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The Tax Deed department is located within the Office of the Clerk of the Court located at the Court House, 430 South Commerce Ave., Room 102, Sebring, Florida. The office hours are from 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday thru Friday. The telephone number is 863-402-6586.
Highlands County property owners are required to pay their property taxes on an annual basis to the Highlands County Tax Collector. If they fail to pay their taxes by the end of April following the tax year, the Tax Collector sells a Tax Certificate for the amount of the taxes due.
The Certificate can be redeemed by the property owner at any time by paying all back taxes and interest due on the Certificate. This payment must be made to the Tax Collector. If the Certificate is not redeemed by the property owner and the Certificate is held for a minimum of two years and a maximum of seven, the Certificate Holder may apply for a tax deed sale.
The Certificate Holder must apply with the Tax Collector to start the Tax deed sale process. After the Tax Collector processes the application it is forwarded to the Clerk of Court to complete the process and set the sale date. The actual sale is held at the Clerk's Office. All owners of record and lien holders are notified by certified mail or sheriff service. The sale is held in accordance with Florida Statutes. All costs, fees, and any valid liens are paid out of the monies received from the successful bidder. The Certificate Holder is then reimbursed for any tax deed expenses incurred plus any accrued interest. Any excess funds after these payments have been made, minus all costs, may be claimed by the former property owner.
The previous owner is notified by the Clerk's Office of any excess monies. A notarized claim form must be submitted to our office in order to substantiate a claim to the excess funds, along with sufficient documentation.
Anyone interested in purchasing property at a Tax Deed sale is invited to attend. All sales are open to the public. The Clerk's Tax Deed files are also available for public research in the Courthouse, Room 102.
For any further information please phone 863-402-6586.
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