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DeedScout Ohio is based in Wheelersburg, and Scioto County is where I started. If you're looking at a house or a lot on the Scioto County sheriff sale or tax sale list, the sheriff's office puts it plain on their sale page: it's buyer beware, and they suggest you do a deed search before you bid.

That homework is all public. It just takes a while. A DeedScout Ohio Standard Report pulls the Scioto County property records on one parcel into a single report. I check it myself, and you get it within 24 hours.

Scioto County has 16 townships, 4 villages and 1 city, and more than 50,000 parcels on the auditor's books.

Scioto County reports, $9 launch price (regularly $12): join the list

How Scioto County sales work (the short version)

From the Scioto County Sheriff's sale page (sciotocountysheriff.org/sales), as of October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the sheriff's office before sale day.

  • Delinquent tax sales are held in person at the courthouse, 602 6th Street in Portsmouth, Wednesdays at 1:00 PM.
  • The tax sale list is advertised in the Scioto Voice for three weeks before the sale. The sheriff's site also posts the lists as PDF and Excel files.
  • Sheriff (foreclosure) sales run through an online auction. The sheriff's site posts that list too.
  • Sales are caveat emptor, which means buyer beware.
  • You need a 10% deposit, and you have to be current on your own Ohio property taxes to buy.
  • The deed comes later. The sheriff's page says it's usually about 30 to 60 business days after the court confirms the sale.

About liens: what I do and don't do

A lot of people search for how to check liens before buying at a sheriff sale, so here's the honest answer. My report doesn't search for liens. It gives you the official links for the Scioto County recorder, court, lien and probate searches, so you know exactly where to run them or what to hand your title company. A real deed search before a sheriff sale in Ohio means checking those records, and a title company is who you want for that.

What the report does show up front is the auditor's tax and delinquency picture, the flood zone, and whether the parcel is on a sale list. That's often enough to cross a parcel off before you spend money on a full title search.

What a Standard Report covers

  • County auditor data: parcel, owner of record, values, taxes and delinquency, latest sale
  • School district and Census tract
  • FEMA flood zone and FEMA risk index (shown as Unverified with a link to check when it can't be confirmed)
  • Sheriff/tax sale-list check
  • Nearby recorded sales, labeled “estimate, not an appraisal”
  • Official links for the recorder, court, lien and probate searches (links only; the report doesn't search those records)
  • Optional photo check if you send photos (“visual observations, not a home inspection”)

See the sample report

Scioto County property research by town

Every city, village, community and township page in Scioto County.

City

Villages

Communities

Townships

Scioto County FAQ

Do you cover both the online sheriff sales and the courthouse tax sales?

The Standard Report is for one parcel, wherever it's listed. The sale-list check looks at the Sheriff's posted foreclosure (online auction) list and the delinquent tax sale list.

Can you screen the whole tax sale list for me?

Not yet. The Sale List Screener ($19 per list) is coming soon; join the free waitlist. For now, it's one parcel per Standard Report.

Will this tell me if there's a mortgage or lien that survives the sale?

No. That's a title question. The report gives you the links to the recorder and court searches, and a title company or attorney can tell you what survives.