KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Knox County will host an auction sale of properties previously owned by delinquent taxpayers on the morning on Jan. 5. Hundreds of properties are listed for Tax Sale 23.
The sale is meant to be a way for Knox County and Knoxville to collect delinquent real estate property tax and enforce the first lien of the property to collect taxes. The properties will be sold to the highest bidder for cash, and the auction will be held in the Large Assembly Room of the City-County Building starting at 8:30 a.m.
"Persons wishing to find investment properties, or perhaps purchase a home, may benefit from attending a tax sale auction," Knox County's website says. "Anyone interested in tax sale properties should be aware that there are serious risks, restrictions and requirements involved in purchasing a property at a delinquent tax sale."
There are more than 200 properties expected to go up for sale in places across Knox County. Many of the properties located in Knoxville are vacant lots, while others may include structures. There are also commercial properties available in the auction.
Some of the properties are also listed as "condemned" and a few are also zoned for industrial use, according to a list of properties available at the auction.
"The purpose of a tax sale auction is to collect delinquent revenue and put properties back into productive use," the Knox County website says. "Although the majority of property owners pay their taxes on time, owners who do not pay their property taxes force us to take extreme measures. A tax sale is the last resort available."
Additional information about each property in the sale is available online as well, in a document. The document can list the taxes due on each property as of January 2023, as well as descriptions of each listed property.