Sheriff Sales

Notice: Pursuant to House Bill 390, Henry County Sheriff Sales of Real Estate will be sold on the public sheriff's sale website operated by RealAuction in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.  The new process and procedures are detailed on the RealAuction website.  Sheriff's Sales will be conducted on-line for Orders of Sale received after August 1, 2022.  Tax sales will still be held on the 1st floor of the Courthouse.

General changes are:

1. All potential bidders must register with RealAuction.  Registration will include completion of the Purchaser Information Form;
2. Properties will open for bid at least seven days immediately prior to the date of sale.  This is generally known as a proxy bid;
3. On-line auctions will begin on scheduled Tuesdays at 10:00 am.  An auction will be conducted for each individual property/court case.  After a property is sold, the next scheduled sale will begin; and,
4. Bidders must submit a deposit based on the appraised value.  Acceptable deposits are bank wire transfers or ACH, no cash deposit will be accepted.  Wire deposits must be received by 5 pm EST two (2) business days before the auction sale date.  All ACH deposits must be initiated by 4 pm EST five (5) business days before the auction sale date.  Bidders must plan to allow enough time for their bidding deposits to be received and processed within the time-frames described above.  Deposits based on appraised values are:

Webinar training classes are available through RealAuction.  Classes generally last 90 minutes for their software's instructions.  Attendance is by on-line registration or contacting RealAuction Customer Service at 954-734-7401 or 877-361-7325.  Customer service can also be reached via e-mail at customerservice@realauction.com.

Publication of sales will be in The Northwest Signal.

Judgment Creditors Only

Registration is required: however, the deposit is not required.  Further guidance is available in the Plaintiff and Judgment Creditor Instructions.

Bidding style choice (pre-sale manage bid or live bid) and a verification form the court stating you are the judgment creditor is needed for each particular case.  Court papers may be sent to customerservice@realauction.com at least one day before the sale.  Please include your bid number and user account's first and last name.  

Any questions, please contact 877-361-7325, ext. 245 or 246.

Second Sale

If property remains unsold after the first sale, a second sale shall be held and the property shall be sold to the highest bidder with no minimum bid but subject to ORC 2329.21 relating to costs, allowances and real estate taxes. The possible second sale date will be specified in the original advertising of the property. 

Total Amounts Due

The Henry County Sheriff's Office is not responsible for providing total amounts due at time of sale. It is the responsibility of the bidder to obtain these amounts prior to sale.

Completion of Process

If you are the successful bidder, the process after the sheriff sale auction takes an additional 30 to 45 days to complete. Once the confirmation entry is filed with the Court, and our office receives the Sheriff's Deed, we will contact you to schedule a time to complete the sale. You must have the balance of the proceeds at that time. 

Our office will accept a personal or bank check made payable to the Henry County Sheriff's Office.

Approval of Common Pleas Judge

If you purchase a property at sheriff sale, it still belongs to the original owner until the Common Pleas Judge has signed the confirmation of sale. This process usually takes up to 30 days or more. The property is not transferred into your name until the sheriff's deed has been recorded with the Henry County Recorder. 

Please note the judgment creditor and first lienholder each have a right to redeem the property within 14 days of the sale by paying the full purchase price to the Clerk of Court. The Clerk of Court shall proceed with the redeeming party being considered the successful purchaser of the sale.

Risk

Please note: Sheriff Sales can be very risky in terms of money and other concerns. If you have any questions regarding this, you should consult your personal attorney before any real estate purchase from sheriff sale. The Sheriff's Office cannot advise you on any legal questions you may have.

For a complete copy of the 131st General Assembly Substitute House Bill 390, please visit the Ohio General Assembly website.