Investing guides / Kansas

Kansas tax sale investing: buy the property itself at the county sale

Quick answerKansas sells tax deeds for unpaid property taxes. Redemption: No post-sale redemption. The owner may redeem at any time before the sheriff's sale; the county generally may not file its judicial foreclosure action until the parcel has remained unredeemed on September 1 of the second year after it was bid in by the county (September 1 of the first year for certain abandoned / low-value categories) - K.S.A. 79-2801 and 79-2401a. Sales: No statewide sale date; counties file judicial tax foreclosure actions periodically (commonly one sale cycle per year per county) and the sheriff sells after judgment, on a court-set date, with notice published for three consecutive weeks and the sale at least 30 days after first publication (K.S.A. 79-2804). Governing law: Kansas Statutes Annotated 79-2801 et seq. (Article 28, Judicial Foreclosure and Sale of Real Estate by County), esp. 79-2801 and 79-2804; redemption at 79-2401 / 79-2401a.

How it works in Kansas

In Kansas the county sells the property itself at a tax deed auction. Win the bid and the deed is yours — along with the due diligence burden, because sales are as-is and buyer beware.

Interest / penalty: n/a - Kansas sells no lien certificates to private investors; the county bids in delinquent parcels itself and later forecloses judicially. Interest and penalties on delinquent taxes accrue to the county, and the sheriff-sale buyer acquires the property itself.

Redemption: No post-sale redemption. The owner may redeem at any time before the sheriff's sale; the county generally may not file its judicial foreclosure action until the parcel has remained unredeemed on September 1 of the second year after it was bid in by the county (September 1 of the first year for certain abandoned / low-value categories) - K.S.A. 79-2801 and 79-2401a.

When sales happen: No statewide sale date; counties file judicial tax foreclosure actions periodically (commonly one sale cycle per year per county) and the sheriff sells after judgment, on a court-set date, with notice published for three consecutive weeks and the sale at least 30 days after first publication (K.S.A. 79-2804).

Where sales run: County-specific: some counties run the sheriff's sale online via GovEase (e.g., Shawnee County) or CivicSource (e.g., Sedgwick County historically); many counties still hold in-person sheriff's sales at the courthouse.

Governing law: Kansas Statutes Annotated 79-2801 et seq. (Article 28, Judicial Foreclosure and Sale of Real Estate by County), esp. 79-2801 and 79-2804; redemption at 79-2401 / 79-2401a

The investor's edge

Your edge is the max bid: value the property from county records and recent sales, subtract title-clearing and repair reality, and write the number down before the auction opens.

Even though there is no redemption after the sale, K.S.A. 79-2804b allows a legal challenge to set aside the sale for procedural defects for 12 months after court confirmation, so title is not fully settled in year one. A sheriff's deed issues only after the court confirms the sale, which can take up to about 90 days in some counties.

Never check Kansas county lists by hand again

LienToDeed watches the published lists and texts you the moment new Kansas properties are listed — scored, with your max number. Free calendar and laws for every state.

Get Kansas alerts

Full legal reference: Kansas tax sale laws. Verified 2026-10-30 against the sources on that page. Educational only, not investment advice.