Your first tax sale in Erie County, NY

New York has no investor lien: the county (or another government office) sells the property itself to cover the unpaid taxes. You don't earn interest; you're buying property, so your return depends on what it's worth and what it costs to own, fix, clear title on and sell or rent. Redemption period: Generally 2 years after the lien date, or a later date set in the foreclosure notice (RPTL §1110); then the property is sold.

What you actually get

A deed to the property once the sale is final. A tax deed is not a guarantee of clear, insurable title.

How you make money

Buying below what the property is worth after every cost. There is no interest.

Redemption period

Generally 2 years after the lien date, or a later date set in the foreclosure notice (RPTL §1110); then the property is sold

Recent change (L.2024, ch. 55, Part BB (April 2024; applies to sales on or after May 25, 2023)): Former owners and lienors can claim surplus from tax-foreclosure sales: the enforcing officer must determine any surplus within 45 days of the sale (RPTL §1196) and claims are filed with the court (RPTL §1197); a public-auction price is accepted as full value.

Sources: New York tax sale rules (LienDesk) · Guide: Tax lien vs. tax deed states · N.Y. RPTL §1110 · §1196 · §1197

There's no Erie County sale on our calendar yet. The county's usual timing: County: one in-person auction a year in late summer (Aug 26, 2026 covered In Rem 172 and 173). The In Rem 174 auction is 'anticipated as soon as practical in 2027' (no date yet). Buffalo: In Rem 56 auction tentatively March 23-25, 2027 per the City's FAQ (not yet noticed).

Erie County towns and their sales (from each town's official page; a town without a confirmed date says “Not verified yet”):

• City of Buffalo ↗buffalony.gov

  Own In Rem foreclosure (In Rem 56, 2023-and-prior taxes, sewer rent and user fees). Redemption deadline was Aug 28, 2026; auction tentatively March 23-25, 2027 per the City FAQ (not confirmed, not on our calendar). No City investor tax lien sale found on official pages. Surplus claims are filed with the Erie County Clerk

• City of Lackawanna ↗www3.erie.gov

  Enforces its own taxes (Lackawanna Tax Collector, per the county FAQ). Sale details: Not verified yet

• City of Tonawanda ↗www3.erie.gov

  Enforces its own taxes (City Treasurer, per the county FAQ). Sale details: Not verified yet

Not a lien sale: the county (or the City of Buffalo) forecloses in rem after the redemption deadline and auctions the property itself. Owners can't bid on their own property. Since L.2024 ch.55 Part BB, former owners can claim any surplus (RPTL 1196-1197). The 2026 county auction was Aug 26, 2026.

Sources: County tax sale page (www3.erie.gov) ↗ · New York auction calendar

Registration (county research)

County: pre-register online on the Real Property Tax Services site (2026 window Jul 20 - Aug 19) or at the auction from 8am with ID, phone, email and the name for title. Deposit the greater of 20% or $500 immediately in cash or certified funds; balance within 30 days at closing, 9%/yr interest on late balance. Minimum bid $500. Bidders must be current on all municipal obligations in Erie County. Buffalo registration and deposit: Not verified yet

Official page

www3.erie.gov ↗

• Find the registration deadline on the official page and put it in your calendar. Some counties close registration days or weeks before the sale.
• Expect to show a photo ID, and some counties ask for a W-9 or a deposit. LienDesk hasn't verified this county's paperwork, so check the official page.

Sources: County tax sale page (www3.erie.gov) ↗

We don't have a parcel list for Erie County yet.

Parcel list: Not verified yet — check the county's official page ↗

See New York parcel lists we do have →

Due-diligence checklist, for every parcel you might bid on

• □Look at it. Street View and satellite view at minimum; drive by if you can. Confirm the parcel number matches the building you think it does.
• □Landlocked, sliver and unbuildable lots. Check the county GIS map for road access, odd shapes, drainage strips and lots too small to build on. These are cheap for a reason.
• □Mobile homes. A mobile home on the lot may be separate personal property and not included in the sale. Check how the county lists it.
• □IRS and other federal liens. Federal tax liens can survive a tax sale, and the IRS can have its own right to redeem after a sale. Search the county's lien records for the owner.
• □Code violations and demolition orders. Ask the city or county code enforcement office. Fines and demolition liens can follow the property.
• □Environmental problems. Former gas stations, dry cleaners, junkyards, wetlands and flood zones can cost far more than the bid. Check the FEMA flood map and the state environmental agency's site lists.
• □HOA or condo dues. Unpaid association dues and assessments may be owed by whoever ends up with the property.
• □Occupancy. If someone lives there, getting possession may mean an eviction or court action, and the owner often still has redemption rights.
• □Title search. Mortgages, judgments and other liens may or may not be wiped out, depending on the state and the sale. A title search (or a title company's opinion) before you bid is the only way to know.
• □Is it still on the list?. Owners pay up until sale day, so lists shrink. Check the county's final list the day before.

Sources: FEMA flood map ↗ · Parcel lists on LienDesk

Highest bid wins. Bidding usually opens at a minimum (often the taxes, interest and costs owed) and the highest bidder wins. Every extra dollar you bid is money you have to pay, and in many states a big overbid can change what you get back if the owner redeems, so set your maximum before the sale and stop there.

County note: No interest: you buy the property with a Referee's deed, as is. The buyer pays school taxes due after the sale and later taxes the sale proceeds don't cover

• Decide your total budget first, then a maximum for each parcel. Write the maximums down before the sale starts.
• Your maximum bid should leave room for everything after the sale: title work or a quiet title action, back taxes, repairs, holding costs, and selling costs.
• Keep cash in reserve. Winning more than you can pay for can cost you your deposit and your bidding rights.

Open the Analyze This Investment calculator

The calculator is also in each parcel's Comps & ARV panel, prefilled with that parcel's amount and estimated value. Results are estimates, not a promise of profit.

Sources: New York tax sale rules (LienDesk) · N.Y. RPTL §1110 · §1196 · §1197

• □Check the official page the morning of the sale: sales get postponed or cancelled, and parcels get pulled when owners pay.
• □Confirm whether the sale is online or in person, and have your ID, registration confirmation and payment ready.
• □Have funds ready in the form the county requires (check the official page).
• □Bring (or open) your researched list with a maximum for each parcel. Don't bid on anything you haven't researched.
• □Stick to your maximums, even when the room (or the screen) gets competitive.
• □Save every receipt, confirmation and certificate or deed number you get.

Sources: County tax sale page (www3.erie.gov) ↗

Payment deadline

Not verified yet — check the county's official page ↗

What you receive

A deed to the property once the sale is final. A tax deed is not a guarantee of clear, insurable title.

Redemption

Generally 2 years after the lien date, or a later date set in the foreclosure notice (RPTL §1110); then the property is sold

• A tax deed often isn't enough for a title insurer. Many buyers file a quiet title action (a court case that confirms ownership) before they sell or refinance; ask a local attorney when you can start.
• Keep paying any later property taxes so someone else can't buy a lien or deed on top of yours, and keep records of every cost.
• Don't move in, change locks or start work until you have the legal right to possession.

Talk to an attorney before you foreclose a right of redemption, apply for a deed, file quiet title, or deal with an occupant. Attorney listings are paid advertising, not referrals.

Sources: County tax sale page (www3.erie.gov) ↗ · New York tax sale rules (LienDesk) · N.Y. RPTL §1110 · §1196 · §1197