Sale and Bidding Information

Foreclosure Sales

Foreclosure sales are sales of properties/liens on properties or other intangibles such as liquor licenses pursuant to final judgments in foreclosure actions. The properties/liens are offered for sale to the highest bidder in order to satisfy the judgment. The Clerk’s Office conducts the sale or public auction in accordance with Chapter 45 of the Florida Statutes. The information below offers a general overview of the foreclosure process governed by Florida Statutes, Pinellas County Administrative Order 17-07 and the final judgment of foreclosure entered.

There are certain risks associated with bidding at foreclosure sales. One of them is the possibility of a foreclosure sale being set aside because a defendant has filed for bankruptcy protection. If that is the case, even where the plaintiff and the Clerk are unaware that the defendant has filed for bankruptcy protection, the foreclosure sale can be set aside, or is considered to be null and void. If the sale is set aside, the Clerk will retain the Clerk’s sale fee, the electronic online auction fee and the registry fees earned.

Foreclosure Sale Process

 In actions to foreclose mortgages or liens on real property, the court, in its final judgment will order a judicial sale of the property. The Clerk conducts the sale in accordance with statutes, governing judicial sales, set forth in Chapter 45, Florida Statutes. While foreclosure judgments foreclose the interests of inferior mortgagees, lien holders and any other persons or entities names as parties to the action who are served with process and whose interests are legally foreclosed by the court, title issued by the clerk after a judicial sale is not warranted to be free of any potential claims. BUYERS BEWARE!! All properties or liens are sold “AS IS”. Bidders are responsible for conducting their own research as to the property/lien being sold. The Clerk’s Office makes no warranties or representation about the location or condition regarding any property, the condition of any structures or fixtures, its marketability, existing or potential uses, zoning regulations or laws that may affect current or future uses of the property, outstanding or potential liens, mortgages or other encumbrances or defects in title that may exist, including whether any defendants have filed bankruptcy.

The Clerk’s Office is not authorized to give legal advice. If you have any questions or concerns, you should consider contacting an attorney.

Foreclosure Sale Fee, Deposit & Payment Procedures

Pursuant to Chapter 45.035, Florida Statutes, clerk fees for a judicial sale are $70 service fee and $70 electronic sale fee. These fees must be paid to the Clerk & Comptroller before the time of sale. The electronic sale fee is due at the time a sale is scheduled or rescheduled. The sale will be canceled if these fees are not paid.

In the event the Foreclosure Sale is set aside by order of the court, there is no refund of the foreclosure sale fees. 

Registering to Bid

Anyone may bid on a property; however, bidders must register to bid on the Realauction website before participating in a sale. Once registered, bidders receive a bidder number and have access to their Realauction bidder's account by signing on with a username and password.   

It is recommended potential bidders place on deposit adequate funds for anticipated bidding for future sales dates. Funds are subject to availability based on the rules defined on the Realauction website. The site provides information for each pending sale, including the court case number and legal description. The Clerk & Comptroller and Realauction are not responsible for the quality or accuracy of any information provided on this site.

Participants must set up a username and password online via the Realauction web site before delivering funds for deposit to the Clerk & Comptroller's Office.

Deposits

Before participating in a sale, the bidder must have on deposit with the Clerk & Comptroller a minimum amount that is at least 5% of the estimated high bid for each property the bidder anticipates bidding on at the sale. The amount of the deposit (5% of the winning bid) will be applied to the winning bidder's final bid amount. The 5% deposit will be forfeited if the winning bidder fails to complete payment by 4:00 PM the day of the sale.

Payment of the 5% deposit may be made in the form of ACH (electronic check), cash, cashier's check, or wire transfer.

ACH deposits require four full business days to settle in the Clerk & Comptroller's account. Deposits made via ACH must be settled and cleared in the Clerk & Comptroller's account before the start of a sale to bid on a property.

Cash or cashier's checks must be delivered to the Clerk & Comptroller's Office, at one of our Court Operations locations, no later than 5 p.m. the business day before the sale. Cashier's checks shall not be more than six months old, and shall be payable to Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Clerk & Comptroller.

Split payments and personal checks are not accepted for deposits.

Winning Bid Payments

Successful bidders will have 5% of the winning bid deducted from the initial deposit and credited toward the total amount due. The successful bidder must pay the remainder of the bid plus the court registry fees*.  Pursuant to Florida Statute 28.24(10), the service charge assessed will be 3% of the first $500 and 1.5% of the balance, and documentary stamps (70 cents per $100.)

*In the event the Foreclosure Sale is set aside by order of the court, there is no refund of the court registry fees.

Payment may be made in the form of wire transfer, cash, cashier's check, or funds transfer from the bidder's Realauction deposit account via the Realauction website. Cash or cashier's checks must be delivered to the Clerk & Comptroller's Office at one of our Court Operations locations. Cashier’s checks shall not be more than six months old and shall be payable to Nikki Alvarez-Sowles Clerk & Comptroller.

ACH payments, split payments, and personal checks are not accepted for winning bid payments.

All forms of payment for winning bids must be received no later than 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) the day of the foreclosure sale to avoid default.