Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Author: Jessa May Bautista
Reviewed by: Josh Blanchard
Fact Checked by: Jack Aldous

Dodge County does not sell tax liens. There’s no investor who buys the debt and collects interest while waiting. Instead, the county takes full legal ownership of the property through a court process called In Rem foreclosure. Once that happens, the county turns around and sells the property to the public through sealed written bids, not a live auction.

This process runs under Wisconsin State Statute 75.521, and the Dodge County Treasurer’s Office manages it from start to finish.

What Is a Tax Deed?

When a property owner does not pay real estate taxes, the debt becomes delinquent. If the taxes stay unpaid long enough, the county can take legal title to the property. This is called a tax deed. The county then sells these properties to the public to recover the unpaid taxes.

Dodge County Wisconsin: From Missed Payment to Sale

Instead of a stage-by-stage table like most guides use, here’s the timeline laid out by date so you can see how long the whole thing actually takes.

WhenWhat Happens
September 1 (each year)County issues a tax certificate against any parcel with unpaid current-year taxes
Shortly afterA “Notice of Issuance of Tax Certificate” gets mailed to the owner
3 years later, at minimumCounty begins the final legal steps to take the property
The following springProperty gets valued and prepared for sale
Set deadline dateSealed bids are due, along with a 10% deposit
Day of Taxation Committee meetingBids get opened and reviewed
Within 10 business days afterWinning bidder must pay the rest or lose their deposit
Within 90 days after full paymentCounty issues a Quit Claim Deed

Notice the three-year wait. That’s built into state law, not something Dodge County decided on its own. It gives owners years of chances to catch up before losing the property for good.

Key Takeaways

  • Dodge County does not sell tax liens; instead, it uses In Rem foreclosure to take ownership and then sells properties through sealed bids.
  • The process begins with a tax certificate issued for unpaid taxes, followed by a three-year wait before the property is sold.
  • Bidders must submit a sealed bid form with a 10% deposit, and the process allows no property walk-throughs before bidding.
  • Winning bidders have 10 business days to pay the remaining balance to receive a Quit Claim Deed within 90 days of full payment.
  • For information about new parcels, join the interested parties list at the Treasurer’s Office, as sales are not on a fixed schedule.

Why “Sealed Bid” Is Not the Same as “Auction”

Many people picture a courtroom-style auction with people shouting numbers. That’s not how Dodge County does it. Here, you write your offer on a bid form, seal it, and turn it in by the deadline. Nobody, including you, sees what anyone else offered. The Taxation Committee opens every sealed bid at one scheduled meeting and picks the winner from there.

This matters because it changes your strategy. You get one shot to name your price. There’s no back-and-forth, no last-second outbidding.

Steps to Take If You Want to Bid in Dodge County Wisconsin

Rather than a generic checklist, here’s what actually matters at each point in the process:

  1. Before a sale opens:

    Email the Treasurer’s Office to request to join the interested parties list. This way, you’ll receive immediate notifications when new parcels become available, which is important since Dodge County doesn’t have a fixed calendar for sales.

  2. Once a parcel is listed:

    Pull up the parcel using the county’s property lookup tool. Check the tax history, past ownership, and assessed value. After that, reach out to the Register of Deeds and actively search for any old liens that continue to attach to the property, because a tax deed doesn’t automatically eliminate every claim on it.

  3. Before you submit anything:

    Call the local town, village, or city office to confirm what the land can legally be used for. Zoning rules don’t disappear just because the county foreclosed on the parcel.

  4. When you’re ready to bid:

    Fill out the bid form completely and attach a 10% deposit. Dodge County only accepts cash, money order, or certified check for this, so plan ahead.

  5. After bids are opened:

    If you didn’t win, expect a call the next day and your deposit returned. If you did win, you get a call and email, then you have 10 business days to pay the balance in full. Miss that window and you forfeit your deposit.

Something Buyers Often Miss

These properties sell as is. There are no open houses and no interior walk-throughs, ever. Dodge County will not fix a roof, clear junk from the yard, or resolve a boundary dispute before handing over the deed. And in some cases, the county allows a former owner the option to buy their old property back, though this is entirely at the county’s discretion and isn’t guaranteed.

Key Details at a Glance

DetailInfo
Handling officeDodge County Treasurer
Legal processIn Rem foreclosure, Wisconsin Statute 75.521
Sale formatSealed bid, reviewed by the Taxation Committee
Deposit needed10% of bid, cash/money order/certified check only
Payment deadline after winning10 business days
Deed typeQuit Claim Deed
Deed issued within90 days of full payment
Treasurer phone(920) 386-3600
Treasurer address127 East Oak Street, Juneau, WI 53039

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Does Dodge County ever sell tax liens instead of the property?

No. Wisconsin counties don’t do lien sales. The county owns the property outright before it ever gets listed.

Can I walk through a property before I bid?

No. Every sale is as is, with no walk-throughs or open houses offered.

What if two people submit the exact same bid amount?

This isn’t publicly detailed by the county. If you’re worried about a tie, contact the Treasurer’s Office directly before submitting your bid.

How do I know when new parcels are available?

Join the county’s email notification list for interested parties, since Dodge County doesn’t post sales on a set schedule.

What happens to old liens on the property after the county takes it?

The county states that liens and judgments get extinguished and delinquent taxes get written off once full payment is made and the deed is issued.

Can a former owner get their property back?

Sometimes. Dodge County may choose to grant a former owner the right to repurchase, but this is optional on the county’s part, not automatic.

Sources:
Dodge County Foreclosures
Dodge County Treasurer
Dodge County Statutes

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