Live data — updated October 17, 2026
Allegany County, MD Over-the-Counter Tax Liens (2026): 169 County-Held Listings
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Quick answer: Maryland counties hold 169 tax sale certificates on properties that drew no private bid at the tax sale. The county may sell and assign these certificates (Md. Code, Tax–Property §14-825) at a price and by a process it sets. You are buying the unpaid tax debt, not the property.
How Maryland handles these. A property that draws no private bid at the tax sale is bought in by the county (Md. Code, Tax–Property §14-824). The county may later sell and assign that certificate of sale, or foreclose and sell the property itself (§14-825). The statute sets no price and no procedure for the assignment, so each county decides whether and how it sells them; ask the county's tax sale office.
The same due diligence as auction buying applies: title, condition, and surviving-lien research before you commit.
See the full Maryland OTC inventory, this county's tax-sale overview, and the live Maryland auction calendar.
Frequently asked questions
What does over-the-counter mean in Allegany County?
How Maryland handles these. A property that draws no private bid at the tax sale is bought in by the county (Md. Code, Tax–Property §14-824). The county may later sell and assign that certificate of sale, or foreclose and sell the property itself (§14-825). The statute sets no price and no procedure for the assignment, so each county decides whether and how it sells them; ask the county's tax sale office.
How do I buy an OTC property in Allegany County?
Ask the county's tax sale office whether it assigns county-held certificates of sale and on what terms (Md. Code, Tax-Property 14-825). If it does, you take an assignment of the certificate; if not, the county keeps it and may foreclose and sell the property itself.
Are Allegany County OTC properties cheaper than auction?
There is no statutory price for an assigned county certificate: the county sets it, and some counties do not assign them at all.