[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "how%20many%20years%20must%20property%20tax%20be%20delinquent%20before%20san%20diego%20county%20does%20tax%20auction%3F"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "In San Diego County, a property must be tax-defaulted for **five or more years** before it becomes subject to sale at public auction. ([timesofsandiego.com](https://timesofsandiego.com/life/2026/02/28/sd-county-property-online-auction-deadline-is-march-5/?utm_source=openai))\n\nHere are some of the relevant details and legal references:\n\n---\n\n### Key Points\n\n- The San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector\u2019s office states that properties included in the tax auction are those with at least one property tax installment that has been delinquent for **five or more years**. ([sdttc.mytaxsale.com](https://sdttc.mytaxsale.com/nfs/documents/Terms_and_conditions_March_2026.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n  \n- Consistent with this, news reports about the March 2026 San Diego County tax auction note that the 686 properties to be auctioned have been in tax default for five or more years. ([timesofsandiego.com](https://timesofsandiego.com/life/2026/02/28/sd-county-property-online-auction-deadline-is-march-5/?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n### Legal Authority\n\n- Under Section 3691 and Section 3692.4 of the **California Revenue & Taxation Code**, unpaid property taxes that have been in default for five years give the county treasurer-tax collector the power to sell the property. ([sdttc.mytaxsale.com](https://sdttc.mytaxsale.com/nfs/documents/Terms_and_conditions_March_2026.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n- If a nuisance abatement lien has been recorded, the time period can be shorter. In cases with such liens, the period before sale is **three years**. ([sdttc.com](https://www.sdttc.com/content/dam/ttc/docs/taxcollection/Notice-of-Property-Tax%20Delinquency-and-Impending-Default-June-6-13-and-20-2025.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\nIf you like, I can also pull up when exactly certain notices are mailed out or what redemptions are available during the five-year period \u2014 property owners usually have chances to avoid sale if they pay taxes, penalties, and fees before the auction date. Do you want me to cover that part?"
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "how%20long%20after%20the%205%20year%20unpaid%20taxes%20does%20the%20auction%20process%20take%3F"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s how long the San Diego County tax auction process takes *after* a property has been in default for at least five years \u2014 based on state law and the County\u2019s timelines. Key terms:\n\n- \u201cTax-defaulted\u201d typically means taxes, assessments, penalties or costs haven\u2019t been paid and, by operation of law, the property is declared defaulted (often as of **July 1** after unpaid taxes). ([sandiegocounty.gov](https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/auditor/trb0809/docs/TaxInformation.pdf?utm_source=openai))  \n- After five years in tax-default status (or three for commercial properties in certain cases), the property becomes subject to the tax collector\u2019s power to sell. ([sco.ca.gov](https://www.sco.ca.gov/Files-ARD-Tax-Info/Tax-Collector-Ref-Man/ctcrm_chapter6.pdf?utm_source=openai))  \n\nHere\u2019s a timeline and what happens in between:\n\n---\n\n### Typical Timeline\n\n1. **Declaration of Default**  \n   By operation of law, taxes unpaid by July 1 become tax-defaulted. ([sandiegocounty.gov](https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/auditor/trb0809/docs/TaxInformation.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n2. **Waiting Period After Default**  \n   - Most properties: **5 years** in default before becoming subject to sale. ([sco.ca.gov](https://www.sco.ca.gov/Files-ARD-Tax-Info/Tax-Collector-Ref-Man/ctcrm_chapter6.pdf?utm_source=openai))  \n   - Residential or farmland, unless a shorter period applies (e.g. under nuisance abatement) ([sdttc.com](https://www.sdttc.com/content/dam/ttc/docs/taxcollection/Notice_Impending_Power_to_Sell_Property_June2020.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n3. **Notice of Impending Power to Sell**  \n   Once the five-year (or three-year for qualifying properties) default period ends, the County sends notice that it has *power to sell* the property. This notice is usually sent by certified mail or by posting, sometimes alongside a list of all such properties. ([sdttc.com](https://www.sdttc.com/content/dam/ttc/docs/taxcollection/Notice_Impending_Power_to_Sell_Property_June2020.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n4. **Publication of List / Notice**  \n   Before auction, the County publishes a list of properties subject to \u201cpower to sell\u201d and gives public notice of the upcoming sale. San Diego publishes this notice **on or before June 8** in certain years. Properties not redeemed by that date move toward auction. ([sandiegocounty.gov](https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/auditor/trb0809/docs/TaxInformation.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n5. **Redemption Period Ends**  \n   Property owners have until a deadline (often just before the auction) to redeem the property by paying all taxes, penalties, interest, and fees. After that, rights are lost. In 2026, for example, San Diego's deadline was **5:00 PM on March 12**, with the auction following March 13-18. ([sd-cash-buyer.com](https://www.sd-cash-buyer.com/blog/san-diego-tax-auction-686-properties-march-2026-redemption-deadline?utm_source=openai))\n\n6. **Auction Period**  \n   The auction is scheduled and held online over several days (in 2026, March 13-18) once the redemption deadline passes. ([sd-cash-buyer.com](https://www.sd-cash-buyer.com/blog/san-diego-tax-auction-686-properties-march-2026-redemption-deadline?utm_source=openai))\n\n7. **Processing After Auction**  \n   Winning bidders must pay within a few business days after the close of the auction. Then the tax deed is recorded, which may take several weeks; original documents are mailed several weeks later. ([sdttc.mytaxsale.com](https://sdttc.mytaxsale.com/doc/tax_deed/faq?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n### So, How Long is It After 5 Years?\n\nFrom the time a property reaches **five years in default** to when it actually goes to auction in San Diego County, the process typically takes **several months**, as various notifications, publications, and redemption periods must occur. Based on recent auctions:\n\n- Properties become eligible as of July 1. ([sdttc.com](https://www.sdttc.com/content/dam/ttc/docs/taxcollection/Notice_Impending_Power_to_Sell_Property_June2020.pdf?utm_source=openai))  \n- The notice of power to sell must be published (sometimes by early June of a given year) before the upcoming auction. ([sandiegocounty.gov](https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/auditor/trb0809/docs/TaxInformation.pdf?utm_source=openai))  \n- Then, auction registration deadlines are set, followed by redemption cutoff, then the auction itself \u2014 as seen for Spring 2026. ([sd-cash-buyer.com](https://www.sd-cash-buyer.com/blog/san-diego-tax-auction-686-properties-march-2026-redemption-deadline?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\nIf you\u2019d like, I can map this timeline with concrete dates from recent auctions (e.g. 2025 and 2026) so you can see how long people actually had from \u201csubject to power to sell\u201d to auction."
    }
]