St. Louis County opens online tax-forfeited auction Feb. 18 to Mar. 4

St. Louis County is holding an online auction of tax‑forfeited properties on PublicSurplus, with bidding that opened Feb. 18 and continues through March 4, closing at 11:00 a.m. Central Standard Time on March 4, 2026. County Land and Minerals materials show a Winter 2025‑26 available list updated Feb. 18, 2026 and identify the county’s auction booklet and PublicSurplus catalog as the sources for parcel specifics and starting bids.

The county directs bidders to its Land and Minerals auction booklet and the County Land Explorer mapping application to review parcel maps, photos and legal descriptions. County materials say catalog information is available on the county website and that printed booklets have historically been distributed at numerous gas stations, grocery stores and other businesses across St. Louis County. For questions the Land and Minerals Department can be reached at (218) 726‑2606 and by email at landdept@stlouiscountymn.gov; an earlier county news release listed Julie Marinucci, Director, as media contact at 218‑742‑9898.

Payment and bidder eligibility follow firm rules spelled out by county notices. “Please note: these sales must be paid in full at the time of the sale. Contract for deed is NOT an option.” County and prior announcements reiterate that “To be eligible to bid, a person cannot have any delinquent property taxes on property they already own in St. Louis County. People who have delinquent property taxes must first pay what they owe before purchasing at auction or over the counter from the Available List.”

The auctions take place against a recent legal backdrop. Local reporting and county language note that “Sales of tax‑forfeited properties were paused in May of 2023 following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that determined Minnesota law regarding handling of tax‑forfeited sale proceeds was unconstitutional. The legislature approved new laws during the 2024 session providing new rules for management and sales of these properties.” The county page also states that “These sales are governed by Laws of Minnesota, 2024, Chapter 113, as amended by Chapter 127, Article 70, Section 10.”

Exact parcel counts for the Feb. 18–March 4 auction are detailed in the county’s auction booklet rather than in the summary notices; past county notices and GovDelivery releases show examples from earlier auctions. A 2022 county release said “Nearly 50 properties are available for bidding” in that year’s sale and listed “eight lakeshore lots (some accessible by water only), plus additional parcels with river frontage. Also included is a four‑bedroom home in Virginia, 12 lots that have been cleaned up and structures razed, plus buildable lots and recreational land throughout the county.” Separate local coverage has described other auctions that included 55 properties and, in one case, three islands in Burntside Lake; those counts and items apply to the specific auctions cited and are not automatically the same as the Feb. 18–March 4 offering.

Buyers should note longstanding county disclaimers about access and post‑sale availability. St. Louis County makes “no representations, warranties, or guarantees with respect to access to state tax‑forfeited lands sold. Subject to all existing easements of record and rights‑of‑way.” County guidance and PublicSurplus instructions also explain that “Properties that do not sell at the initial auction may be purchased over‑the‑counter, first come, first served, until they go to minimum bid online auction. Properties that do sell at the minimum bid auction will no longer be available for purchase.”

Public notices for land sales are run in the county’s official newspapers, currently the Duluth News Tribune and the Cook News Herald, and detailed bidder instructions and the Land Sale Auction Booklet are available through the Land and Minerals Department. Bidding for this online auction will end at 11:00 a.m. Central Standard Time on March 4, 2026, and purchasers must complete payment at the time of sale under the county’s stated rules and Minnesota law.