All Tax Foreclosures will be held at the new Columbus County Courthouse, just outside the main entrance unless there is inclement weather until further notice!
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS AN INFORMAL LIST OF ANSWERS OF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS! FOR ALL THE DETAILS OF THE SALE AND THE REQUIREMENTS AS ORDERED BY THE COURTS, YOU MUST READ THE NOTICE WHICH IS POSTED ON THE BULLETIN BOARD AT THE COLUMBUS COUNTY COURTHOUSE AND/OR THE ADVERTISED NOTICE IN THE NEWSPAPER.
The list here is a general description of the property. What is being sold, is the legal description of the property, as it is written and posted in the newspaper advertisement and as posted on the bulletin board in the Columbus County Courthouse. (the 911 address may not always be the exact location nor the mapping but it should be close). If you have questions, you can see me at the office and I can help you.
You have to be present at the sale, OR to make an upset bid, AT THE CLERK'S OFFICE, during the upset bid period once the sale is held.
All bids are subject to a 10-day upset period. Property may be redeemed by the owner prior to the order of confirmation of the sale by the courts.
A cash deposit of 20% of the successful bid, or $750, whichever is greater, will be required. For property sold over $5000, a cash deposit of $1000 will be required immediately at the conclusion of the sale, with the rest of the deposit due within 2 business days. For properties less than $5000 a cash deposit of $750, or the price of the property, whichever is less, will be due immediately after the sale.
All upset bids are done through the Clerk of Courts Office and they require a deposit of 5% of the upset bid amount or $750.00, whichever is greater.
Once the upset period ends, once the sale is confirmed, the last high bidder has (3) three days to pay the balance to the Tax Foreclosure Commissioner holding the sale, or you may lose all or part of your deposit.
The current owner of the property owns it until a new deed is recorded, once the sale is final; they also have the right to redeem the property up until the courts confirm the sale of the property. The current owner would have to give one permission to enter upon the property!
Once an auction has been concluded, if you wish to place an upset bid, you will need to access the information concerning the amount and date by going to the NCCOURTS.GOV/ecourts website. Once there,
Choose the portal option, then “Smart Search” (https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/Home/Dashboard/29) , then enter the complete file number. (including the “-230” county identifier. Once there you can see what the last bid is.
If you wish to place an upset bid, you must fill out the form AOC-CV-414, which can be found on the AOC Forms website. (https://www.nccourts.gov/assets/documents/forms/cv414-en.pdf?VersionId=x9A98ISlgMVcgWM7rq03gHKpemkj_quD)
With the implementation of NC ECOURTS, the clerk of court is no longer able to answer questions concerning upset bid amounts over the phone. They also will not fill out the forms for you.
The upset bid form, AOC-CV-414, is available at the Columbus County Administration Building. Also available is a copy of the upset bid law and procedure.
Any questions or comments should be directed to the appointed commissioner, Scott Dorman, at (910) 642-5646, ext. 1, or by email at Scott.dorman@columbusco.org.