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Buy at a public auction
How the sales work, what to check before you bid, and what goes wrong after you win.
- Bid on a California tax-defaulted property
When property taxes go unpaid for years, the county can sell the parcel at auction. Here's how those sales work, what you actually get, and the many ways a parcel can drop out or cost more than the winning bid.
About 4 min readCalifornia - Buy a work vehicle at a government auction in California
State, federal, county and city fleets sell used trucks and vans online. Here's the path from finding a sale to driving it legally: the sellers, the paperwork, the DMV steps, and the ways it goes wrong.
About 4 min readCalifornia - Bay Area public auctions calendar
Upcoming county tax-defaulted property sales and government surplus auctions, with dates taken only from each agency's notice.
Free calendar
Other things to learn
Educational only; not legal, tax or financial advice. City and agency rules differ and change; check each official source before you act. Last checked against the sources October 22, 2026.