Forrest County, Mississippi

Tax Lien78,435 residents

County research last verified 2026-07. Office holders, platforms, and deposit rules change — re-confirm anything time-sensitive.

Sale typestate default

Tax Lien

Redemption periodstate default

2 years from sale

Investor returnstate default

1.5% per month (18%/yr) plus fees

Governing statutestate default

Mississippi Code Title 27, Ch. 41–45

Notes

Mississippi tax-sale (certificate-to-deed) county. Forrest County Tax Collector / tax office collects current taxes; annual tax sale of unpaid taxes follows MS statutory pattern (often last Monday in August) and is commonly run online via GovEase — confirm current-year listing and date with Tax Office and GovEase. Buyer receives tax-sale interest, not free-and-clear fee title; statutory redemption then tax-deed path via Chancery. forrestcountytax.com is for routine bill pay only, not the lien sale. Hattiesburg / Petal / Camp Shelby fringe market.

Auction logistics

Format

Online (confirm current cycle on GovEase)

Frequency

Annually — MS statutory default often last Monday in August; confirm exact 2026 date with Tax Office / GovEase

Platform

GovEase — Forrest County, MS tax sale ↗

Deposit rules

Register on GovEase and complete bidder approval/funding steps per platform and county packet. Payment typically due per platform rules on sale day. Confirm deposit/collateral if any and cleared-funds deadline with Tax Collector and GovEase before funding.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

After the tax deed matures post-redemption, most private liens are cut off; federal liens can survive. Mississippi tax titles are frequently litigated — verify notice quality and occupancy before capital deployment.

Quiet title

Very commonly required in Mississippi for marketable/insurable tax title before resale.

Deal maths for Mississippi

Assessment ratio: 0.15× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer: $250

Miss. Const. art. 4, § 112: Class I, single-family owner-occupied residential, is assessed at 10% of true value; Class II, all other real property, at 15%; Class III at 15% and Class IV public utility property at 30%. This entry uses the Class II rate.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Forrest County Tax Office / Tax Collector ↗

Clerk of court

Forrest County Chancery Clerk (tax deed / land records) ↗

Property appraiser

Forrest County Tax Assessor ↗

GIS / parcel map

Forrest County Assessor / GIS parcel resources ↗

Areas trending up

Directional read from dated market analysis — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for your own comps.

Hattiesburg / USM and medical corridor

University and hospital employment supporting rental and SF absorption

Petal / east Forrest school corridor

School-driven suburban demand with stronger resale than soft rural tracts

West Hattiesburg / Highway 98 commercial fringe

Retail and service employment with more liquid inventory than outlying timberland