Sheriff Sales

Real estate foreclosure sales are posted in three (3) public places before the sale, at the Worth County Courthouse, at a local post office and at the Worth County Extension Office. There are two (2) publications prior to the sale in a local newspaper.

The Worth County Sheriff has made every effort to provide accurate information about the property to be sold at foreclosure auctions. However, neither Worth County, nor the Worth County Sheriff warrants or guarantees the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of the content on this site or the content which is referenced by or linked to this site. Assessing accuracy and reliability of information is the responsibility of the visitor and the buyer.

Do not rely solely on the information contained on this site that might affect your legal rights. All critical information should be independently verified.  It is important that you make a visual observation of the property before bidding at the sale. The condition of the property may have changed since notice of the sale was provided. 

As Sheriff’s Sales are buyer beware, it is highly recommended that you contact an attorney before purchasing at a Sheriff’s Sale as you may  not be purchasing what you think you are. Keep in mind that taxes stay with the property, if you purchase the property you are now responsible for the taxes. The Worth County Sheriff’s Office cannot give legal advice.  The Sheriff’s Office does not have the authority to show any property.  Information on the property is limited to published and posted information.

Real estate foreclosure sales are open to the public. All sales begin in the Worth County Sheriff’s Office lobby on the published and posted date at 10:00 a.m or after. These sales may be cancelled prior to the date of sale by the plaintiff and will be announced the date of the sale. The Sheriff’s Office will have an opening bid provided by the plaintiff at the time of sale to start the bidding process. The winning bid will be awarded to the highest bidder for cash on hand on the date of sale. If you have a Letterof Guarantee from your bank and are the highest bidder you will be given enough time to go to your bank and get the total amount by cash, cashier’s check or money order.  If you know the maximum you are going to bid, you may have a cashier’s check for that amount already made payable to the Worth County Sheriff. If your actual bid is less than that, you will be refunded the difference. If the highest bidder does not return within two (2) hours, the property will go to the next highest bidder. 

If the sale notice indicates there is a redemption period, that is the amount of time the defendant has the right to redeem the real estate after the sale. If the defendant makes redemption, this must be completed at the Worth County Clerk of Court’s Office. If there is a redemption period for the property being sold at a Sheriff’s Sale, a “Certificate of Purchase” will be given to the purchaser. Once the redemption period has expired, the purchaser will need to give the Sheriff’s Office the original “Certificate of Purchase” and a Sheriff’s Deed will be issued. There is a $30.00 charge for an issued Sheriff’s Deed. If you lose a “Certificate of Purchase”, you will not receive a Sheriff’s Deed until you get a court order directing the Sheriff to issue you a duplicate “Certificate of Purchase” (626.96). If you fail to have a Sheriff’ s Deed issued within 8 years after the date of issuance of the Certificarte of Purchase, the Sheriff’s Sale will be canceled. (626.97)

If there is no redemption period for the property being sold at a Sheriff’ Sale, a Sheriff’s Deed will be issued. Questions regarding Worth County Sheriff’s Sales can be forwarded to the Worth County Civil Division at 641-324-3639, 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Monday through Friday.

To find out more about property on a Sheriff’s Sale contact the Worth County Auditor’s Office for plat maps that provide the physical lot description of the property. The Worth County Assessor’s Office has information on the land value, number of rooms and type of utilities. The Worth County Treasurer’s Office can provide the tax information, including delinquencies on the property. The tax and lien information are not part of the sale and would become the responsibility of the purchase of the property.

Liens can be researched by the Clerk of Court’s office or the public can come into the Worth County Recorder’s office and research the lien yourself.

Deeds can be researched at the Worth County Recorder’s or Auditor’s Office.

Please note that cancellations or postponements may not be listed. This information can be obtained by calling the Worth County Sheriff’s Office Civil Department at 641-324-3639.

Current Year Sales

2023 Sales