Answer: If your property in Gwinnett County, Georgia was sold at a tax sale for unpaid property taxes, you may still have the right to redeem it. This right allows you, or anyone with an interest in the property, to reclaim ownership by paying the required redemption price within a set period.

When a property is sold at a tax sale in Gwinnett County, the county issues a tax deed to the purchaser, but the former owner and others with an interest in the property keep a statutory right to redeem. This right can be valuable, and it can be sold or exercised before it expires. Our firm helps former owners understand their rights, calculate the redemption price, and handle the paperwork if they choose to redeem or sell their right to redeem.

Why choose us

We represent former owners of property sold at tax sales in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Our role is to help you understand your right to redeem, review your tax sale documents, and guide you through the process—whether you want to redeem the property or sell your remaining interest. We are based in Boca Raton, Florida, and serve clients throughout Georgia from our office at 160 W Camino Real, Suite 589, Boca Raton, FL 33432. Call us at (561) 933-4747 during business hours to discuss your situation.

Services offered

  • Review of tax sale and redemption documents
  • Calculation of the redemption price and deadlines
  • Explanation of your rights and options under Georgia law
  • Preparation of deeds and paperwork if you choose to sell your right to redeem
  • Handling the redemption process if you decide to reclaim the property
  • Coordination with the tax commissioner, sheriff, and court as needed

Steps

  1. Gather your documents.
    Collect your tax sale paperwork, notices, and any correspondence from the Gwinnett County tax commissioner or sheriff.

  2. Consult with us.
    We review your documents, explain your rights, and identify your options—whether to redeem or to sell your right to redeem.

  3. Calculate the redemption price and deadline.
    We determine the exact amount needed to redeem, including the tax sale price, any taxes or assessments paid by the purchaser, and the required premium (20 percent for the first year, 10 percent for each year after).

  4. Decide how to proceed.
    If you wish to redeem, we handle the tender of payment and ensure the process is completed properly. If you wish to sell your right to redeem, we prepare the necessary deed and coordinate the closing so you are paid before the deadline.

  5. Complete the transaction.
    If redemption occurs, the purchaser signs a quitclaim deed back to you, and any liens that existed at the time of the tax sale remain on the property. If you sell your right to redeem, the buyer steps into your shoes and may redeem the property.

Example

Suppose your home in Gwinnett County was sold at a tax sale for $10,000. The purchaser paid the taxes and received a tax deed, but you still have the right to redeem. Within 12 months of the sale, you—or anyone with an interest in the property—can redeem by paying the $10,000, plus any taxes or special assessments the purchaser paid after the sale, plus a 20 percent premium (here, $2,000). If you wait more than 12 months, the purchaser can serve a notice of foreclosure of the right to redeem (a barment notice) through the sheriff, setting a deadline at least 45 days away. After that date, your right to redeem ends. If you redeem, the purchaser must sign a quitclaim deed back to you, and any mortgage or lien that existed before the tax sale comes back with the property.

Common pitfalls

  • Missing the deadline.
    The right to redeem lasts 12 months from the tax sale, and after that only until the purchaser forecloses the right by notice. If you miss the deadline, your right is lost.

  • Not understanding the redemption price.
    The redemption price includes the tax sale amount, any later taxes or assessments paid by the purchaser, a 20 percent premium for the first year, and 10 percent for each year after. If redemption is more than 30 days after notice, sheriff and publication costs are added.

  • Confusing tax sale redemption with mortgage foreclosure or excess funds.
    Tax sale redemption is a separate process from mortgage foreclosure. Excess funds from the sale are a different claim, handled by the official who conducted the sale.

  • Not realizing the right to redeem can be sold.
    You can sell your right to redeem by quitclaim deed before it expires, but the paperwork must be done correctly and the transaction completed before the deadline.

  • Forgetting about liens.
    Any liens or mortgages that existed at the time of the tax sale survive redemption and return with the property.

FAQ

What is a tax sale in Gwinnett County, Georgia? A tax sale is when Gwinnett County sells property for unpaid property taxes. The purchaser receives a tax deed, but the former owner and others with an interest in the property keep a right to redeem. Who can redeem property after a tax sale? The former owner, or anyone with a right, title, interest, or lien on the property, can redeem. This right can also be sold to someone else by quitclaim deed. How long do I have to redeem my property? You have 12 months from the date of the tax sale to redeem. After 12 months, the purchaser can serve a notice of foreclosure of the right to redeem, setting a deadline at least 45 days away. After that date, your right ends. What is the redemption price? The redemption price is the amount paid at the tax sale, plus any taxes or special assessments paid by the purchaser after the sale, plus a 20 percent premium for the first year or fraction of a year, and 10 percent for each year or fraction of a year after that. If redemption is more than 30 days after notice, sheriff and publication costs are added. What happens if I redeem? The purchaser must sign a quitclaim deed back to you, and any liens or mortgages that existed at the time of the tax sale return with the property. Can I sell my right to redeem? Yes. You can sell your right to redeem by quitclaim deed before the right expires. The buyer then has the right to redeem the property. What if the sale was a judicial in rem tax foreclosure? Some counties use judicial in rem tax foreclosures, where the right to redeem lasts 60 days from the sale and is exercised by paying the minimum bid into the superior court. Your paperwork will state which kind of sale it was. What about excess funds from the tax sale? Excess funds are a separate claim, handled by the official who conducted the sale, usually the county tax commissioner. What if I do nothing? If you do not redeem or sell your right to redeem, and the purchaser forecloses the right by notice, the purchaser’s title becomes absolute. A recorded tax deed also ripens by prescription four years after it is recorded. Is this legal advice? This page is general information and does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Important information

Attorney advertising. Responsible attorney: Christian Cruz, Esq., Georgia Bar Number 238836. Office: CRUZ LAW FIRM, 160 W Camino Real, 589, Boca Raton, FL, 33432.

This page is general information about Georgia law, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship, and no such relationship is formed until we have a signed written agreement.

Fee arrangements depend on the posture of the matter and are set out in a written agreement before any work begins. We are glad to explain how fees would work in your situation when we speak.