WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
BEFORE THE SALE:
ALL SALES ARE MADE PENDING THE FINAL APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. Even after you complete the auction process, the Board of Commissioners has the right by law to disapprove any sale. In that event, your money, except for the prorated advertising cost, will be refunded to you.
RESEARCH THE PROPERTY IN WHICH YOU ARE INTERESTED. Properties are listed, published and sold by their legal description as shown on the tax rolls. Property location addresses as shown on the tax rolls were typed in once upon a time, and some were entered incorrectly. Therefore, addresses can be misleading and/or wrong. If we have located the property, and know for sure where it is, we will tell you. Or, you can take the legal description to the County Assessor’s mapping department to see if they can locate it for you.
NO GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY OF TITLE IS OFFERED BY ATOKA COUNTY. We know nothing about these properties except what is revealed in the tax rolls and records of the County Clerk. No abstract or title insurance is to be provided. The properties are sold “as is, where is.”
If some other person is using a tract you purchase for their own purposes, it will be up to you to take possession. Atoka County does not know if any property is being used by someone else, and is not responsible for removing anyone or anything.
KNOW THE AMOUNT YOU ARE WILLING TO SPEND. Properties bought through the delinquent tax process may require further legal action to obtain title insurance or to be used as collateral. You should factor this in to your calculation of the amount you are willing to spend on a property.
In addition to the amount bid, you will pay a prorated publication cost for your tract, plus a $10.00 deed fee and $20.00 for recording the deed in the County Clerk’s office.
SIGN IN AS A BIDDER. To obtain a bidder number, you will be required to give your name, address, and telephone number on the sign in sheet. This sheet will become part of the permanent sale record.
HOLD QUESTIONS UNTIL THE SALE STARTS. A period for questions will be provided at the start of the sale, as others may have the same questions.
YOU MAY BID ONLY FOR YOURSELF. If you are successful as the bidder, you must make payment for the property, and the deed must be made out to you.
PAYMENT MUST BE IN THIS OFFICE BEFORE 2:00 PM ON THE DATE OF THE SALE. IF FUNDS ARE NOT IN BY THIS TIME, THE NEXT HIGHEST BIDDER WILL BE CONTACTED AND THE PROPERTY OFFERED TO HIM OR HER.
DURING THE SALE:
PLEASE BE PATIENT. There are some formalities that must be gone through at the beginning of the sale to satisfy statutory and auditor requirements.
PLEASE LISTEN carefully to any and all announcements and answers to questions.
PLEASE BE COURTEOUS AND THOUGHTFUL OF OTHERS. Please keep conversations with others to a minimum. It is difficult to hear when several people are speaking in a confined area. In addition, it would be helpful and appreciated if cell phones could be turned off –the sale will not take a long time.
THE ORDER OF SALE will be the order in which the tracts are listed in the publication. Please keep up with your list, so that you do not miss an opportunity or bid on a wrong tract. If you are not sure which tract is up for bid, please stop us and ask.
MINIMUM BID for each property is shown in the list in this packet. Property will be sold to the highest competitive bidder. In addition to the amount bid, you will pay a prorated publication cost for your tract, plus a $10.00 deed fee and $20.00 for recording the deed in the County Clerk’s office.
AFTER THE SALE:
PLEASE BEAR WITH US as we close the sale and get your totals to you. We will work as quickly as possible, but we don’t want to make errors when dealing with your money.
PAYMENT MUST BE IN THIS OFFICE BEFORE 2:00 PM ON THE DATE OF THE SALE. IF FUNDS ARE NOT IN BY THIS TIME, THE NEXT HIGHEST BIDDER WILL BE CONTACTED AND THE PROPERTY OFFERED TO HIM OR HER. NO CREDIT CARDS CAN BE ACCEPTED AS PAYMENT.
CASH, CHECK, CASHIER’S CHECK, OR MONEY ORDER WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Funds will be deposited into the County Treasurer’s trust account, to be held until the County Commissioners approve or disapprove the sale. You will receive an Acknowledgement of Trust Deposit receipt, listing each property you purchased and the amount required for it, and the total for the receipt. YOU WILL NEED TO HOLD ON TO THIS RECEIPT IN CASE YOUR SALE IS NOT APPROVED AND MUST BE CANCELLED. IF THAT HAPPENS, YOU WILL NEED TO BRING IT WITH YOU TO COLLECT YOUR MONEY.
By law, the County Commissioners must be presented with a transcript of each sale, along with minutes and other documentation of the sale and procedures leading up to it, for their review and approval. My office will prepare this documentation and get it before the earliest possible meeting of the Commissioners. THE MEETING DATE WILL BE KNOWN ON THE DATE OF THE SALE, AND WILL BE ANNOUNCED DURING THE SALE SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO WAIT.
If the sale is approved at that meeting, the Commissioners will sign the deed, and I will disburse the funds for recording it. I will have the recorded document returned to my office to be copied for our records, and we will notify you that it is ready.
This procedure places the duty of follow-through and tracking with my office. It also means that when you receive your deed from my office, it is already placed of record in the County Clerk’s office. My office will also deliver a copy of the recorded deed to the Atoka County Assessor so that he may change the tax rolls to reflect your new ownership.
If the sale is not approved by the Commissioners, my office will contact you to come in and pick up your refund, less the prorated publication cost for the tract(s) on which you bid.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR SALE.