How does the public tender process work when bidding on a municipal tax sale property in Ontario?

Most Ontario municipalities sell tax sale properties through a public tender process rather than a live auction. The municipality publishes a tender package for each property, which sets out the minimum amount any bid must meet (discussed further in a related question), the required deposit, and the submission deadline. Prospective buyers prepare a sealed written tender - essentially a formal bid - and submit it, along with the deposit, by that deadline; there is no back-and-forth negotiation the way there might be with an ordinary offer.

After the deadline passes, the municipality opens the tenders and the highest bid that meets or exceeds the required minimum is generally declared successful, subject to the tenderer then completing the purchase within the time and on the terms set out in the tender package. Because there is no financing condition, no inspection condition, and typically no opportunity to walk through the property beforehand, bidders are expected to have done their homework and be ready to close before they submit a tender at all.

Given how unforgiving the process is once a bid is accepted, review the tender package and the property's title and tax history with a lawyer before submitting anything.