All tax sale listings are advertised in a similar manner. Notification of sale consists of a legal description and, at times, will also include an address and the name of the assessed owner(s). Descriptions of these properties tend to be quite brief and often require contacting the municipality holding the sale in order to learn more about each property.

You will notice in our "Sample Listing" that notification is given regarding the time and place of the public tender or public auction. Next comes a legal description of the lands which are to be sold, along with a dollar figure representing the minimum amount at which bidding can occur. A statement indicates that the successful purchaser must pay in full, at the time of the sale, the amount of the successful bid. This is usually paid by cash, money order, or by bank draft or cheque certified by a bank or trust company. A brief comment follows regarding the municipality's responsibility and a statement is made regarding what statutes and rules are governing the sale. Finally, the name of the contact person is given in the event that further information is required.

In Ontario, municipalities have the option of holding their sales either by public tender or public auction.