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

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Grant County sometimes ends up owning houses and land because owners stopped paying property taxes. If you have ever wondered how that happens and how you can buy that property, this post answers the six questions people ask most.

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.

1. Why does the county own this land in the first place?

Property owners must pay real estate taxes every year. When someone stops paying and the debt sits unpaid long enough, Grant County has the legal right to take the property through a court foreclosure. Once the county holds the title, it does not want to keep the land. It wants to sell it and get the unpaid tax money back.

2. Is this a tax lien or a tax deed?

It is a tax deed, and the difference matters. In some states, investors buy a certificate tied to the debt and collect interest while they wait. Wisconsin skips that step. Grant County takes full ownership of the property first, then sells the property itself. There is no certificate to buy and no interest to collect. That full ownership transfer is the entire reason it is called a tax deed.

Here is a simple side-by-side to make it clear:

	Tax Lien (other states)	Tax Deed (Grant County)
What you buy	A debt certificate	The actual property
Who owns the land while you wait	Original owner	Grant County
Interest payments	Yes, from the owner	No, there is none
Ownership after purchase	Only if the owner never pays	Immediate, once the deed transfers

3. How long does it take for the county to seize a property?

Grant County follows a set yearly schedule rather than a loose timeline. An owner gets a tax bill each December. If they miss payment between January 31 and July 31, the county issues a tax lien on September 1 and assigns it a certificate number. One year delinquent, the owner’s name gets published in the local paper and 12% interest kicks in. Two years after the lien, the county sends certified mail to start foreclosure. A final notice follows 60 to 90 days later, and the property gets seized.

Grant County also publishes a yearly Notice of Unredeemed Lands. This lists every parcel sold for delinquent taxes and gives the owner one last window to pay. Under the current notice, owners have until September 1, 2026 to pay what they owe. After that date, those parcels convert into county-owned tax deeds.

4. How do I actually buy one of these properties?

5. What should I check before I bid?

Every property sells as is. Nobody fixes the roof or clears out old junk before you take ownership. Before you commit any money, work through this list:

• Call the Treasurer’s Office to ask what parcels are currently available or how to file an application.
• Search the parcel on the county’s Land Records Web Portal for ownership and tax history.
• Contact the Register of Deeds to check for old liens still tied to the land.
• Call the local town, village, or city office to confirm what the land can legally be used for.
• Drive by the property in person. Interior viewings are almost never offered.
• Set aside extra cash beyond your bid for repairs or cleanup.

6. Who do I contact, and what are the key numbers?

Item	Detail
County agency	Grant County Treasurer
Treasurer	Carrie Eastlick
Sale format	Public auction after an accepted application
Application deposit	$300
Notice period	Published weekly for three straight weeks
Redemption deadline (current notice)	September 1, 2026
Property condition	Sold as is
Office address	111 S. Jefferson Street, Lancaster, WI 53813
Phone	(608) 723-2604
Email	[email protected]

Fast Answers

Sources:
Grant County Wisconsin Treasurer
Grant County Wisconsin Land Records
Grant County Wisconsin Register of Deeds
Grant County Wisconsin Website

Related Links:

• Grant County WA – Tax Deed Auction
• Grant County AR – Tax Deed Auction
• Gadsden County

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About Dustin Hahn

Dustin Hahn is a Tax Lien & Deed investor with over 22 years of experience and hundreds of deals under his belt. He created Tax Lien School.com to help you buy Tax Deeds up to 90% off mortgage free and earn up to 36% ROI with Tax Liens. This site was voted the “Most Useful Resource” for new investors. Dustin’s YouTube Channel is the #1 Channel on Tax Liens & Deeds with over 98,000 Subscribers and 3600 videos to help you start. “The Best Time To Start Real Estate Investing Was 20 Years Ago, The Second Best Time Is TODAY!”

20+yrs

5–10deals/mo

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