Smith County foreclosure auctions move online

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Delinquent tax foreclosure sales in Smith County are moving from live, in-person sales to the world wide web.

Starting in March, all tax foreclosure sales will exclusively be conducted online, beginning with the County’s upcoming tax sale scheduled for March 7, 2023.

Tax sales have historically been conducted in-person on the west steps of the Smith County courthouse.

“We are very excited to offer citizens this convenient and efficient new method of bidding on local property at our tax sales” explains Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector Gary Barber, whose office oversees all tax collections in the County. “Bidders can go online, register and bid on properties from their home computer, laptop, tablet or other internet-enabled handheld device.”

Sales will continue to be conducted by the Sheriff’s Office on the first Tuesday of the month.

The online service is provided at no charge to Smith County by the Linebarger Law Firm, which provides delinquent tax collection services to the County and the entities for which they collect. A list of properties up for sale can be found at the firm’s website, www.LGBS.com.

“Online sales in other counties have proven to make tax sales more accessible to citizens, especially those who prefer not to gather in large groups or have challenges making it to the Courthouse or when the weather conditions are challenging,” said Jim Lambeth, a partner in Linebarger’s Tyler office.

“It also helps property owners receive full market value for their delinquent properties and maximizes sales income,” Lambeth said.

“When tax properties sell for more than the taxes owed, those additional funds go back to the original property owner.”

Bidders must preregister in advance of the sales. The website is open for registration. Interested bidders may register at https://smith.texas.sheriffsaleauctions.com to start the process. Online bidder training will be available on that site beginning.

As always, payment of local property taxes can be made to the Smith County Tax Office in the Cotton Belt Building in Tyler or any county sub-courthouse. Payments can also be made online through the Smith County Tax Office website, which can be accessed at www.smith-county.com.

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