Bulk Sale

• In Ohio, tax lien certificates are not sold individually to small investors. Instead, the entire block, or batch, of available tax liens is sold to one investor only through an in-person tax auction process. Because of this bulk sale rule and the potential millions of dollars of investment needed, financial eligibility documents are usually required to be filed with the county before you are allowed to participate in the tax lien auction.
  
  

No Contact

• The tax lien certificate holder is not allowed to contact any property owner they hold the tax lien for in the one-year period after the tax lien auction.
  
  

One-Year Redemption

• Ohio property owners have a one-year redemption period to pay off the tax lien and retain ownership of their property. To fully redeem the property and nullify the tax lien certificate, property owners must pay all back taxes, fines, fees, penalties and up to 18 percent annual interest. The interest rate is determined by the successful winning bid at the tax auction.
  
  

Foreclosure Process

• After the one-year redemption period has expired, the tax lien certificate holder has the legal right to file for foreclosure on any property that has not paid off her lien. The process may vary slightly from one county to another, but usually a form needs to be filled out and a fee paid. In Montgomery County Ohio, for example, the lien holder must fill out a Request for Foreclosure form and pay a $3,500 prosecutor's fee.