Checked Nov. 11, 2026 against the official Clerk, auction and statute pages listed under Sources.
Both Duval and Clay counties sell foreclosed property and tax deed property the same basic way: the Clerk of Court runs the sale online through a RealAuction website, bidders post a deposit ahead of time, and the high bidder has a short window to pay the rest. The details differ, though, and missing a deadline costs the deposit. This page puts each county’s official rules side by side and links to the source for every one.
If the house on the list is your home, skip to If it’s your home.
Upcoming sale dates
These are the days that had active cases on each county’s auction calendar on the morning of Nov. 12, 2026. Cases are canceled, postponed and added all the time, often the morning of the sale, so always open the calendar itself.
Duval foreclosure sales (11:00 a.m. ET), after the Nov. 12 sale: Nov. 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24 and 30; Dec. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 17 and 29. Calendar
Clay foreclosure sales (10:00 a.m. ET): Nov. 17, 18 and 23; Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 23. Calendar site
Clay tax deed sales (9:30 a.m. ET): Nov. 18 and Dec. 2, 2026; Jan. 13, 2027. Calendar site
Duval tax deed sales: no sale dates were on the calendar for November or December 2026. The next date listed was Jan. 13, 2027, at 9:00 a.m. ET. Calendar
Foreclosure sales: Duval vs. Clay
A foreclosure sale is the court-ordered auction at the end of a mortgage or lien foreclosure case, run under Chapter 45 of the Florida Statutes. The lender is automatically credited with a bid equal to the judgment amount, so a third-party bidder has to beat that number.
Duval County foreclosure sales
- Where
- Online at duval.realforeclose.com. Registration is free; you only need it to bid.
- When
- Monday through Friday, except legal holidays. The first sale starts at 11:00 a.m.
- Deposit
- 5% of your estimated high bid, posted before the auction starts. Checks or money orders delivered to the Clerk must arrive at least one hour before the auction starts.
- Final payment
- The winning bidder must create a Batch Payment on the auction site by 4:00 p.m. ET on the day of the sale, for the balance plus court registry fees.
- Payment forms
- Wire (can take 24 to 48 hours to settle), ACH (about 3 to 4 business days), counter payment by certified funds, business check or money order, or funds already on deposit. The Clerk does not accept personal checks or cash.
- If you do not pay
- The 5% deposit is forfeited, the sale is declared void, and a resale is scheduled.
Source: Duval Clerk, Foreclosure page
Clay County foreclosure sales
- Where
- Online at clay.realforeclose.com, under Florida Statute § 45.031(10).
- When
- At the date and time advertised for each case. Sales on the Clay calendar in November and December 2026 are listed at 10:00 a.m. ET.
- Deposit
- 5% of your estimated high bid. Wires must arrive by 3:00 p.m. ET the day before the sale (plus a $15 wire fee). Cash or cashier’s checks are accepted in person until 9:00 a.m. ET on the day of the sale.
- Where to pay in person
- Clay County Clerk’s main office, Clay County Courthouse, 825 N. Orange Ave., Green Cove Springs. Branch offices do not take deposits or final payments.
- Final payment
- The balance, the registry service charge and documentary stamps are due by 12:00 p.m. ET the next business day.
- Payment forms
- Cash, cashier’s check, wire ($15 fee), or cleared funds already on deposit.
- If you do not pay
- The deposit is forfeited, and the bidder may be barred from future online sales.
Source: Clay County RealForeclose FAQ
After a foreclosure sale
- Once the sale is paid, the Clerk issues a Certificate of Sale. Anyone can file an objection within 10 days of it.
- If there is no objection, the Clerk issues the Certificate of Title after 10 days.
- A buyer cannot remove occupants without a writ of possession. Once served by the Sheriff, it gives occupants 24 hours to leave.
- Money left over after the judgment and costs are paid is surplus. The former owner can file a claim for it under § 45.032.
- Duval’s Clerk says title from a foreclosure sale is not warranted to be free of claims. Properties sell as is.
Tax deed sales: Duval vs. Clay
When property taxes go unpaid, the Tax Collector sells a tax certificate. Clay’s Clerk explains that the certificate holder can ask for a tax deed sale any time between the second and seventh year. The Clerk then auctions the property under Chapter 197 of the Florida Statutes and § 197.542.
Duval County tax deed sales
- Where
- Online at duval.realtaxdeed.com. You must register and post a deposit to bid.
- Opening bid
- The unpaid taxes and interest plus Tax Collector and Clerk fees and statutory costs. For homestead property, half of the assessed value is added.
- Deposit
- Non-refundable, the greater of 5% of the bid or $200, posted by 4:00 p.m. the day before the sale. ACH through the auction site, or cashier’s check, certified check or money order delivered to Room 1054 of the Duval County Courthouse. Wires must also arrive by 4:00 p.m.
- Final payment
- Due by 4:00 p.m. the next business day after the sale, by cashier’s check, certified check, money order or bank wire.
- Fees
- Recording ($10 for the first page, $8.50 each additional page), proof of publication ($18.50) and documentary stamps based on the high bid.
- If you do not pay
- The deposit is lost and the bidder can be refused at future tax deed sales.
Source: Duval Clerk, Tax Deeds page
Clay County tax deed sales
- Where
- Online at clay.realtaxdeed.com. You need an online account to take part in any sale.
- Opening bid
- Shown on the Notice of Application for Tax Deed, but it can change before the sale. The Clerk says to check the search site before the sale.
- Deposit
- The greater of $200 or 5% of the winning bid, for each property you expect to win. Funds must arrive and settle by 3:00 p.m. ET the day before the sale. Wire ($15 fee), cash or cashier’s check.
- Where to pay in person
- Civil Department, Room 1049, Clay County Courthouse, 825 N. Orange Ave., Green Cove Springs, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Final payment
- Due by 12:00 p.m. ET the next business day. Cash (no more than $5,000), cashier’s check, wire, or cleared funds on deposit.
- Questions
- Clay County Tax Deed Division, (904) 529-4221.
Source: Clay County RealTaxDeed FAQ and Clay Clerk, Tax Deeds & Foreclosures
Things both Clerks warn bidders about
- Tax deed property is sold as is, with no guarantee of clear title. Government liens and judgments can survive the sale.
- The owner can redeem, which cancels the sale, until the Clerk receives full payment. In Duval, redemptions are paid to the Tax Collector, (904) 255-5700, option 4.
- Bidding is by proxy: you enter your top bid and the system bids for you in steps above the next bidder. Duval’s Clerk describes $100 steps; Clay’s tax deed site describes $50 steps.
How to find the property lists
- Duval foreclosures: each sale day on the RealForeclose calendar lists its cases. Case files are in the Clerk’s CORE ePortal, searched by case number or party name.
- Duval tax deeds: the Clerk posts the sale date and property list on the RealTaxDeed auction calendar 30 days before the sale. Sales are also advertised once a week for four weeks in the Financial News and Daily Record. Tax deed files can be viewed from the Clerk’s Tax Deeds page.
- Duval Lands Available: property offered at a tax deed sale but not sold. Ninety days after the sale, anyone can buy it for the opening bid plus omitted years’ taxes, first come, first served.
- Clay foreclosures: the Clay RealForeclose site calendar, linked from the Clerk’s Foreclosure Sales page.
- Clay tax deeds and Lands Available: property details, opening bids and the List of Lands are on the Clerk’s Search Tax Deeds & Lands Available site. To ask about buying from the List of Lands, the Clerk asks you to email taxdeedinfo@clayclerk.com with the certificate numbers and allow up to 72 hours.
If it’s your home
A sale date is not the end of the road until the sale is final. For tax deed sales, both Clerks say the owner can redeem by paying what is owed before the Clerk receives full payment from the winning bidder. For foreclosure, the Duval Clerk points owners to the Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, and notes the Clerk cannot give legal advice.
If keeping the house is not realistic, selling before the sale can let you keep your equity instead of losing it at auction. We buy houses as is in Duval, Clay and the rest of Northeast Florida, including houses with back taxes or a foreclosure case open. Read our guides to how foreclosure auctions work and Florida tax deed sales, or get a cash offer.
A note from Chris: I’m Chris Moore, and I’m not a lawyer. This is not legal, tax or investment advice. It’s general information my team pulled from the official Clerk, auction and statute pages listed below, and rules, fees and dates change. Check the Clerk’s page before you bid or make any decision, and talk to a licensed Florida attorney about your situation. We Buy Any House In Florida is not affiliated with either Clerk’s office or with RealAuction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Duval and Clay County foreclosure auctions held?
Online only. Duval uses duval.realforeclose.com and Clay uses clay.realforeclose.com. Both are run by the county Clerk of Court.
How much is the deposit to bid?
For foreclosure sales in both counties, 5% of your estimated high bid. For tax deed sales in both counties, the greater of 5% of the bid or $200.
When is the rest of the money due?
Duval foreclosure: a Batch Payment by 4:00 p.m. ET on sale day. Duval tax deed: by 4:00 p.m. the next business day. Clay foreclosure and tax deed: by 12:00 p.m. ET the next business day.
Can an owner stop a tax deed sale?
Yes. The owner can redeem by paying the delinquent taxes and costs until the Clerk receives full payment from the winning bidder.
Sources
All checked Nov. 11, 2026.
- Duval Clerk: Foreclosure (sale rules, deposits, payment)
- Duval Clerk: Tax Deeds (deposits, payment, Lands Available, FAQ)
- Duval County RealForeclose auction site and calendar
- Duval County RealTaxDeed auction site and calendar
- Clay Clerk: Tax Deeds & Foreclosures
- Clay Clerk: Foreclosure Sales
- Clay County RealForeclose FAQ (deposits and payment)
- Clay County RealTaxDeed FAQ (deposits and payment)
- Clay Clerk: Search Tax Deeds & Lands Available
- Florida Statutes § 45.031 (judicial sales procedure)
- Florida Statutes § 45.032 (surplus funds)
- Florida Statutes § 197.542 (tax deed sale of property)