State laws / Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania tax sales: liens, deeds, rates & redemption
Quick answerPennsylvania sells tax deeds for unpaid property taxes. Redemption: No post-sale redemption after an upset or judicial sale under the Real Estate Tax Sale Law (72 P.S. § 5860.607(g)) in the 65 counties that use it. Exception: in proceedings under the Municipal Claims and Tax Lien Law (53 P.S. § 7293), the owner may redeem within 9 months of acknowledgment of the sheriff's deed — 3 months if the property is located in a city of the second class or a county of the second class or a municipality therein (i.e. Pittsburgh / Allegheny County) — on payment of the bid amount, costs, taxes/claims actually paid, and interest at 10% per annum on each payment (the 10% applies in both cases). Philadelphia (first class) falls under the 9-month rule Sales: Upset sale annually in the statutory September window (no earlier than the second Monday in September, 72 P.S. § 5860.601; e.g. Erie County Sept. 28, 2026), followed by judicial sales and repository sales later in the year Governing law: Real Estate Tax Sale Law, 72 P.S. § 5860.101 et seq.; Municipal Claims and Tax Lien Law, 53 P.S. § 7101 et seq. (Philadelphia, Allegheny County and electing jurisdictions).
Where to bid: GovEase (online — e.g. Bucks, Erie, Armstrong, York, Lawrence and Indiana counties)Bid4Assets (online — e.g. Cumberland, Fayette and Monroe counties)mostly in-person in counties that have not moved online
| What is sold | Tax deeds |
|---|---|
| Interest / penalty | n/a — under the Real Estate Tax Sale Law no lien certificate is sold and no post-sale redemption interest is paid to the buyer; in proceedings under the Municipal Claims and Tax Lien Law, a redeeming owner pays interest at 10% per year on each amount paid (53 P.S. § 7293) — under both the general 9-month redemption and the 3-month second-class city/county redemption |
| Redemption period | No post-sale redemption after an upset or judicial sale under the Real Estate Tax Sale Law (72 P.S. § 5860.607(g)) in the 65 counties that use it. Exception: in proceedings under the Municipal Claims and Tax Lien Law (53 P.S. § 7293), the owner may redeem within 9 months of acknowledgment of the sheriff's deed — 3 months if the property is located in a city of the second class or a county of the second class or a municipality therein (i.e. Pittsburgh / Allegheny County) — on payment of the bid amount, costs, taxes/claims actually paid, and interest at 10% per annum on each payment (the 10% applies in both cases). Philadelphia (first class) falls under the 9-month rule |
| When sales happen | Upset sale annually in the statutory September window (no earlier than the second Monday in September, 72 P.S. § 5860.601; e.g. Erie County Sept. 28, 2026), followed by judicial sales and repository sales later in the year |
| Governing law | Real Estate Tax Sale Law, 72 P.S. § 5860.101 et seq.; Municipal Claims and Tax Lien Law, 53 P.S. § 7101 et seq. (Philadelphia, Allegheny County and electing jurisdictions) |
| Investor notes | Pennsylvania's two-law split is the trap: RETSL upset-sale deeds are sold subject to surviving mortgages and liens, judicial-sale deeds are sold free and clear, and neither carries a redemption period — while MCTLA sheriff sales carry a redemption (9 months generally; 3 months in second-class cities/counties such as Pittsburgh/Allegheny). Buyer-beware and strict-notice challenges (petition to set aside within 30 days of confirmation) are the main post-sale risks. |
Sources
- https://www.orrindale.com/guides/behind-on-property-taxes-pennsylvania.html
- https://eriecountypa.gov/departments/tax-claim-and-revenue/tax-sales/
- https://www.buckscounty.gov/1955/Upset-and-Judicial-Sales
- https://taxliensimple.com/auctions
Law verified 2026-10-30 against the sources above. Confirm current details with the county tax collector / clerk before bidding — counties can change dates and procedures.
Go deeper: all Pennsylvania counties · Pennsylvania sale calendar · Pennsylvania investing guide