Updated

Due to Hurricane Ian, and out of an overabundance of caution, the Beaufort County Treasurer's Office has postponed the annual Delinquent Property Tax Sale from Monday October 3, 2022 to 10:00 a.m. Tuesday October 4, 2022 at the Buckwalter Recreation Center located at 905 Buckwalter Pkwy in Bluffton, SC. Any resulting deadline changes are italicized below.

“We want as many of our property owners as possible to avoid the tax sale,” explained Beaufort County Treasurer Maria Walls, CPA. “By postponing the tax sale, we can give our property owners certainty amidst the uncertainty brought on by Hurricane Ian.”

Delinquent Taxpayer Information

Tax Auction

The properties listed for auction are delinquent for the 2021 tax year and any prior years. Taxpayers wanting to prevent their property from being auctioned now have until 5:00 pm on Monday, October 3, 2022 to pay any outstanding taxes due. Only guaranteed funds will be accepted to include cash, money order, cashier’s check, certified check or credit card.

Payments will not be accepted the day of the auction.

End of Redemption

Should a defaulting taxpayer’s property be sold at tax sale, they have an opportunity to redeem their property for twelve (12) months and one day from the date of the tax sale. At that time the delinquent property owner may pay the delinquent taxes and interest to the bidder in order to maintain ownership of their property.

As of the date of this release, there are approximately 225 unredeemed properties.

Delinquent property owners whose property was sold at the 2021 Tax Sale have until 5:00 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, to redeem their property. Lien holders or other parties with interest in the property may also redeem.

If a delinquent property owner does not redeem their property, they are strongly encouraged to contact the Treasurer’s Office. There may be overage funds to which they are entitled. An overage exists when the winning bid amount for a property sold at tax sale exceeds the minimum bid.

“There are individuals and companies who contact delinquent property owners, claiming they’ve found money for them or wanting to purchase their property before the end of the redemption,” stressed Treasurer Walls. “From my experience, this is to the detriment of the property owner, costing them finders fees or even loss of property. My team and I are here to support our customers and assist free of charge.”

Current redemption amounts can be found online on our website or by contacting our office.

Extended Office Hours

In addition to other convenient payment options, the Treasurer’s Office will offer extended office hours in the Beaufort and Bluffton offices to assist customers wishing to pay their property taxes in-person ahead of the Delinquent Tax Auction and the end of the redemption period. Only guaranteed funds will be accepted to include cash, money order, cashier’s/certified check or credit card.

Monday, October 3, 2022 – 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Wednesday, October 5, 2022 – 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Bidder Information

Individuals wishing to bid on properties being auctioned at the Beaufort County Tax sale must register in advance of the auction and may do so online or in-person by 12:00 p.m., Monday, October 3, 2022. The registration fee is $30.00 and includes a list of all properties to be sold, distributed by email as well as the morning of the auction.

On the day of the sale, bidder sign-in will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 9:30 a.m. All bidders must be signed in by 9:30 a.m. At that time, we will have an informational event for heirs’ family members who have registered to bid.

“Bidders are encouraged to do their own research and have a full understanding of what they are purchasing,” said Beaufort County Treasurer Maria Walls. To assist in this endeavor, the Treasurer’s Office provides historical data pertaining to past tax sales and other useful resources online.

“We provide these resources to help empower bidders to make educated purchases and to encourage bidding. We would rather not auction anyone’s property but if that occurs, we want bidding to be competitive because overage money goes to the delinquent property owner; not the County,” Treasurer Walls explained.

A complete list of properties for auction as well as other data is available online at BeaufortCountyTreasurer.com.

The proceedings will be broadcast online via YouTube, which can be accessed at BeaufortCountyTreasurer.com the day of the sale.

For more information and assistance, you can always visit our Help Center. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for frequent updates and reminders.