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Marin County
Marin County
Marin County is a high-value Bay Area county directly across the Golden Gate from San Francisco. San Rafael is the county seat. Real estate is dominated by high-end residential, with strong demand and limited inventory. Distressed volume is low but every file is high-dollar; estate, trust, and surplus matters dominate.
Property in Marin
What every owner, heir, and investor should know.
Owning a home in Marin.
Marin homeowners get the standard California framework with attention to high-value-driven specifics.
- Property taxes are paid in two installments due November 1 and February 1; delinquencies run after December 10 and April 10.
- Proposition 13 caps annual assessed-value growth at 2% absent a change of ownership or new construction.
- The Homeowners' Exemption reduces assessed value by $7,000 for an owner-occupied principal residence; file with the Marin County Assessor.
- Coastal Act applies along Marin's coast; rebuild rights vary.
- Wildfire risk is significant in West Marin and the wildland-urban interface.
- Power to Sell triggers after five years of delinquency.
- Excess proceeds claims must be filed under R&TC §4675 within one year of the tax deed recording.
Investing in Marin.
Marin offers a low-volume but very high-value market: estate, trust, and surplus opportunities dominate over volume plays.
- Tax-defaulted property auctions are conducted by the Marin County Tax Collector, typically online via Bid4Assets when scheduled.
- The Marin County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk handles parcel data, deeds, deeds of trust, and recorded liens.
- Trustee sale notices appear in the Marin Independent Journal.
- Diligence focus: wildfire and defensible space, coastal regulation in West Marin, septic in unincorporated areas, complex trust ownership structures, and HOA/CC&R restrictions.
After a Marin foreclosure or tax deed sale.
In Marin, distressed property resolves through California's nonjudicial trustee sale process or the county tax-defaulted property sale program.
- Tax-defaulted property sales are conducted by the Marin County Tax Collector under R&TC Part 6.
- Owners may redeem before the sale by paying all defaulted taxes, penalties, fees, and costs.
- Excess proceeds claims must be filed within one year of the tax deed recording — surpluses can be material here given high values.
- Trustee sale surplus is governed by Civil Code §2924k.
- Federal tax liens, IRS liens, certain municipal liens, and HOA dues may survive a tax sale.
- Bankruptcy filings stay sales; check PACER and the Recorder before any auction.
Courts and records in Marin.
- Superior Court of California, County of Marin — Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Dr, San Rafael, CA 94903. Civil, criminal, family, probate, juvenile, traffic, and small claims.
- Court of Appeal — First Appellate District (San Francisco) hears Marin appeals.
- Marin County Assessor-Recorder-Clerk — 3501 Civic Center Dr, Suite 232, San Rafael, CA 94903.
- Marin County Department of Finance / Tax Collector — 3501 Civic Center Dr, Suite 202, San Rafael, CA 94903.