Auctioning California: From Palm Springs to Coachella, hundreds of tax-delinquent properties head to auction
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) Nearly 1,000 tax-delinquent properties across Riverside County are slated for public auction this spring, including hundreds of parcels located throughout the Coachella Valley.
According to county officials, 946 parcels have been selected and approved for the April tax sale, though that number is expected to decline as some property owners redeem their parcels before the auction date. Of those properties, 258 are located within the Coachella Valley’s nine cities, all within Supervisorial District 4.
County records show the highest-assessed parcels expected to move forward in the Coachella Valley are vacant commercial land, not residential homes. Riverside County Treasurer-Tax Collector Matthew Jennings confirmed that three of the most valuable parcels, with assessed values ranging from approximately $2.5 million to $3.5 million, are classified as vacant land. One of those parcels is a roughly 30-acre site in the city of Coachella.
The auction inventory includes a mix of vacant land and residential properties countywide. Of the 946 parcels approved for sale, approximately 228 are identified as having residential dwellings or structures, according to the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.
The County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office says the unusually large size of this year’s auction reflects a return to normal operations following several years of staffing shortages and economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goal, county officials say, is to return long delinquent properties to productive, revenue-generating use to support public services. Properties included in the sale have typically exceeded the state’s statutory threshold for tax default.
Starting bids for some parcels begin as low as $100, though final sale prices can vary widely depending on location, zoning, and bidder interest.
KESQ will be speaking with the Riverside County Treasurer-Tax Collector later today for further clarification on the auction process, property impacts, and what this means for local communities. More details will be shared on News Channel 3.
