Caroline County 2023 Online Tax Sale

CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND

2023 ONLINE TAX SALE TERMS & REGISTRATION FORM
MAY 11, 2023 AT 10AM AND ENDING MAY 12, 2023 AT 10AM

Page 1 of 5

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 by Tuesday, May 16, 2023 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 16, 2023 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 Thursday, May 11,
2023 at 10:00 a.m. and ends Friday, May 12, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. The online website is www.bidtrice.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 or email to [email protected]. You
must also register with Trice Auctions at www.bidtrice.com in order to bid. Pre-registration ends
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 2pm. 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:

CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND

2023 ONLINE TAX SALE TERMS & REGISTRATION FORM
MAY 11, 2023 AT 10AM AND ENDING MAY 12, 2023 AT 10AM

Page 2 of 5

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 Wednesday May 10 th by 2pm 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 by Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Failure to pay by 4pm on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 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.

CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND

2023 ONLINE TAX SALE TERMS & REGISTRATION FORM
MAY 11, 2023 AT 10AM AND ENDING MAY 12, 2023 AT 10AM

Page 3 of 5

4. Tax Sale Certificates from this sale (2023) will expire on May 12, 2025.
5. The first day to file in Circuit Court to foreclose all right to redemption on the property is November 12,
2023. 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
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE 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.

Daniel Fox
Director of Finance & Collector of Taxes
Caroline County, Maryland

CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND

2023 ONLINE TAX SALE TERMS & REGISTRATION FORM
MAY 11, 2023 AT 10AM AND ENDING MAY 12, 2023 AT 10AM

Page 4 of 5
Tax Sale Time Line

Tax year – July – June
Tax bills mailed July 1 st
Full year due date – September 30 th
Semi annual payments due September 30 th & December 31 st
Delinquent letter mailed between January 1st & January 15th
Legal letter mailed March 1 st
Newspaper publication starts in April - 4 weeks prior to the sale date and
runs for 4 weeks. Once payment is made the property owners name will be
removed from the paper for the next weeks run.
**Once property is advertised, taxpayer will have to pay advertising
fee along with the taxes to be removed from sale.
** We start requesting certified funds for tax payments prior to
newspaper publication.
Tax Sale is held in May by online auction each year.
Bidder Time Line After Sale

*Make payment to Tax Office by 4 pm Tuesday May 16, 2023 after sale.
*4 months from date of sale you can start legal action & charge $500.00
legal fees & $250.00 title search fees + postage. This legal action
includes 2 notices that have to be sent called Affidavits of Compliance.
*The first notice can be sent 4 months from date of sale by regular mail,
the second notice can be sent a week later by certified mail.
*You will be emailed a Certificate of Sale (an original can be requested but
must be returned prior to disbursing of funds if redemption occurs) six months
from the date of the sale and it will be dated the day of the sale. This Certificate
is valid for 2 years from the date of the sale.
60 days from the date of the 1 st notice and at least 6 months from the date of sale
you can start the process to foreclose the right of redemption. At this point you
may incur $1,500.00 in legal fees and other fees for mailings, etc as listed in the
tax code.
*Once all notices, publications and filings are complete you then submit an
order to the court to foreclose the right of redemption. Once the judge
signs it you then can have your attorney prepare a new deed & submit
it to the Tax Office with your bid amount minus taxes paid day of sale
and all accruing taxes to date.
**Note – If at any time the owner comes in to redeem the property before
the judge signs the final order – you will be reimbursed for all
your expenses plus 10% per annum on your costs day of sale
*****DO NOT ENTER THE PROPERTY OR MAKE CONTACT WITH THE
HOMEOWNERS ANYTIME UNTIL THE FINAL ORDER IS FINALIZED AND THE
DEED IS RECORDED IN YOUR NAME********

CAROLINE COUNTY, MARYLAND

2023 ONLINE TAX SALE TERMS & REGISTRATION FORM
MAY 11, 2023 AT 10AM AND ENDING MAY 12, 2023 AT 10AM

Page 5 of 5

____________________
Assigned Bidder #
By signing below, each bidder hereby accepts the foregoing terms and conditions of sale, with the intention to be bound,
and hereby declares and affirms, under the penalties of perjury, that the information and representations set forth herein
and provided to the county are true and correct.
____________________________________________ __________________________________________
Bidder’s Signature Bidder’s Name (Print)
If Bidder is an Individual (please print legibly)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Legal Name of Individual as it will appear on Tax Sale Certificate
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Individual’s Social Security Number Telephone Numbers
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Mailing address of Individual

If Bidder is an Entity (please print legibly)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Legal Name of Entity as it will appear on Tax Sale Certificate
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Entity’s Federal Identification Number
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Mailing Address of Entity
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Person Telephone Numbers
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Resident Agent’s Name Telephone Numbers
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Resident Agent’s Address
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Bidding Agent’s Name Telephone Numbers
_____________________________________________________________________________________________