Tax Defaulted Property Acquisition

Real Property Services (RPS) acquires tax defaulted real property from the County Tax Collector pursuant to the County Tax Deeded Property Acquisition Policy and the provisions of Division 1, Part 6, Chapter 8 of the Revenue and Tax Code.

The County Tax Deeded Property Acquisition Policy, adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 1980 and updated in 1988, sets forth the following criteria to determine when a certain tax deeded property may be acquired by the County:

  • Property located in a "paper sub-division" such as La Grande Beach or the Morro Strand sub-division.
  • Uneconomic sub-divisions of land such as found in California Valley.
  • Sub-standard lots in developing areas such as Cambria or Los Osos.
  • Roadways, easements, lanes, well sites, etc. to which the public has a right of use but which are not owned by the County.
  • Property which has a potential use for the County.

What is the process?

Contact for more information

For more information about Tax Defaulted Property Acquisition, please contact RPS at (805) 781-4222 or [email protected].

Who can use this service?

Only select tax defaulted parcels meeting the above criteria are acquired by the County.    

Is there a charge for this service?

For more information about the cost of this service, please contact RPS at (805) 781-5901 or [email protected].

When and where is this service offered?

This service is available throughout the year during regular business hours except during scheduled holidays.