After real estate taxes become delinquent on April 1st of each year, they are advertised in a local newspaper once a week for three consecutive weeks. On or before June 1st, the Tax Collector must conduct a tax certificate sale on each unpaid parcel of property. When a tax certificate is sold against a piece of property, the successful bidder pays the delinquent taxes on that property and then receives a receipt which also constitutes a first lien against the property. A taxpayer could pay interest up to the rate of 18% per year. This rate depends on the interest rate that was bid on at the tax certificate sale.