3756 Lavista Rd, Ste 250
Tucker, GA 30084
Phone: 404.633.4100
Fax: 404.633.0068

Tax Sales Information

• F.A.Q. - Tax Sales

• Traps associated with Georgia Tax Sales

In-depth review of court cases dealing with tax sales    

• Exact Tender for Redemption is Required or Redemption Defective
• Georgia Tax Sale Cases for 2005
• Case of Mark Turner Properties, Inc. v. Evans (2001)
• Case of GE Capital Mortgage Service, Inc. v. Clack et al.
• Case of Machen, et al.  v. Wolende Management Group, Inc.
• Case of Myers v. North Georgia Title & Tax Free Exchange, LLC
• Case of Jenkins v. Edelhertz (IRS may sell property in County other than County where property located)

Recent Developments

In the summer of 1999, the Georgia Supreme Court finally addressed one of the most pressing issues in tax sale property law: "How long a period of time must elapse for a tax deed to ripen into good title."  In Machen, et al.  v. Wolende Management Group, Inc., 271 Ga. 163,  517 S.E.2d 58 (1999), the Georgia Supreme Court addressed the issue concerning whether tax deeds ripen into good title after four (4) years.  In Machen, the Court held that the if the right of redemption is not exercised within four (4) years from the date of sale, it is barred.   And, after the time fixed by the statute for redemption has expired, the right to redeem is gone.  The Court held that there is no power, even in a court of equity, to authorize a redemption of the property in such cases.

However since no known Georgia title insurance company will write a policy, simply because four (4) years have expired from the date of sale, this may still be a mere phyric victory for the tax sale purchasers.  Unless and until Georgia title insurance companies are required to underwrite title insurance across tax sale property, quiet title actions will (apparently) still be required to clear tax title.

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