A foreclosure sale, also called a judicial sale, is a court-ordered process of selling real property at public auction to recover an amount owed in a civil final judgment. The process is governed by Chapter 45 of the Florida Statutes and the Florida Rules of Court.

Learn about the Clerk and Comptroller's foreclosure services.

Purchase of property at a foreclosure sale requires payment with guaranteed funds. 

Ensure Sufficient Funds Are Available

A deposit equal to 5% of your maximum bid must be available for bidding prior to the start of the auction. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure they have sufficient funds available in their online auction account prior to the start of the auction. The Clerk and Comptroller's office cannot guarantee processing of your account deposit the morning of a sale.

Accepted Forms of Payment

The following forms of payment are accepted on foreclosure sales.

FORM OF PAYMENT	INSTRUCTIONS
Cash	Hand deliver to the Clerk and Comptroller by close of business the day before the sale. View Clerk and Comptroller hours and locations.
Cashier's Check	Make payable to Sarasota Clerk and Comptroller. Deliver to Clerk and Comptroller's office by close of business the day before the sale.
Wire Transfer	Initiate at your bank. Allow 48 hours for funds availability.

NOTE: Personal checks are not accepted on foreclosure sales.

Registry and sale fees are earned at the time services are rendered, and are non-refundable despite an order vacating or setting aside a sale. As such, these risks are assumed by the depositor (bidder or plaintiff).

• Registry fees are earned when funds for a purchase are deposited.
• Sale fees are earned when the property is auctioned. 

Proof of publication and payment of the sale fee must be received in the Clerk and Comptroller's office by close of business the day before the sale. Payment of sale fees for auctions that proceed to sale, without a filed proof of publication will not be refunded, as sale fees are earned at the time the auction is held.

You may request a full or partial refund of your deposit through the online auction service. Refunds are not automatic and must be initiated by the auction account owner. 

To request a refund, log into the auction website and click on the "Request Refund" link.

• If your deposit was made via electronic payment such as by ACH (electronic check) or wire transfer, you will receive your refund electronically from the auction service.
• If your deposit was made via cash, cashier's check, or money order, you will receive your refund check from the Clerk and Comptroller made payable to the name of the registered account owner and mailed to the address on the account.

NOTE:

• Requests to issue refund payments to a third-party or an alias will not be honored.
• Allow 7-10 business days to receive your refund.

For each property a bidder intends to win, they must be able to pay a non-refundable deposit equal to 5% of their maximum bid or $200.00, whichever is greater at the moment the auction is won. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure sufficient funds are available in their online auction account, for each property they plan to bid on, prior to the start of the sale. 

Example Scenario of Insufficient Funds: 

A bidder wants to bid on two tax deed auctions that are scheduled for the same day. The bidder does not ensure they have sufficient funds to cover the non-refundable deposit requirement for both auctions.

• The bidder wins the first tax deed auction, and the online auction service automatically withdraws the required deposit amount.
• The balance left in the bidder's account is less than the required deposit for the bidder's maximum bid on the second tax deed auction.
• Without sufficient funds available, the auction system automatically declines their bid on the next auction as invalid and with no notice to the bidder. 

Purchase of property for delinquent taxes requires payment by guaranteed funds.

Reminders:

• When Bidding at Auction – A deposit equal to 5% of your winning bid or $200.00, whichever is greater, must be available in your auction account prior to the start of the auction. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure they have sufficient funds available in advance. The Clerk and Comptroller’s office cannot guarantee processing of your account deposit the morning of a sale.
• Paying Your Winning Balance Due – The balance due on your tax deed purchase must be made by the due date and time stated in your winning confirmation email. 
• Purchasing Property from the List of Lands Available – Purchase of a property off of the List of Lands Available is on a first come, first served basis. 

The following forms of payment are accepted when depositing funds into your online auction account for bidding at a tax deed auction. 

FORM OF PAYMENT	INSTRUCTIONS
Cash	Hand-deliver to the Clerk and Comptroller office; view Clerk and Comptroller hours and locations. Suitable for all tax deed payment transactions.  Recommended when funds must be paid by a deadline, such as after having won an auction, or purchase is on a first come, first served basis. Pre-auction deposits should be delivered by close of business the day before the sale.  Post-auction payments should be delivered by close of business the day of the sale.
Cashier's Check/Money Order	Make payable to Sarasota Clerk and Comptroller. Deliver to Clerk and Comptroller's office; view Clerk and Comptroller hours and locations. Suitable for all tax deed payment transactions.  Recommended when funds must be paid by a deadline, such as after having won an auction, or when purchase is on a first come, first served basis. Pre-auction deposits should be delivered by close of business the day before the sale.  Post-auction payment should be delivered by close of business the day of the sale.
Wire Transfer	Initiate at your bank. Allow 48 hours for funds availability. Suitable for most tax deed transactions.  Post-auction payments must be initiated by 4:00 PM EST. Follow the instruction in your winning confirmation email to initiate a batch and receive wire instructions.
ACH (electronic check)	Initiate at your bank. Payment initiation appears in the auction system the same day. Allow four (4) business days for funds availability. Not accepted for payment of the balance due on a winning bid, as payment will not be received by the required deadline.  Not accepted for purchase of property on the List of Lands Available.
Personal Checks	Personal checks are not accepted for tax deed auction deposits, payments of winning balances due, nor purchase of property from the list of lands available. Purchase of property for delinquent taxes requires a guaranteed source of funds.

You may request a full or partial refund of your deposit through the online auction service. Refunds are not automatic and must be initiated by the auction account owner. 

To request a refund, log into the auction website and click on the "Request Refund" link.

• If your deposit was made via electronic payment such as by ACH (electronic check) or wire transfer, you will receive your refund electronically from the auction service.
• If your deposit was made via cash, cashier's check, or money order, you will receive your refund check from the Clerk and Comptroller made payable to the name of the registered account owner and mailed to the address on the account.

NOTE:

• Requests to issue refund payments to a third-party or an alias will not be honored.
• Allow 7-10 business days to receive your refund.