I see this question come up a lot, and Ohio can be confusing because people mix up tax liens and tax deeds.

For Ohio tax deed sales (Sheriff sales), the answer is:
The owner can redeem up until the court confirms the sale, but there is no redemption period after confirmation.

The owner can pay everything owed before the Sheriff sale, no issue.

Even after the sale, the owner can still redeem until the court confirms it.

Once the court confirms the sale, redemption is over. The buyer gets the Sheriff’s deed and the former owner has no further rights.

Ohio does not have a 6-month or 1-year redemption period after a tax deed sale like some other states.

This applies only to tax deeds, not tax lien certificates, which are a totally different process.

The key question in Ohio is always:
“Has the sale been confirmed yet?”
Once it’s confirmed, it’s final.