Behind on Property Taxes? Here Is How to Avoid the Tax Sale
Somerset County residents behind on property taxes have until September 15 to act before delinquent properties go to the annual Upset Tax Sale.
If you owe back property taxes in Somerset County, the clock is running, but there is still time to act.
The county Tax Claim Bureau holds its Upset Tax Sale every September, auctioning off properties with unpaid real estate taxes going back more than two years. This year’s sale is set for September 15. As of mid-August, there were 673 delinquent properties still on the list, well above the usual 300 to 400 the bureau sees this time of year.
Tax Claim Bureau Director Natasha Knopsnyder said the reasons are the ones you would expect: lost jobs, and higher prices for groceries, utilities and fuel. “We want people to keep their properties,” she said. “We don’t want to auction off these properties.”
The fix, in many cases, is simpler than people think. Paying what is owed, or setting up a payment plan with the Tax Claim Bureau, will pull a property off the list before the sale. The bureau accepts credit and debit cards, certified funds, money orders, and personal checks with approval.
Anyone planning to bid on a delinquent property, rather than pay off their own, needs to register in person at the Tax Claim Bureau by August 28. There is a $50 registration fee, and the cutoff is firm. Bidders should also know that an upset sale does not wipe out liens or mortgages on a property, so it pays to check the Prothonotary’s office and the Recorder of Deeds before bidding.
One important note for anyone behind on taxes. In Pennsylvania, there is generally no redemption period after an upset sale. Once the gavel falls, the previous owner typically cannot buy the property back. That makes the weeks before September 15 the time to act, not after.
If you are behind and unsure where you stand, call the Somerset County Tax Claim Bureau directly. A phone call now is a lot easier than trying to undo an auction later.