Tax Sale Conditions

Ten percent of the highest sum bid for each property auctioned off shall be deposited in cash, certified check, attorney’s check or money order with the sheriff by each bidder when his bid Is registered, provided that in no case shall less than Five Hundred dollars ($500.00) be deposit Otherwise, upon failure or refusal to make such deposit, the bidder shall lose all benefit of his bid and the property may be immediately offered again and sold unless a second bid had been registered, then, the second bidder will take the property at the highest bid price. The balance of the purchase money must be deposited in cash, certified check, attorney’s check or money order together with a Deed Poll for execution by the highest bidder to the Sheriff at his office within thirty (30) days from the time of the sale. An extension of time of an additional thirty (30) days may be granted at the discretion of the Sheriff upon receipt of written request from the buyer requesting the same, except where a second bid has been duly registered. Also, if the first bidder does not complete settlement with the Sheriff within the thirty (30) days time limit and a second bid was registered at the sale, the second bidder shall be granted the same thirty (30) day time limit to make settlement with the Sheriff on his second bid. Thereafter, the Sheriff shall be at liberty to return the writ to court.

A second bid must be registered on any property immediately after it is sold. The second bidder must present the same amount of deposit that the highest bidder delivers to the Sheriff at the sale. An extension of time under no circumstances will be granted or honored by the Sheriff whenever a second bidder is registered on a property at the sale. The deposit made by any bidder who fails to comply with the above conditions of sale shall be forfeited and the funds will be applied to the Sheriff’s cost, then to any municipal claims that the City of Philadelphia has on the property. Finally, if a balance still remains a Sheriff Distribution Policy will be ordered and the money will be distributed Accordingly. No personal checks, drafts or promises to pay will be accepted in lieu of cash, certified checks, attorney checks or money orders made payable to the Sheriff of Philadelphia County.

The Sheriff reserves the right to grant further extensions of time of settlement and further reserves the right to refuse bids from bidders who have failed to enter deposits on their bids failed to make settlement or make fraudulent bids or any other behavior which causes disruption of the Sheriff Sale. Said bidders shall be so refused for the sale in which said behavior occurred and for said further period of time as the Sheriff in his discretion shall determine.

The Sheriff requires from each successful purchaser before settlement, certification from the Department of Revenue of the City of Philadelphia, that the successful purchaser is not more than one year delinquent in paying real estate taxes on any properties owned by said purchaser with the City of Philadelphia or that the purchaser is under agreement with the City of Philadelphia for repayment of any taxes due the City. The Sheriff reserves the right to waive the requirements of said certification when the said certification has been reasonably requested but has not been received.

The sheriff will not acknowledge a deed poll to any individual or entity using an unregistered fictitious name and may, at his discretion, require proof of the identity of the purchaser or the registration of a fictitious name. The bid of an unregistered fictitious name shall be forfeited as if the bidder failed to meet the terms of sale. All bidders are advised to remain at the sale until the last property is sold. The Sheriff reserves the right to resell any property at any time before the end of the sale upon the successful bidders failure to tender the required deposit.

REQUIREMENTS: All bidding starts at $800. Bidding is open and competitive. Each bidder must be prepared to deposit 10 percent of successful bid in cash or certified check. However, $500 is the minimum deposit which will be accepted. Shelley R. Smith, City Solicitor.