Dane County, Wisconsin

Tax Deed588,347 residents

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

Sale typestate default

Tax Deed

Redemption periodstate default

None once the county forecloses (roughly 2 years of delinquency before that)

Investor returnstate default

N/A — outright deed transfer

Governing statutestate default

Wisconsin Statutes Ch. 75

Notes

Wisconsin tax-deed county. Dane County does not sell tax liens to investors. After foreclosure of tax liens, the Treasurer sells tax-deeded real property (quitclaim) under Wis. Stat. section 75.35 via sealed-bid auction — regularly October/November, sometimes April/May. Bids must meet or exceed appraised value. Properties sold AS IS, possibly with occupants at fall sales. Former owners have repurchase rights until public auction.

Auction logistics

Format

Sealed bid (in-person bid opening)

Frequency

Typically October/November; optional April/May as needed; unsold parcels may sell later at appraised value

Platform

Dane County Treasurer — Tax Deed Auction ↗

Deposit rules

No advance registration. Submit sealed bid form + 10% earnest deposit (cash or cashier's check only) per parcel by Bid Due (typically Tuesday 1:00 p.m.). Bid Opening next day 10:00 a.m. at Treasurer's Office. Successful bidder pays balance within 10 days of award notice (cash/cashier's check only — no ACH/wire/personal checks). Default forfeits 10% earnest money.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

County quitclaims AS IS. Special assessments, easements, and federal liens require independent review. Who pays current-year taxes depends on purchase month (see Treasurer details).

Quiet title

Often recommended for insurance after quitclaim tax-deed purchase, especially with occupant or notice history issues.

Deal maths for Wisconsin

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

Wis. Stat. § 70.32(1) requires real property to be valued at the full value which could ordinarily be obtained at private sale, and § 70.05(5)(b) requires each taxation district to assess at full value at least once in every 5-year period. The Department of Revenue computes the actual assessed-to-full-value ratio for every district annually under § 70.05(5)(c) and notifies districts that drift more than 10% off over four years.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Dane County Treasurer ↗

608-266-4151

Clerk of court

Dane County Register of Deeds / County Clerk (records quitclaim) ↗

Property appraiser

Access Dane — Property Search ↗

GIS / parcel map

Access Dane parcel map ↗

Areas trending up

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

Downtown / Isthmus Madison

State/university employment core with tight multifamily demand

Fitchburg / Verona edge

Suburban tech and family growth corridors south/west of Madison

Sun Prairie / east metro

Rapid household growth and relative value versus west-side price points