Fresno County held its 2026 tax-defaulted property auction online this year. The Board of Supervisors approved the sale in 2026 (File 26-0600): 161 parcels, 34 of them properties that had already been offered once and did not sell. If your house — or a parent’s house — was on that list, you are in one of three situations right now, and each one still has a move left.

First, which situation are you in?

1. Your property did NOT sell. Roughly one parcel in five at these sales gets no bid. The County has authority to re-offer unsold parcels within 90 days after the sale closes and to cut the minimum bid on previously offered parcels by more than 50%. That second sale is where houses go cheap.

2. Your property SOLD. The winning bidder pays the County, and the County records a tax deed to the buyer. You no longer own the house. But if the bid was more than the taxes, penalties and costs owed, the difference is excess proceeds, and the former owner has a claim on it.

3. You are not sure. The Tax Collector’s tax-sale page lists results by parcel number. Your parcel number (APN) is on any old tax bill, or on the annual notice the County mailed you.

If it didn’t sell: your right to redeem came back

Under California Revenue and Taxation Code section 3707, the right to redeem a tax-defaulted property ends at the close of business on the last business day before the sale. When a parcel is offered and nobody buys it, that right revives — you can pay the full redemption amount and keep the house, right up until the next scheduled sale.

What that means in plain terms: from now until the re-offer, you can still fix this. Two ways:

Redeem. Pay the full delinquent amount — all defaulted years, plus the 1.5%-per-month redemption penalty, plus fees — to the Fresno County Tax Collector. Ask whether an installment plan is still open to you; once a property has been scheduled for sale the rules on plans tighten, and the Tax Collector’s office is the only one who can tell you yes or no for your parcel.
Sell before the re-offer. If you cannot raise the redemption amount, selling the house pays it off out of escrow. The delinquent taxes are paid to the County at closing, the sale is cancelled for that parcel, and whatever is left is yours. A cash buyer can close in days, which matters when the County is working on a 90-day clock.

Do not wait for a re-offer notice. The County is not required to mail you a second full notice for a re-offer inside the 90-day window the way it did for the original sale.

If it sold: file for the excess proceeds

When a tax-sale bid exceeds what was owed, the surplus is held by the County. Under Revenue and Taxation Code section 4675, parties of interest — the former owner first, then lienholders — can claim it. The claim must be filed within one year of the date the tax deed to the purchaser is recorded. The County publishes a notice; you do not need a lawyer to file, and you should not sign the proceeds over to a “recovery service” that shows up at the door offering to help for a 30–40% cut.

If you believe the sale itself was defective — you never received notice, for example — section 3725 gives one year from the recording of the tax deed to bring a challenge. That is a narrow road and needs an attorney.

If it’s a parent’s or a relative’s house

The situation is the same, but the person who can act has to be the owner of record or their legal representative. If the owner has passed away, the estate (through probate or a small-estate affidavit if it qualifies) is the party of interest — both for redeeming an unsold parcel and for claiming excess proceeds on a sold one. Our inherited-house guide covers how that works in Fresno County.

What we do

HTV Properties buys houses in Fresno County for cash, as-is, and we have closed on properties that were days from a tax sale. If your parcel did not sell this year and you want out before the re-offer, here is what happens:

You call or text (559) 854-1663 with the address.
We look at the house within a day or two, and we pull the redemption amount from the Tax Collector so the offer reflects the real payoff.
You get a written cash offer in 24 hours — no fees, no commission, no repairs.
Escrow pays the County directly at closing. The sale is cancelled for your parcel and you receive the balance.

No obligation. If redeeming yourself is the better answer, we will tell you. Here is how we buy houses, step by step.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still sell a house that was in the tax sale?

If it did not sell, yes — you still own it, and the right to redeem revived when the sale closed without a buyer. The delinquent taxes are paid out of escrow. If it sold, no; the tax deed transfers ownership to the buyer.

When is the next Fresno County tax sale?

Unsold parcels from the 2026 sale can be re-offered within 90 days, and the County typically holds its main sale once a year. Check the Tax Collector’s tax-sale page for the posted dates.

Does bankruptcy stop a tax sale?

A bankruptcy filing before the sale triggers an automatic stay that halts it. Talk to a bankruptcy attorney before relying on that; the timing and the type of filing matter.

Will the County take my house for one missed year?

No. A property becomes subject to the Tax Collector’s power to sell after five years of default (three for certain non-residential and nuisance-abatement parcels). Our five-year timeline guide explains the clock.

How do I find out if there are excess proceeds on my old house?

The Fresno County Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector posts excess-proceeds lists by sale on its Tax Sale & Excess Proceeds page and mails notices to the last known address of parties of interest.

Was Your House in the Fresno County Tax Sale 2026? Here’s What Happens Now