Denton County

November 3, online

The Sheriff's Sale page reads "Next Sheriff's Sale - November 3, 2026, Online through GovEase", starting at 10 a.m. It went online in 2024; the tax office's page still describes the old in-person sale at the Denton County Courts Building, 1450 East McKinney Street, so go by the sheriff's page. Texas lets a commissioners court authorize online sales, which may start at any time but must close by 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday (Tax Code § 34.01(a-1), (r-2)).

Denton does not hold a tax sale every month. The sheriff's FAQ explains that sales happen only when the district courts issue orders of sale on delinquent tax judgments. When there is one, it is advertised in the classified section of the Denton Record-Chronicle on the three Wednesdays before the first Tuesday, and on GovEase. The notices are also posted at the Courts Building, at the courthouse annex in Lewisville and at the sheriff's office, all visible around the clock.

Get approved on GovEase, and get the tax statement

To bid you must register and be approved by GovEase, and upload government-issued identification such as a driver's license. GovEase runs online training for new bidders. No deposit is required before the sale.

Separately, Texas law says the officer may not deliver a deed until the buyer shows an unexpired written statement from the county tax assessor-collector that the buyer owes no delinquent taxes to the county, or to any school district or city in it (Tax Code § 34.015). Denton's tax office asks you to request it at least five business days before the sale, on its Request for Written Statement form, notarized, with a $10 fee and no personal checks. You can mail it to the tax assessor-collector's P.O. box or hand it in at the main office, 1505 East McKinney Street, Denton. The sheriff's rules are blunt: no statement, no deed.

Bidding and paying

Each tract has an opening bid set out on the list, and bids below it are not accepted. The opening bid includes all the expenses of the suit, but not taxes that have accrued since the judgment: those may still be due and become your cost. Any property can be withdrawn before or during the sale without notice.

Payment is by ACH or e-check through GovEase for the full amount, at the end of the sale and before 4 p.m. that day; payment plans are not accepted. The sheriff's office can make special arrangements, for example when a buyer banks out of state, but only if you ask. A winner who does not pay can be held liable for 20% of the property's value plus the costs caused by the default, under Rule 652 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

Denton also lists Resolution properties: tracts already offered at an earlier sale and struck off to a taxing unit. Those follow different payment rules, by cashier's check or money order to Denton County, so read the rules for the kind of tract you want.

A sheriff's deed, and the right to redeem

The buyer receives a sheriff's deed without warranty. The rules underline that this is not a tax lien certificate: the real property itself is sold, and title insurance may be hard to get. Before bidding, check the property's status with the County Clerk at 1450 East McKinney, maps and plats at the appraisal district on Morse Street or the county planning department, and the lawsuit papers at the District Clerk. The address on the list comes from the tax records and may be wrong.

The redemption period starts when the deed is recorded, and recording it is your job. It is two years for a homestead or land appraised as agricultural, and 180 days for everything else; Denton makes no representation about which applies to a given tract. Under Tax Code § 34.21 the owner who redeems pays your bid, the recording fee, taxes and allowable costs, plus 25% in the first year or 50% in the second. Denton's rules also note that buyers have the right of possession during the redemption period, and that an owner's right to redeem is itself an interest that can be sold to someone else, who may then try to redeem. Statewide rules are on our Texas page.

Struck-off property and excess proceeds

Every tract is sold, either to a bidder or to the taxing unit that won the judgment. If it goes to the taxing unit, ask the attorney who represents that unit about buying it. When a tract sells for more than the judgment, the excess is paid to the clerk of the court; the clerk notifies the former owner within 31 days if it is over $25, holds it for two years, and pays claims filed by petition before the second anniversary of the sale (Tax Code §§ 34.03, 34.04). Denton's District Clerk publishes an Excess Tax Funds list on its page. The other Texas counties selling on November 3 are on our November 3 Texas list.

Three ways people lose money here

1. 1. Requesting the tax statement too late

   Denton asks for five business days and a notarized form. Without the statement the sheriff will not deliver your deed.

2. 2. Waiting until the next day to pay

   The full amount is due by ACH through GovEase before 4 p.m. on sale day unless the sheriff's office agreed otherwise in advance.

3. 3. Forgetting taxes after the judgment

   The opening bid covers the suit, not the taxes that have accrued since. Those can still be due.