“Buy It Now” Option Available in Online Auction of 2,000 Tax-Forfeited Properties in Hancock County

Bidding started today (Wednesday, April 19) in the Secretary of State’s online auction of 2,038 tax-forfeited properties located throughout Hancock County valued at an estimated $11.87 Million.

For the second time, buyers will be permitted to pay a “Buy It Now” price on any parcel, which allows them purchase a property immediately instead of waiting until the end of the auction.

“These auctions are critical to local communities because they raise funds for education and infrastructure and revitalize neighborhoods,” Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said.

The total amount raised in the auction should be distributed to the schools, the city, and the county.

Secretary Hosemann launched online auctions in July 2016 as a way to streamline the purchasing of tax-forfeited properties.

Bids may be submitted online on the Secretary of State’s online auction portal until Wednesday, May 17, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. CST. Paper bids will not be accepted in this auction.

To place a bid, a user is required to register online. Users may view property details such as parcel location, pictures, and an auction map. Other information, such as auction dates, bid notices, and market values of property are also available online. Successful bidders will be notified by e-mail as soon as possible after the auction closes, and payment of the bid amount must be paid within fifteen (15) days of notification.

In recent years, successful auctions in Bay St. Louis, Greenville, Greenwood, Hinds County, Jackson, McComb, Meridian, Pearl River County, Rankin County, Waveland, Vicksburg, and Yazoo City have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Mississippi schools and municipalities.

To learn more about tax-forfeited properties, visit the Secretary of State’s website or call the Public Lands Division at (601)-359-5156.