U.S. Treasury Auction Information

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is responsible for the auction of Internal Revenue (IRS) seized properties and tax sales. The IRS auctions include real estate, vehicles, and other properties. The Treasury Executive Office of Assests and Forfeiture (TEOAF) also conducts auctions of real estate, vehicles and general property.

Additional government auctions are conducted by private contractors. Most of the auctions are online, but some of the auctions are held in-person. This website gives you an overview of the different government auctions and the type of properties that can be purchased.

IRS Auctions are conducted under the authority of the Internal Revenue Code. The property has been seized or acquired for nonpayment of IRS taxes and is sold to the highest qualified bidder. All payments must be by cash, certified check, cashier's or treasurer's check or by a United States postal, bank, express, or telegraph money order. The check or money order must be made payable to the Internal Revenue Service or U.S. Treasury Department.

With IRS auctions, the original owners due have the ability to redem their property before and after the auction within a set of requirements. Before the sale any person whose property has been levied upon shall have the right to pay the amount due, together with the expenses of the proceeding, if any, to the Secretary at any time prior to the sale. Upon receiving the payment the Secretary will return the propery to the owner and all further proceedings will end. Real estate sold at IRS auctions can be redeemed after the auction by the owners, or their representatives within 180 days by paying the amount paid by the purchaser plus 20 percent per annum.

On the U.S. Treasury auction website, the IRS auction items are listed by categories. These categories include items such as antiques, art, jewelry, collectibles and luxury items. Vehicles including cars, trucks, motorcylces and boats are also listed. Commerical and industrial property, supplies and equipment are usually listed. Sometimes liquor licenses are offered along with miscellaneous property including furniture, tools and similar items. Real estate is one of the largest categories with auctions listed by state and city. The real estate auctions provide legal descriptions, minimum bids, terms of sale, and photos of the property.

TEOAF Auctions are also administered by the Department of the Treasury.  Real Property sold at these auctions come from serious offenses such as drug smuggling, money laundering, credit card fraud, and child pornography. These properties were seized by federal law enforcement officers and agents at local levels. All proceeds from the sale of real property are deposited in the U.S. Treasury Asset Forfeiture Fund, which was created by Congress in 1992, to hold deposits of seized currency and revenues from the sale and remission of forfeited property. These funds help support continued law enforcement efforts and provide restitution to crime victims.

The Department of the Treasury has designated EG&G Technical Services as the prime contractor responsible for the storage, maintenance, and sale of seized and forfeited real property. EG&G Technical Services conducts about 100 auctions a year in the United States and Puerto Rico. Auctions are normally held onsite at the property location.

TEOAF Auctions also include vehicles in addition to the real estate property. These vehicle auctions are managed by contractors Manheim Government Services (MAGS)and Robertson Auto. Manheim Auctions Government Services auctions vehicles from many government agencies and public utility companies. Robertson Auto tends to handle vehicle auctions for the Border Patrol and Homeland Security.

The items that are for sale at these auctions vary widely. Some of the specialty items that were listed ranged from two horses to a cargo ship. The government auction websites do allow you to sign up for free email alerts and newsletters so you can keep up with the upcoming auctions.

Additional Government Auctions:

The General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible for disposal of excess and surplus Federal assets. GSA Auctions® offers Federal personal property assets ranging from common items like office furniture and equipment to specialty scientific equipment, heavy machinery, airplanes, ships and vehicles. GSA Auctions® has online capabilities that allow GSA to offer assets located across the country to any interested buyer, regardless of location.

In order to bid on items at GSA auctions you must first register and provide your contact and payment information. After you register, you are then referred to as a as "Trader," and you can then participate in online auctions.

GSA does not charge the general public to browse or to register at GSA Auctions®; it is a U.S. Government website and is FREE to use. GSA Auctions® utilizes Experian, a global consumer credit reporting agency, to facilitate user registration and Pay.Gov, an electronic payment service, to process payments. Users are required to confirm their identities during registration by providing a valid credit card. Your credit card account will be checked to make sure that it is valid and has the sufficient funds available to authorize a $1 charge. Within 24 hours, the authorization for $1 will expire. The user will notice a change in their available balance by $1 but the amount is never charged to their credit card account.

Every year the federal government sells billions of dollars of surplus, seized, forfeited and exchange/sale assets. GovSales (mangaged by GSA) was created to make it easier for citizens and businesses to locate government assets for sale and to effectively improve the promotion of government sales through a centralized, citizen centered website and additional advertising.

If you are interested in International properties, farms, computers, medical equipment, clothes, and even sporting equipment then you should definitely vist the GovSales website.

In addition to the GSA auction sites, you will find the U.S. Marshalls auction site through the Department of Justice. Even the U.S. Postal Service has an auction site where you can bid on unclaimed, damaged, and claim-paid merchandise at the Atlanta Mail Recovery Center.

Additional Government real estate sales can be found at several different sites. The HomeSales government web site provides current information about single family homes for sale by the U.S. Federal Government. These previously owned homes are for sale by public auction or other method depending on the property. Anyone can buy a home for sale by the U.S. Government, but you must work with a real estate agent, broker or servicing representative to submit an offer or bid.

Currently the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Agriculture (USDA/Rural Development), and Veterans Affairs (VA) have homes listed on this site.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sells properties that you might be interested in buying. It is easy to check the listings of HUD homes that are in your local area. If you are interested in purchasing a HUD home, you will need to contact a local real estate sales professional who is authorized to sell HUD homes. Your real estate agent will submit a bid for you.