The Affidavit to Bid on Behalf of a Business is the form, printed as "Bidder Affidavit – Business Entity Purchaser," that a business uses to certify that a named person is authorized to bid for it at the Cuyahoga County Forfeited Land Sale. It is issued by the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer and belongs to the forfeited land sale process, one of the Cuyahoga County property tax topics the Fiscal Office handles. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by the Fiscal Officer at the link shown.
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What is Affidavit to Bid on Behalf of a Business – Cuyahoga County, OH?
The Affidavit to Bid on Behalf of a Business is the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer form in which a business's designator certifies, under penalty of perjury, that a named designee may bid for the business at the county's forfeited land sale.
The printed form is titled "Bidder Affidavit – Business Entity Purchaser." The designator gives their name and title, the printed name of the business entity (the purchaser), the printed name of the designee, and the date of the Cuyahoga County Forfeited Land Sale. The designator then signs and dates the certification that they were authorized to designate the designee to bid on the purchaser's behalf.
The lower half of the page is a notary acknowledgment headed State of Ohio, County of Cuyahoga. It records the day, month and year, the person who appeared, their title and the business entity, and ends with the notary public's signature and seal.
The Fiscal Officer is the selling agent for the State of Ohio at the forfeited land sale and maintains the list of properties forfeited for nonpayment of real estate taxes. The Fiscal Office's sale page also covers other documents, such as the application and affidavit of identity used to claim excess proceeds. Those are separate from this affidavit, which concerns only who may bid for a business.
Who needs to file Affidavit to Bid on Behalf of a Business – Cuyahoga County, OH?
A business entity that buys at the Cuyahoga County Forfeited Land Sale through a person it has designated to bid for it uses this affidavit. The form is headed "Business Entity Purchaser," so it is completed for the business, not for an individual bidding in their own name.
Two people appear on it:
- The designator: the person who signs the certification, with their title at the business. They certify they were authorized to designate the designee.
- The designee: the person named as authorized to bid on behalf of the business entity.
A notary public completes the acknowledgment section after the designator appears before them. The form does not say who may act as designator beyond requiring a name and title, and it prints no exclusions. The Fiscal Office's sale page recommends that each buyer contact a real estate attorney or title company before the sale, since all purchases are "buyer beware."
When to file Affidavit to Bid on Behalf of a Business – Cuyahoga County, OH
Complete the affidavit when a business entity designates someone to bid for it at a Cuyahoga County Forfeited Land Sale. The form names the sale date, so it is tied to one specific sale, and it prints no separate due date.
The Fiscal Office's page for the 2026 sale lists Tuesday, September 1, Wednesday, September 2 and Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland (Atrium Ballroom), 1 St. Clair Ave. NE, Cleveland, OH 44114. Registration and check-in start at 8:00 a.m., and the sale begins at 9:30 a.m. Because the form also needs a notary's acknowledgment and seal, allow time to get it signed and notarized before the sale date you enter.
How to fill out Affidavit to Bid on Behalf of a Business – Cuyahoga County, OH
Enter the designator's name and title
At the top, write the name of the designator in the first blank and the designator's title in the second. These identify who is giving the authorization.
Name the business entity purchaser
Print the full name of the business entity or purchaser after the title. The form asks for this printed name again in two later places, so keep it identical.
Enter the designee's name
Write the printed name of the designee, the person authorized to bid on the business's behalf, in the line after the business name.
Fill in the sale date
Enter the date of the Cuyahoga County Forfeited Land Sale at the end of the opening statement, where it reads "sale held on."
Repeat the designee in the certification
In the certification written in capital letters, print the designee's name again so it matches the earlier entry.
Sign and date as designator
The designator signs on the signature line and enters the date next to it.
Complete the notary acknowledgment
In the State of Ohio, County of Cuyahoga block, the day, month and year, the name and title of the person who appeared, and the business entity name are filled in, and the notary public signs and affixes the seal.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that every name, the title and the sale date match across the form, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and arrange signing and notarization as described under How to submit.
How to submit Affidavit to Bid on Behalf of a Business – Cuyahoga County, OH
The completed form prints no mailing address, portal or office for returning it, so the channel is not set by the document itself. Contact the Forfeited Lands Department before the sale to confirm how the Fiscal Office wants to receive the signed, notarized affidavit.
- Phone: 216-443-7420, Option 5.
- Email: [email protected].
Do not use the Cuyahoga County Budget Commission address or email listed on the sale page for this form. That address is for applications and supporting documents to claim excess proceeds from a sale, which is a different process.
The sale itself takes place at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland (Atrium Ballroom), 1 St. Clair Ave. NE, Cleveland, OH 44114, with registration and check-in at 8:00 a.m. on each sale day. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the Fiscal Office's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the sale date blank; the affidavit is tied to the Cuyahoga County Forfeited Land Sale held on the date written in the form.
- Writing a different name for the designee in the first statement and in the certification, where the form repeats the designee's printed name.
- Entering the business entity's name inconsistently, since it appears at the top, in the middle and again in the notary acknowledgment.
- Omitting the designator's title, which the form asks for next to the designator's name.
- Signing without dating; the certification has a line for the designator's signature and a date.
- Leaving the notary acknowledgment blank, without the day, month, year, notary signature and seal that the form provides for.
- Sending the affidavit to the Budget Commission address listed on the sale page; that address is for excess-proceeds claims, not for bidder affidavits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Affidavit to Bid on Behalf of a Business?
It is a Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer form, printed as the Bidder Affidavit for a Business Entity Purchaser, in which the business's designator certifies under penalty of perjury that a named designee is authorized to bid on the business's behalf at the Cuyahoga County Forfeited Land Sale.
Who signs the affidavit, the business or the bidder?
The designator signs. That is the person, identified by name and title, who certifies they were authorized to designate the designee. The designee is named on the form as the person authorized to bid, and a notary public completes the acknowledgment section.
Does the bidder affidavit have to be notarized?
The form includes a notary acknowledgment for the State of Ohio, County of Cuyahoga, with a place for the notary public's signature and seal, so it is designed to be notarized. The form itself does not print additional notarization rules.
When is the 2026 Cuyahoga County Forfeited Land Sale?
The Fiscal Office lists Tuesday, September 1, Wednesday, September 2 and Thursday, September 3, 2026. The location is the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland (Atrium Ballroom), 1 St. Clair Ave. NE, Cleveland, OH 44114, with check-in at 8:00 a.m. and the sale beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Where do I send the Affidavit to Bid on Behalf of a Business?
The form prints no return address or portal. Contact the Forfeited Lands Department at 216-443-7420, Option 5, or [email protected] to confirm how to deliver it. The Budget Commission address on the sale page is for excess-proceeds claims, not this affidavit.
Can I fill out this affidavit online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not the Fiscal Officer, and it does not file or notarize the affidavit; delivery and notarization follow the Fiscal Office's channels and a notary public.
Is this the form for claiming excess proceeds from a forfeited land sale?
No. The Fiscal Office's page says a former owner claiming excess proceeds presents an application, proof of identification, an affidavit of identity, proof of prior homeownership and a W-9. This affidavit only authorizes a bidder for a business.
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