Philadelphia sheriff sales, explained for first-time bidders
A short, free guide: how a sale works, what the Sheriff’s terms say you pay, and how to look up a property’s taxes and water lien yourself.
This site is general information, not legal advice, a title search or an appraisal. Check every detail with the official source before you bid.
What a sheriff sale is
When an owner falls behind on a mortgage or on City taxes, the property can be sold at a public auction run by the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office. The City puts it this way:
“When a homeowner is unable to pay their mortgage, or their property taxes, the property is taken over and sold at a public auction known as a Sheriff’s Sale.”
Source: the City of Philadelphia’s page on Sheriff and lien sales. As read on October 12, 2026.
The Sheriff holds Philadelphia’s sales online:
“The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office uses Bid4Assets as a platform to provide auction services.”
Source: the Sheriff’s Property Listing page. As read on October 12, 2026.
The two kinds of sale
Tax sales
The Sheriff’s FAQ describes the two kinds of tax sale:
“Tax delinquent sales are the sales where the City and County of Philadelphia are going after persons who owe money and who are delinquent on their taxes. Tax lien sales are tax-delinquent properties that have gotten older and have been sold to the attorneys and the attorneys are now selling them.”
Source: the Sheriff’s FAQ about online sheriff sales. As read on October 12, 2026.
Both run under the Sheriff’s Conditions of Sale for Tax Sales.
Mortgage foreclosure sales
A lender is collecting on a mortgage loan. These run under the Sheriff’s Mortgage Foreclosure Conditions of Sale, which differ from the tax-sale terms on the deposit, the buyer’s premium and how the minimum bid is set.
Different laws govern the two kinds of sale. What survives the sale quotes them.
Where the official list is
Only the official sources say which properties are for sale, their status and their opening bids. Check there, and check again on the day of the sale.
Asked which list is current when the Sheriff’s and Bid4Assets’ mortgage foreclosure lists differ, the Sheriff’s FAQ answered:
“The most accurate, up-to-date information is found on the Bid4Assets website.”
Source: the Sheriff’s FAQ about online sheriff sales. As read on October 12, 2026.
That answer dates from before the Sheriff’s auction search went live. If the two disagree, ask the Sheriff’s Office.
Start here
- How a sale worksFrom the posted list to the deed, step by step
- What you’ll payThe Sheriff’s deposit, premium and deadlines, quoted
- Look up taxes and waterFind a property’s tax balance and water lien yourself
- Bidding on Bid4AssetsRegistering, the deposit and the auction itself
- What survives the saleThe laws on liens and redemption, quoted
- Questions to askFor a title company and a real-estate attorney
Last reviewed October 2026.