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How to register, deposit and bid in the Wayne County Treasurer's auction

A buyer's walkthrough of the September and October auctions: government offers come first, the September minimum bid is the full delinquent amount, registration needs ID and an e-signed affidavit, deposits run $1,000/$10,000/$25,000 plus $50, and winning means paying in full within 72 hours.

By Tax Sale Intel research desk
Published · Updated
About this research desk · Methodology · Data sources

Governments get the first offer

Not every foreclosed parcel reaches the public auction. State law requires the Treasurer to offer foreclosed parcels first to the State of Michigan, the city, village, or township, a city authority, the county, or a county authority, at the minimum bid. Only parcels those governments do not take are sold to the public. That is why an auction catalog is never the full foreclosure list, and why a parcel you saw on a foreclosure list may never appear in a sale. The Treasurer publishes sold-property lists for each auction on its Claims & Auctions page afterward, and registered bidders can also download parcel spreadsheets or PDFs from inside their auction account, filtered by community or ZIP code.

Sources: Wayne County Treasurer: Claims & Auctions; Wayne County Treasurer: Property Tax Information

Two rounds: September at the full minimum, October for the rest

Public sales run in two rounds each fall. At the September auction, the minimum bid is everything owed: all delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and costs. Properties that do not sell in September are offered again at the October auction, where the minimum bid is a fixed amount that includes the Treasurer's foreclosure and auction expenses. One protection cuts the other way: state law does not allow the former owner of a foreclosed property to buy it back at auction for less than the taxes, fees, and interest outstanding at foreclosure. Our own research file shows the two rounds priced very differently. In September 2026 the median opening bid was $7,500; in October 2026 it was $900, and 99.3 percent of the October listings were parcels that had already been listed in September.

Sources: Wayne County Treasurer: Claims & Auctions; Wayne County Treasurer: Property Tax Information; Wayne County Treasurer's Auction: Frequently Asked Questions

Register before you bid

Registration happens online, before any bidding, at the Treasurer's auction site. You create an account, read the Auction Bidding Rules and the Auction Affidavit carefully, upload an image of your driver's license, front and back, or your passport, and e-sign that you have read, understand, and agree to both documents. The identification step exists to confirm that the person who registered is the same person e-signing the affidavit and rules. Do not leave registration to the last day: after you choose a deposit amount and pay, the Treasurer warns that verifying your deposit can take up to two business days, and an unverified deposit means no bidding. Questions about registration go to the Treasurer's auction team, whose contact address is published on the Claims & Auctions page.

Sources: Wayne County Treasurer's Auction: Frequently Asked Questions

Deposits: $1,000, $10,000, or $25,000, plus $50

The deposit depends on how much you intend to buy. Bidding on one property requires a $1,000 deposit. Bidding on more than one property requires $10,000, and a property identified as a premium property requires $25,000. Every registration also carries a $50 non-refundable registration fee. Payment runs through JPMorgan Chase, which accepts ACH, credit card, and debit card; ACH carries no fee, while card payments add a 2.49 percent fee that goes to the bank, not the Treasurer. Prepaid debit and credit cards are not accepted. Bidders without a U.S. bank account can pay by wire if they contact the Treasurer's office first. One point surprises many first-time bidders: the $1,000 deposit lets you purchase one property, not merely bid on one parcel, so while you keep being outbid you may bid on a different parcel.

Sources: Wayne County Treasurer's Auction: Frequently Asked Questions

How bidding and final payment work

Bidding is open and competitive, and you can watch whether you hold the high bid. You may instead enter a proxy bid, and the system will bid for you up to your maximum. Parcels close in batches of 15, and any bid in the last five minutes extends that item's closing by five more minutes, repeatedly. Increments are at least $100 on properties with a minimum bid under $10,000 and at least $1,000 at or above that level. A bid cannot be cancelled; it is an irrevocable offer. Winning means paying in full within 72 hours of the auction closing. On sales totaling over $100,000, 25 percent is due within 72 hours and the balance within 7 days. Fail to pay and your deposit is forfeited, the property is offered to the next highest bidder, and you may be banned from future auctions.

Sources: Wayne County Treasurer's Auction: Frequently Asked Questions

Sources and review dates

Check dates show when the Tax Sale Intel research desk reviewed these sources. They do not establish live auction availability. Research methods and interpretation are Tax Sale Intel’s editorial guidance, not legal, tax, title, or investment advice.

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