Public Auction
Welcome to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Land Sale page.
Our St. Paul fall land sale auction was held on November 7, 2012 and Roseau auction was held on November 9, 2012. Of the 24 parcels offered, 10 properties were sold. Parcels currently available for sale are listed below as Over-The-Counter Land Sale.
At this time, the DNR is anticipating holding another public auction sometime in 2013; however, the date has not been determined.
You can sign-up for Sale notifications on this webpage. Scroll down to: How do I learn about the DNR land sales?
Over-the-Counter Land Sale
Properties still available for purchase over-the-counter are posted below.
Interested parties should review the property data sheets posted below and the Instructions for Over-The-Counter Land Purchase and Terms and Conditions of Sale. 
Aitkin
- Sale 01253 (44.25 acres, minimum price $49,350)
- Sale 01254 (40 acres, minimum price $37,300)
- Sale 01255 (27.88 acres, minimum price $23,080)
Cass
- Sale 11273 (1.22 acres, minimum price $55,710)
- Sale 11274 (40 acres, minimum price $59,180)
Crow Wing
- Sale 18163 (40 acres, minimum price $42,075)
Dakota
- Sale 19002 (40.22 acres, minimum bid $943,150)
- Sale 19003 (40 acres, minimum bid $754,275)
Douglas
- Sale 21006 (5.0 acres, minimum price $25,800)
Hubbard
- Sale 29106 (30 acres, new minimum price $80,400)
- Sale 29103 (40 acres, minimum price $72,725)
Pine
- Sale 58024 (84 acres, new minimum price $525,000)
St. Louis
- Sale 69538 (1 acre, minimum price $1,925)
Winona
- Sale 85009 (14.58 acres, minimum price $37,305)
How do I learn about the DNR land sales?
 |
- Call our land sale information telephone line 651-259-5432. Or email our Land Sale Representative.
- Check your local newspapers; many advertise DNR land sales.
Information relating to future sale dates and parcels to be auctioned, will be posted on the website at least one month prior to the auction date.
Minimum bidBefore being offered for sale, the lands are appraised. The lands cannot be sold for less than the appraised value. In most instances, sale costs associated with survey, appraisal, and marketing are also charged to the buyer. These charges make up the minimum bid specified for the lands being offered. The land is sold to the highest bidder, but the lands will not be sold for less than the specified minimum bid. Minimum payment dueIf you are the successful bidder, there is a minimum payment due at the time of the auction of 10% of the total amount bid. For the 2011 public auction, the balance of the total payment is due in full within 45 days of the auction. For parcels purchased over the counter, the balance of the total payment is due in full within 90 days of the purchase date. If there are privately-owned improvements on the property and the successful bidder is not the owner of the improvements, the successful bidder must pay the private improvement value to the private owner within 15 days after the sale. |
Does the DNR have land for sale?
The department plans to offer a small amount of land for sale every year. Depending upon the lands offered for sale, one sale or several sales may be held within one year.
How is the state land offered for sale?
Detailed information on the parcels being offered is available 30 days before the sale date. The department prepares a property data sheet that provides a legal description, acreage, a basic site description, minimum bid price, zoning information, and directions to visit the property.
State-owned land is almost always sold by public auction. This means that everyone has an opportunity at the same time to bid on the property, provided that they meet bidder qualifications. The process can be either a sealed bid or an oral auction.
The property data sheet will specify whether the bidding is by oral auction or sealed bid. The date, time, and location of the auction is listed on the property data sheet.
Are lands ever sold at other than public auction?
School and university lands, which are lands the state was granted by the federal government, can only be sold at public sale. About half of the lands administered by the DNR are school lands.
Acquired lands are lands obtained through purchase, gift, or forfeiture. If acquired lands remain unsold after the public auction, the DNR may decide to continue to offer the lands for sale over-the-counter to the first person who agrees to pay the minimum bid amount. If offered after a public auction, the lands continue to be available until sold, withdrawn from sale, or reappraised. Once the lands are withdrawn from sale or reappraised, they may only be sold after first being offered through public auction.
Also, for acquired lands there are limited exceptions to the public sale requirement, including special legislation, transfer to a local unit of government for public use, and trail lands sold to adjoining property owners.
How are the state lands selected for sale?
The department units administering the land need to decide that the land is no longer needed for natural resource management purposes. There are a variety of reasons for this determination.
Tracts may be identified by staff as not being utilized for natural resource purposes due to having no public access. Some of the parcels have been sites for state offices that have closed. On occasion, the sale is to resolve an inadvertent trespass on state lands. Sometimes the department will have acquired land from a willing seller for a particular use, and the seller was only willing to sell all that they owned and a portion of the acquired property is not needed for the natural resource management purpose. A few parcels of lakeshore property have been sold in recent years to place some property back on the tax rolls after the state has acquired other private lands in that county. Although not as common, a tract is sometimes offered for sale after an inquiry from the public generates a review of whether the tract could be offered for sale.
Are there any other public lands available for sale?
The Minnesota Department of Administration sells land and building sites for many state agencies. The Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs, and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities also have the authority to sell state land under their control.
Tax-forfeited lands are owned by the state in trust for the taxing districts. The individual counties have the legal authority to sell tax-forfeited lands, subject to certain restrictions. In most instances, tax-forfeited lands are sold by public auction. The counties may allow the lands to remain available for purchase for a period of time after the sale date if not purchased on the day of sale.
If you are interested in purchasing tax-forfeited land, you need to contact the county auditor's office in the county in which the land is located. Tax-forfeited land sale information is not available from the DNR. If the county has a land department/commissioner, they can also provide information on tax-forfeited land sales and are often in charge of such sales.
More information
Contact your Division of Lands and Minerals staff for more information.
Download this information in a printable brochure format .