| The foreclosure
minimum bid list 
and the tax title minimum
bid list
for the upcoming Treasurer's auctions are available here, and at
the Treasurer's Office before the auction.
All bidders must be registered.
Pre-registration will usually be available at the Treasurer's Office
a week before the auction. You may also register the morning of
the auction. No changes to the registration can be made after the
sale. There is no registration fee. When registering, we provide
a copy of the terms
of sale.
We require that you read and sign this before being issued a
bidder number card. You cannot bid without a card.
We accept only
cash, cashier checks and money orders made payable to the Whatcom County Treasurer. Absolutely no
personal, business or travelers checks will be accepted.
Those wishing to bid must be present or have a representative
present at the auction.
The auctioneer announces the minimum bid for each parcel.
Bids are made in increments of $100 dollars or more.
These are oral auctions. To bid, you must hold up your
issued bidder card and call out the bid amount. Each parcel
is sold to the highest bidder.
Once a parcel is sold, the successful bidder must immediately
step forward and pay in full. No time is allowed for bidders
to leave the sale to get funds and return, no matter how quickly
they might accomplish that.
Along with the bid amount, deed fees, recording fees and
sometimes, advertising fees, must be paid. We will announce
these amounts in the opening statement at the beginning of
the sale.
If full payment is not made as required, the parcel is re-auctioned
at the minimum bid. A successful bidder who does not pay
will not be allowed to bid on any other parcels at the auction.
Researching properties
For additional information regarding how to research a
tax foreclosure, tax-title, or county surplus parcels, see
Tax Auction Research. How
long does it take to get a deed?
A deed will be issued within sixty days of the sale.
Deeds are forwarded to the Whatcom County Auditor's Office
for recording and mailed to the address provided in the bidder
registration. The type of deed issued varies.
- Tax deeds are issued for parcels purchased at tax foreclosure
sales.
- Treasurer's deeds are issued for parcels purchased at
tax-title sales
- County owned surplus deeds depend on the type of deed
the County holds. Quit claim deeds may be issued on County
owned surplus property. When possible, the Treasurer will
issue Warranty deeds for surplus property sales. This will
only occur when the County holds clear title to the parcel.
Tax deeds, Treasurer's deeds, and quit claim deeds provide the
purchaser no guarantees. There can be clouded title or other
problems which the County is neither aware of nor responsible
for to the purchaser.
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