property's value.

2. 2. Printing the wrong grantee name

   The name on the acknowledgement is the name on the deed. Decide whether you are buying personally or through a company before you register.

3. 3. Renovating during redemption

   Only reasonable maintenance and protection costs come back if the owner redeems. Improvements do not.