Susquehanna County

Sale typeWhat you actually buy. A lien sale gives you a claim on the property and the owner keeps it for now; a deed sale transfers the property itself. A redeemable deed transfers ownership but still gives the former owner time to pay you back. See the full glossary for more terms.

deed

Interest / penaltyWhat you earn when the owner redeems. Interest is a rate paid over time; a penalty is usually a one-time percentage of the tax or redemption amount. A rate that is bid down during the auction is still interest. See the full glossary for more terms.

not stated in Act 542 (upset sale)

RedemptionHow long the former owner has to repay the debt and keep the property after the sale. Your money stays tied up until this window closes, so a long period can mean a multi-year wait on a lien. See the full glossary for more terms.

none after actual sale

Bid methodHow the winner is chosen: bidding the interest rate down, bidding a premium above the amount owed, a random or rotating draw, or simply buying at the minimum bid. See the full glossary for more terms.

public upset sale; no sale unless bid equals upset price

Sale timingWhen sales are typically held. Many counties publish sale lists only a few weeks ahead, and some sell continuously or on their own schedule. See the full glossary for more terms.

September (no earlier than second Monday)-October 1

Auction platforms

No platform listing found yet.

Parcels in this county

No parcels listed yet.

1. 1.Confirm the parcel is on the county Tax Claim Bureau's upset sale list; the sale is scheduled no earlier than the second Monday of September and before October 1 (601(a))
2. 2.Register in person at the county Tax Claim Bureau not less than 10 days before the scheduled sale, filing the application required by 502-A; a county may charge a fee for filing it (501-A(a), (c), 502-A)
3. 3.Clear the affidavit: no delinquent real estate taxes to any taxing district in the Commonwealth, no municipal utility bills more than a year outstanding, not bidding for a person barred under 601(d), and no uncorrected housing code violation course of conduct in the preceding three years (502-A(4))
4. 4.Confirm the county list of registered bidders is delivered to the municipalities at least five days before the sale (503-A)
5. 5.Bid at the upset sale at or above the upset price fixed by the bureau; no sale is made unless a bid equal to the upset price is received (605)
6. 6.Pay the entire purchase money to the bureau on the day of the sale, no later than one hour before the close of business or at another time that day designated by the bureau; otherwise the sale is voided and the property is put up again (606)
7. 7.Within 20 days after the sale, give the bureau the certification that you are not delinquent on real estate taxes where the property is located and have no municipal utility bills more than one year outstanding (619.1(a))
8. 8.Take the deed once the court confirms the sale and the bid is paid, knowing an upset sale conveys title subject to every recorded obligation, lien, mortgage and ground rent not included in the upset price (608, 609)
9. 9.If no bid equals the upset price, expect a later judicial sale of the same parcel, which the court orders sold free and clear to the highest bidder (605, 610, 612)

RegistrationSigning up as a bidder before the sale. Counties set the deadlines and paperwork, which may include an application, identification, and a no-delinquent-taxes statement. See the full glossary for more terms.

Required: YesIn person

not less than 10 days before the scheduled upset sale or judicial sale (501-A(a))

DepositMoney you must post before or at the sale, often a flat amount or a percentage of your bid. It is usually applied to the purchase price if you win and is often non-refundable if you fail to pay. See the full glossary for more terms.

Required: UnknownUnknown

the act fixes no deposit: the purchaser at an upset sale pays the entire purchase money on the day of the sale, no later than one hour before the close of business or at another time that day designated by the bureau (606)

FormsPaperwork a county may collect before you can bid, such as a bidder ID card or a W-9 for tax reporting. See the full glossary for more terms.

Bidder ID card: UnknownW-9: Unknown

Bidder registration application: name and, for a non-individual, the business name, all officers, business address and phone number; for an LLC, its members, managers and every person with an ownership interest; documentation that the signer may act for the applicant (502-A)

Signed affidavit with the application: not delinquent in real estate taxes to any taxing district in the Commonwealth, no municipal utility bills more than one year outstanding, not bidding for a person barred under 601(d), and no uncorrected housing code violation course of conduct in the preceding three years; a false statement is a second degree misdemeanor under 18 Pa.C.S. 4904(a) (502-A(4))

Pennsylvania's Real Estate Tax Sale Law (Act 542 of 1947, 72 P.S. 5860.101 et seq.) is administered by each county's Tax Claim Bureau and sells the property, not a tax lien certificate. Bidder registration is mandatory statewide: since Act 33 of 2021 the person must appear and register at the bureau at least 10 days before each scheduled upset or judicial sale, and the application carries a sworn affidavit that the bidder owes no real estate taxes anywhere in the Commonwealth, has no municipal utility bills more than a year outstanding, is not bidding for a person barred under section 601(d), and has no uncorrected housing code violation conduct in the prior three years; a county may charge a registration fee. A further certification of paid real estate taxes and municipal utility bills is due within 20 days after the sale. The act sets no bidding deposit and no separate payment term: the buyer pays the whole purchase price to the bureau on the day of the upset sale, and the county's terms govern judicial sales, so the forms of payment and any county-specific deposit practice vary by bureau. An upset sale is the first stage and passes title subject to recorded liens not included in the upset price, which is why the same parcel often reappears at a later judicial sale free and clear.