Maryland is a lien state. Interest rates can vary greatly by county. The redemption period is 6 months. Premium is bid, but you are not required to pay the entire premium amount unless the lien is not redeemed. You must pay the premium, however, in order to foreclose the right of redemption. Since each county has its own regulations regarding tax sales, and some of their procedures for these sales can be pretty complex, I have provided links to tax sale information web pages for five Maryland counties.



Montgomery County holds its tax sale on the second Monday of June. Their tax sale procedures are somewhat complicated and differ from those used in other Maryland counties. They use a sealed bid process. The properties are divided into groups and bidders can bid on individual properties or groups of properties. Although they utilize the premium bid method, they have a very unique way of bidding. Instead of bidding up the price for a lien or group of liens, your bid consists of the percent of assessed value that you are willing to pay. All payment is done by wire transfer and you do not have to be present to bid. The interest on the certificate amount is 1% per month (10% for every 6 months).

Howard County holds its tax sale in May or June. In contrast with Montgomery County, Howard County requires bidders to register before the sale with a $500 deposit in cash or certified funds. You, or your representative, must be present to bid at the sale. The initial bid price is the amount owed plus interest, penalties, and the cost of the sale. The interest rate on the certificate amount is 18% per annum.

Harford County also conducts their tax sale in June. The interest rate in Harford County is 12% per annum. They do require that you register before the sale and that you or a representative be present at the sale in order to bid. Although you do have to pay the certificate amount on the day of the sale, you do not have to pay any amount of the premium that you bid until you foreclose on the property. This is different from Montgomery and Howard Counties where you have to pay a certain percentage of the premium on the day of the sale.


Frederick County holds their sale in May. The interest rate is only 8%. You must register before the sale in order to bid and if you are bidding for an entity, registration must be submitted a few days before the sale. Parcels are sold for cash to the highest bidder.


Keep in mind that the redemption period in Maryland is short, only 6 months, and so is the time that you have to foreclose. If you do not take any action to foreclose your lien in 2 years from the date of the sale, your certificate is void and you lose your investment. Also, as with most other states, Maryland state law forbids any collusion at the sale.

Summary courtesy of Joanne Musa's State Guide

If you need legal advice about local laws or to initiate a foreclosure process, contact the local attorney listed below. 

If you own a property attained through tax lien and/or deed investing, or need help evaluating a property, contact the realtor below.  He/she is experienced in dealing with tax lien & deed properties.

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If you would like to invest in this Jurisdiction, but do not have the time to attend in person, contact our local investment liaison(s).  He/she is an experienced tax lien & deed investor and can help. (Note:  Tax Sale Resources does not partner with, or guarantee validity of agents credentials.  All arrangements must be made between you and the agent. Fees are determined by the individuals.)

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