2021 ONLINE TAX SALE TERMS & REGISTRATION

MAY 6, 2021 AT 10AM AND ENDING MAY 13, 2021 AT 10AM

This is an online auction sale. Prospective bidders should investigate the properties. There are no warranties,

expressed or implied, (a) that a property has a marketable title, (b) the property contains the area of land which it is

said to contain, or (c) the property is located correctly on the tax maps of Caroline County, Maryland. The purchaser

assumes all risks in these regards. The sale of the property is subject to any discrepancies or conflicts in boundary lines.

The property is being sold as is, without any warranties. The term “taxes” used therein refers to outstanding Real

Estate Taxes, Property Liens, Water/Sewer Usage Charges, interest, service charges, penalties, and advertising

charges.

ALL TAX SALE BIDDERS ARE SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS OF SALE

A. General Terms of Sale

1. Section 14-818 of the Tax Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland provides that the payment

of the purchase price on tax sales “shall be on the terms required by the collector.” Caroline County

(County) requires that all purchasers remit within 3 days of the day of the tax sale the full amount of all

taxes and other outstanding charges due on the property, whether in arrears or not, together with interest and

penalties on the outstanding amounts and expenses incurred. Failure to pay by 4pm on May 17, 2021

will result in the purchaser being barred from future tax sales. In addition, Section 14-818 provides that

“the residue of the purchase price remains on credit.” The difference between the bid amount and the

amount paid at the time of sale must be paid upon foreclosure.

2. The bidding process for Tax Sale is by online auction. The Tax Sale commences on MAY 6, 2021 AT 10AM AND ENDING MAY 13, 2021 AT 10AM The online website is

www.triceauctions.com

3. Pre-registration is REQUIRED. You may pre-register by completing the attached registration and IRS

W-9 forms and returning them, along with a copy of your driver’s license and any required documentation, if

needed, to the Tax Office at P.O. Box 459, Denton, Maryland 21629. Pre-registration ends Friday,

May 17th, 2020 at 4pm. Late registrations will not be accepted.

4. Who can bid:

a. Any individual;

b. A member of a Limited Liability Company (LLC) if the LLC has no manager;

c. A manager of the LLC;

d. A general partner of a partnership or limited partnership;

e. The administrator or executor of an estate;

f. The trustee of a trust.

g. If the bidder is a corporation, a principal officer or corporate officer who has legal authority to

bind the corporation; any person who is designated by the board of directors or other governing

body of the corporation; any officer or employee of the corporation upon written request signed

by a principal officer of the corporation and attested by the secretary or other officer of the

corporation.

5. Bidding must be done online. All entity bidders (corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies,

limited liability partnerships, trusts and estates) must establish their eligibility for bidding by presenting

satisfactory evidence of the legal existence of the bidding entity and by identifying a single agent to bid for

that bidding entity. All entity bidders must provide the following information:

a. Legal name of entity;

b. Resident agent(s) name, address, and telephone number;

c. Street address for principal place of business;

d. Bidder’s name, address, telephone number, and photo identification;

e. State identification number, if applicable;

f. Evidence that entity is in good standing in the State of Maryland; and

g. Agents of entity bidders must identify themselves by full name and address, and provide

evidence of their authorization to bind the principal.

B. The Bidding Process

1. All bidders must register with the Tax Office by May 12th by 12pm and have a bidder number

assigned to them. Late registrations will not be accepted. Only one bidder’s number will be assigned per legal

entity.

2. The County, auctioneer, or designee may at any time debar, suspend, or eject any bidder from further

participation in any tax sale for disruption of the sale or violation of any terms of the sale. In addition to the

individual bidders that are barred, the entity they represent will also be barred from further participation in

any tax sale held by Caroline County.

3. Bidding will begin at an amount set (amount of Taxes due). Bid prices will be no less than the amount due

for taxes and other charges. Caroline County has a high bid premium. A high-bid premium must be paid by

the high bidder if the bid exceeds 40% the property’s full cash value. The premium equals 20% of the

amount by which the bid exceeds 40% of the property’s full cash value. The premium is returned, without

any interest, upon redemption or foreclosure. The high-bid premium is not refundable after the time

required under Section 14-833 of the Tax Property Article for an action to foreclose the right of redemption

if there has been no redemption and if an action to foreclose the right of redemption has not been filed

within that time. The auction will begin with a set of properties and proceed in sets until all properties have

been sold. If there are no bidders, the property will be sold to Caroline County.

4. Successful bids will be conditionally accepted, pending payment of the amounts due. In addition, any

properties sold at Tax Sale will incur a $14.00 cost of sale fee to be paid by the winning bidder. Payment is

required within 3 days of the day of the tax sale. Failure to pay by 4pm on May 17, 2021 will

result in the purchaser being barred from future tax sales. Acceptable forms of payment are cash and

checks. Entity bidders must pay with entity checks. Individual bidders who have not participated in our

County Tax Sale before will be required to submit a letter of reference from their bank or lender

stating they are a customer in good standing if paying by check.

C. Notice Regarding Redemption, Foreclosure, and Certificates

1. The Tax Office will be informing property owners of your bid price and such other information as may be

necessary to enable those parties to make an informed financial decision concerning redemption.

2. Tax Sale Certificates will be dated the day of sale and mailed to purchasers within six (6) months from the

date of the sale. Certificates are available from the day of the sale by request.

3. Certificates of sale will expire two (2) years from the date of the certificate of sale unless a proceeding to

foreclose is filed prior to that time. Any right, title and interest of the purchaser in the property sold shall

cease at the point of expiration, and all money received by the County as a result of the sale shall be deemed

forfeited.

4. Tax Sale Certificates from this sale (2020) will expire on December 7, 2022.

5. The first day to file in Circuit Court to foreclose all right to redemption on the property is June 7, 2021.

Check with the Tax Office (410-479-0410) to verify that the property has not been redeemed. A Bill of

Complaint must be filed within two (2) years from the date of the Certificate of Sale. The buyer is required to

report such filings to the Tax Office immediately.

6. The purchaser will pay the balance of the original bid price, and all taxes due and payable immediately

following the issuance of a judgment by the Circuit Court and prior to the execution of a deed.

7. It is the responsibility of the purchasers to advise the Tax Office of all expenses incurred in any action

or in preparation for any action to foreclose the right of redemption. A receipted bill or written statement

of expenses is required within ten days of request. Purchaser has no rights or privileges to property until

foreclosure proceedings are consummated. All redemption must be processed and all sums paid through

the Tax Office, including attorney’s fees and other expenses of the Purchaser. NO MONIES ARE TO BE

SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED BY THE PURCHASER, HIS AGENTS OR ATTORNEY. THE

COMPTROLLER REQUIRES ALL REDEMPTIONS BE MADE THROUGH THE TAX

OFFICE.

D. Notice Regarding Invalid Certificates and Voided Sales

1. Bidders are on notice that possibility exists that a certificate purchased at the Tax Sale may, upon

subsequent inquiry, be determined to be invalid or void. The County reserves the right to invalidate or void a

sale at any time. In the event the County determines that a tax sale is invalid or void the County will, as the

exclusive remedy available to the purchaser, reimburse the purchaser the tax sale purchase price paid, without

interest, and any applicable high bid premium paid, without interest. Events that may invalidate a tax sale

include, but are not limited to, bankruptcy filings prior to the tax sale, transfer errors on the assessor’s records

that cause the failure of notice to the proper property owner or sale of incorrect property, payment of taxes

prior to the tax sale, issuance of a revised assessment by the assessor, value changes by the assessor,

erroneous service charges, or service fees,. The tax sale bidder/purchaser assumes all risks of any irregularity

of the sale and has no other remedy against the County. The County is not liable for and will not pay the

purchaser any interest, costs, expenses or attorney fees associated with any invalid or voided sale.

E. Warranty

1. By signing this form, each bidder represents and warrants that they are authorized to bid and ready, willing

and financially able to consummate each sale at the price(s) bid. Bidders acknowledge that this representation

is material to the County’s willingness to issue them a bidder card and to accept bids during the sale. Failure

to abide by any of the above terms can result, without notice, in barring future participation of the

bidder and/or bidding entity.

Catherine P. Moore

Comptroller & Collector of Taxes

Caroline County, Maryland

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