Fall River County will be holding a tax deed auction on Thursday, August 19th, 2021 at 2pm at the Fall River County Courthouse. Bids will only be taken in person. Those wishing to bid must be present or send a representative to bid for them.  Winning bidders must be current on all their property taxes in Fall River County per SDCL 10-25-45.

Information is available on the properties included in this sale in the following documents. These have been grouped according to location of the property: Hot Springs, Edgemont, and those outside the incorporated areas.

Properties in the County (outside city limits)
Properties in Edgemont
Properties in Hot Springs

This auction is for a tax deed which is a quit claim deed.  If you are unfamiliar with quit claim deeds and the legal limitations of such, please do research prior to the auction or contact an attorney.  Fall River County employees cannot give legal advice.

The following payment can be accepted: cash, check, credit card transactions will have a 2.5% fee, debit cards will have a $2.50 fee. There will be an additional $30 fee to file the deed. This is not included in the auction price.

NOTICE TO BE READ BEFORE TAX DEED SALE

All delinquent taxes, penalties and interests are abated and are not the responsibility of the new owner of deed.

All special assessments, except for delinquent municipal special assessments (SDCL 10-25-12), are abated from the property. Only municipal special assessments, delinquent, current and future, stay with the property and are the responsibility of the new owner.  As per SDCL 10-25-12, the property is also subject to any claim that the state may have in the property for taxes, liens, or encumbrances.  It is presumed that existing federal liens remain against the property.   Any information or questions or negotiations on these liens need to be directed to the appropriate form of government, not the County.

The issuance of a tax deed pursuant to SDCL 10-25-12 appears to release all other liens of record against the property, not the person.  Examples are: county liens, mechanic liens, special assessments of all non-municipal governments, judgments and mortgages.

At the conclusion of this sale, Fall River County will issue and file a Quit Claim Deed to the property in the name requested by the purchaser. Fall River County makes no guarantee of absolute fee simple marketable title to the property.  It is recommended by the marketable title standards that the purchaser of a County quit claim deed pursue a QUIET TITLE ACTION in order to acquire marketable title to the property (SDCL Chapter 43-30, title standards 26-01 & 26-02).

Week of July 19th: This week the assessors are in the blocks north & west of the Mammoth Site, between Albany-Canton Ave & 14th-16th St, and S Connor St.

Why my property?  Fall River County implemented a 7-year rotation after the county-wide reassessment was completed.  This ensures that every property is physically visited by an assessor at least once every 7 years.  Your neighborhood is one of those scheduled to be visited this year.

What is reassessment?    Reassessment is when the assessor comes to your property to check for any changes, whether improvements or deterioration of buildings.  They will take new exterior photos and walk around the outside of your buildings.  If you are present they may ask you questions about the interior of the building, if you are not present they will leave a doorhanger with contact information so they can converse with you about the property later via phone or email.

What about the COVID-19 pandemic?  The assessor’s work does not require personal contact.  They will remain outside and observe proper distancing.  Our employees will conform to the current recommended practices for safety.   Employees will not enter a home unless invited by the owner and will wear face masks while inside. Employees are health screened every morning before beginning work.  If you have additional concerns about this issue regarding the assessors visiting your property, please contact our office.

When exactly will you be at my property?  We will be posting on our website which streets are being assessed each week, you can check there for updates.

Why don’t you make appointments? The short answer: it takes less time for our assessors to start at one end of the street and do each property than it does to jump from property to property based on appointments.  As we are paid by tax dollars, we consider it most important that we perform this job in a time efficient manner.   The door-to-door method has proven to be three times more efficient than making appointments.

Who is coming? Our assessors will have county identification badges and will be driving a county vehicle. If you are suspicious that someone is falsely claiming to be an assessor, please call our office at 605-745-5136 or Fall River County Dispatch at 605-745-5155.

See Summer Reassessment page for maps of Summer 2021 reassessment area.

Week of July 12th: Assessors have begun their summer reassessment project. This week they are in the neighborhoods along Evanston Ave, S Chicago St, and the blocks just south of University Ave.

Why my property?  Fall River County implemented a 7-year rotation after the county-wide reassessment was completed.  This ensures that every property is physically visited by an assessor at least once every 7 years.  Your neighborhood is one of those scheduled to be visited this year.

What is reassessment?    Reassessment is when the assessor comes to your property to check for any changes, whether improvements or deterioration of buildings.  They will take new exterior photos and walk around the outside of your buildings.  If you are present they may ask you questions about the interior of the building, if you are not present they will leave a doorhanger with contact information so they can converse with you about the property later via phone or email.

What about the COVID-19 pandemic?  The assessor’s work does not require personal contact.  They will remain outside and observe proper distancing.  Our employees will conform to the current recommended practices for safety.   Employees will not enter a home unless invited by the owner and will wear face masks while inside. Employees are health screened every morning before beginning work.  If you have additional concerns about this issue regarding the assessors visiting your property, please contact our office.

When exactly will you be at my property?  We will be posting on our website which streets are being assessed each week, you can check there for updates.

Why don’t you make appointments? The short answer: it takes less time for our assessors to start at one end of the street and do each property than it does to jump from property to property based on appointments.  As we are paid by tax dollars, we consider it most important that we perform this job in a time efficient manner.   The door-to-door method has proven to be three times more efficient than making appointments.

Who is coming? Our assessors will have county identification badges and will be driving a county vehicle. If you are suspicious that someone is falsely claiming to be an assessor, please call our office at 605-745-5136 or Fall River County Dispatch at 605-745-5155.

See Summer Reassessment page for maps of Summer 2021 reassessment area.

Administrative Assistant: The Fall River County Director of Equalization’s Office is accepting applications for a full time Administrative Assistant.  Duties include assisting the public on the phone and in person, data entry, correspondence and mailings, filing, and other duties as assigned.  Starting wages are $12-$14/hour depending on experience. Benefits include paid health, vision and dental insurance; vacation, sick and personal leave and South Dakota State Retirement.

Qualifications:  Working knowledge of Microsoft computer applications including Word and Excel, good organizational skills, effective written and verbal communication skills, good math skills, attention to detail, ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, other agencies and the public, ability to read maps and legal descriptions, ability to work independently, positive attitude and desire to learn.  Education: High school diploma or GED certificate.  Experience: One year of experience in office clerical or customer service work or a related field.  Experience with real estate legal descriptions a plus. Submit applications to the Fall River County DOE office, 1029 N River St. Open until filled. [Full Job Description]

See employment page for application.

Fall River County Director of Equalization is seeking applications for a part-time seasonal field worker to assist Assessors in property inspections and data collection. Work duties include: reading maps, driving assessor around on designated routes, keeping vehicles fueled and clean, assisting with measuring buildings, taking photos of buildings. Must be able to work in all weather and conditions, physically able to walk over a mile in uneven terrain. Must have valid Driver’s License.  Positions is part-time, most work is between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday. Position needed through end of October. Schedule can be somewhat flexible. $12/hr, no benefits. This position may become a recurring seasonal position. Open until filled

See employment page for application.