Montgomery County tax sale
Short answer: the Montgomery County tax sale is where parcels still unpaid at the end of Ohio's collection process are sold. Ohio sets the format county by county, so Montgomery may sell liens or deeds; the notice says which. The date, the sale list and the terms are set in the official notice published before each sale, and the County Treasurer for Montgomery County keeps the delinquent roll behind it. The list shrinks right up to sale day as owners pay, and every owner on it was in the public record as delinquent before it was printed.
What a bid buys
Varies by county
Set county by county in Ohio.
Tax office
County Treasurer
Keeps the Montgomery County delinquent roll.
County size
5th of 88
By population among Ohio counties, about 537,000 residents.
How a Montgomery tax sale runs
Ohio does not use one format statewide. Large counties sell tax lien certificates around 18%; sheriff tax foreclosure deed sales run everywhere. So the first question for any Montgomery County parcel is which sale it is headed to, because a lien and a deed are entirely different purchases.
The Montgomery County notice states the format. In a lien sale you buy the debt and the owner can redeem; in a deed or foreclosure sale you buy the property, usually after the owner's chance to pay has run out.
Montgomery County tax sale at a glance
| Who keeps the roll | The County Treasurer for Montgomery County keeps the delinquent roll. The sale itself is announced in an official notice, published before each sale, that sets the parcel list, the date and the terms. |
|---|---|
| What a winning bid buys | It varies by county in Ohio: a lien or a deed, as the Montgomery County notice states. |
| Ohio sale pattern | Large counties sell tax lien certificates around 18%; sheriff tax foreclosure deed sales run everywhere. |
| Where the date comes from | The official sale notice, published before each sale by the office conducting it. Dates are set locally and change, so this page does not print one. |
| Where the list comes from | The same notice, usually with a downloadable list of parcels and amounts due that shrinks as owners pay before sale day. |
The sale list and the delinquent roll
They are two snapshots of the same record. The delinquent roll is everyone behind on Montgomery property tax, kept year round. The sale list is the part of that roll still unpaid when the county advertises the sale, and it keeps shrinking until the auction as owners pay to keep their property.
That shrinking is the useful part. Every parcel that drops off is an owner who found the money under deadline; every parcel still listed a week out belongs to an owner who has not. Buyers who only read the final list meet those owners last, in a room full of other bidders. The full roll, and where the county publishes it, is on the Montgomery County delinquent tax list page.
Before you bid in Montgomery
What to settle before sale day, whichever format the notice sets.
Confirm lien or deed
Ohio counties do not all sell the same thing. Read the Montgomery notice for the format before anything else, because the rest of this checklist depends on it.
Read the terms of sale
The notice sets the deposit, how and when the balance is due, the bidding method and whether bidding is online or in person. Missing a payment deadline can cost you the deposit.
Check the parcel, not the number
A sale list is parcel numbers and amounts owed. Map every parcel: lists routinely include slivers, landlocked lots and land you cannot build on, listed exactly like houses.
Ask what survives
Some liens and encumbrances can outlive a tax sale, and the rules differ by format and lien type. A title search before the sale costs far less than a parcel you cannot clear.
Drive it
Online photos can be years old. Seeing the street, the roof and whether anyone lives there tells you more than any record on the list near Dayton.
A mid-size sale
With about 537,000 residents, Montgomery is big enough for a real list and small enough that the same regular bidders tend to return. Knowing the neighbourhoods counts for more here than bidding speed.
Or buy before the sale
Months before a parcel reaches the Montgomery sale list, the owner is already behind in the public record and still holds title. That is the window to inspect, run title and agree a price one to one. LowBaller ranks those owners around Dayton by how much pressure they are under and how much equity they hold, with a suggested opening offer on each. Below are representative profiles from the ranking model; the live list is one free scan away.
- #1About 2 years of unpaid property taxes. The bill keeps growing, which often pushes owners to sell sooner.$266K start bid · ~33% under market
- #2About 2 years of unpaid property taxes. The bill keeps growing, which often pushes owners to sell sooner.$153K start bid · ~44% under market
- #3About 1 year of unpaid property taxes. The bill keeps growing, which often pushes owners to sell sooner.$135K start bid · ~45% under market
5 more ranked Dayton deals behind the scan
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Montgomery County among Ohio counties
Montgomery County is the 5th most populous of the 88 Ohio counties, home to about 537,000 people, roughly 4.5% of the state. The largest is Franklin County.
| Rank | County | Seat | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin County tax sale | Columbus | 1,330,000 |
| 2 | Cuyahoga County tax sale | Cleveland | 1,250,000 |
| 3 | Hamilton County tax sale | Cincinnati | 830,000 |
| 4 | Summit County tax sale | Akron | 540,000 |
| 5 | Montgomery County (this page) | Dayton | 537,000 |
| 6 | Lucas County tax sale | Toledo | 428,000 |
| 7 | Butler County tax sale | Hamilton | 390,000 |
| 8 | Stark County tax sale | Canton | 375,000 |
Population from US Census estimates, rounded on some entries. Seats are listed only where we have verified them.
Montgomery County tax sale FAQ
When is the Montgomery County tax sale in 2026?
The date is set locally and announced in the official sale notice ahead of the sale; the County Treasurer for Montgomery County is the place to start. The Ohio pattern is the steadier guide. Large counties sell tax lien certificates around 18%; sheriff tax foreclosure deed sales run everywhere. Confirm the date close to it.
Where can I get the Montgomery County tax sale list?
Start with the County Treasurer for Montgomery County, which keeps the delinquent roll. The sale list comes with the sale notice, often as a PDF or spreadsheet of parcels and amounts due, and shrinks as owners pay. It does not show owner contact, values or which owners might sell first.
Does Montgomery sell tax liens or tax deeds?
It depends on the county, because Ohio does not use one format statewide. Large counties sell tax lien certificates around 18%; sheriff tax foreclosure deed sales run everywhere. The Montgomery notice states which applies, and the difference matters: a lien is a debt with a return, a deed is the property itself.
How do I bid at the Montgomery County tax sale?
Register before the deadline in the sale notice, which also sets the deposit, accepted payment and whether bidding is online or in person. In a deed sale, bidders compete on price, usually from a minimum set by the amount owed. Read the full terms before sale day.
Can the owner get the property back after the Montgomery tax sale?
It depends on the format used. In a lien sale the owner can redeem the certificate; in a deed sale the owner's protection mostly runs before the auction. Large counties sell tax lien certificates around 18%; sheriff tax foreclosure deed sales run everywhere.
Is it better to buy before the Montgomery tax sale?
Often. Before the sale the owner still holds title, so you can inspect, run title and negotiate one to one instead of bidding against the room. The catch is that a direct purchase needs the owner to agree, and many will not.
What happens to Montgomery parcels that do not sell?
That is set by Ohio law and stated in the notice. Unsold parcels are commonly held by the county or the state, offered again at a later sale or sold over the counter. Ask the County Treasurer how it handles them, because those parcels draw far less competition.
More on Montgomery County
Tax sales near Montgomery County
Keep going
Everyone at the Montgomery sale sees the same list.
Reach the owners before it is printed, while a private sale still solves their problem. Scan free and see who is under pressure around Dayton today.
Scan Montgomery freeInformational summary, not legal or investment advice. Sale formats, rates and redemption periods are summarized at the Ohio state level and can be changed by statute or applied differently in Montgomery County. The official sale notice controls every date, deposit and bidding rule. Verify before you bid.