Snohomish County homeowners with unpaid 2023 property taxes face a foreclosure auction Dec. 3 unless they pay in full by Dec. 2.
The Snohomish County Treasurer's office has scheduled its 2026 Tax Lien Foreclosure Auction for Thursday, Dec. 3, to be held online through Bid4Assets.
Property owners with delinquent full-year 2023 taxes, or any prior years unpaid as of January 2026, are eligible for the sale under state foreclosure law (RCW Chapter 84.64).
The deadline to stop a sale is tight. Owners must deliver full payment in certified funds to the Treasurer's office at 3000 Rockefeller Ave. in Everett by 4:59 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2. Mailed payments will not be accepted. No postmark counts.
Only cashier's checks, money orders and cash (by appointment) qualify. Personal checks, business checks, online payments and credit or debit cards will be returned.
Payment must come from the legal owner listed on the tax roll or a recorded interest party. Anyone paying on behalf of an owner must provide notarized documentation of the agency relationship.
Court filings already underway
The foreclosure process is well advanced. The county filed its Certificate of Delinquency, summons and complaint in Snohomish County Superior Court on May 14 under Case No. 26-2-04940-31. An Affidavit of Publication was filed Sept. 14.
The Dec. 3 date is tentative. The final auction date depends on a Final Order of Sale the court is expected to file in mid-November. The county advises checking its foreclosure information page for updates.
What buyers should know
Properties are sold "as is" with no county warranty on title or physical condition. Prospective bidders must pre-register on Bid4Assets, pay a deposit and agree to the county's 2026 terms of sale. A current list of properties subject to the auction is available on the Bid4Assets site and is updated daily. Parcels paid off before the sale will be marked "WITHDRAWN."
How to get help
The Treasurer's office urged affected homeowners to call its foreclosure division at 425-388-3606 to discuss their options. The Washington Homeownership Resource Center also offers free foreclosure prevention help, including connections to housing counselors and legal aid attorneys, through its hotline at 877-894-4663.
The Treasurer's general line is 425-388-3366. The office noted it is undergoing a software system transition during summer 2026 that may cause processing delays.
