Erie County tax sale, 2026 season

Verified

Erie County (county seat Buffalo) does not work the way most New York counties do. Foreclosure runs under the Erie County Tax Act, and the county never takes title: the Director of Real Property Tax Services sells as Referee, in person only, straight to the buyer. The 2026 sale ran Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at the Buffalo Convention Center, covering the In Rem 172 and 173 proceedings.

The next proceeding is already through court: In Rem 174 was commenced Tuesday, May 5, 2026, its owners could redeem until Monday, July 6, 2026, and judgment has been filed, but the county has published no auction date for it yet. Registration for the 2026 sale ran online from Monday, July 20 to Wednesday, August 19, 2026, or at the door from 8:00 AM on sale day. If you search for an Erie County tax auction, this is the sale, and it rewards reading the terms closely, because what survives it is broader than most buyers expect.

Dates and deadlines

Last sale	Wed, Aug 26, 2026 · 9:00 AM, Buffalo Convention Center, 153 Franklin Street, Room 101, Buffalo (In Rem 172 and 173 parcels) 2026-08-26
Registration	Online pre-registration Mon, Jul 20 to Wed, Aug 19, 2026, or at the door from 8:00 AM on sale day. Valid ID, phone, email, and the name title will be taken in.
Balance and closing	Within 30 days of the sale; for the 2026 sale, no later than Mon, Sep 28, 2026, at closing by appointment with the county's closing counsel 2026-09-28
Format	In person only. No online bidding.
Platform	None. County run Referee's sale.
Selling office	Erie County Director of Real Property Tax Services, acting as Referee; closings handled by Lippes Mathias LLP
Next sale	Not announced. In Rem 174 (2023 and prior taxes) has its judgment filed; its parcels go to a later auction. The verified pattern is a single in person sale in late summer.

Sources: Erie County Real Property Tax Services, auction and foreclosure information (official county). Erie County 2026 Terms of Sale (official county). Erie County Bidder and Purchaser FAQ (official county). Confirm with the county or the auctioneer before relying on any date on this page: sales move, terms change, and parcels get pulled.

Research Erie County parcels before you bid

A sale list gives you the parcels, the date, and the opening terms. It does not give you the owner, the value, or the rest of the picture: liens, foreclosure status, and parcel history. PropertyRadar is the data platform for that layer. It carries owner records, assessed and market values, foreclosure and tax data, and property history for parcels across Erie County, searchable by address, owner, or county, including parcels that never reach a sale list.

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How the Erie County Referee sale works

Foreclosure is in rem, under the Erie County Tax Act, in numbered proceedings (In Rem 172, 173, 174). Owners redeem before judgment; In Rem 174's redemption date was July 6, 2026.
The county does not take title. The Director of Real Property Tax Services sells as Referee, and the deed runs from the Referee to the buyer at closing.
There is one way in: the county's FAQ is blunt that to buy a county in rem foreclosed property, you must bid at the auction. There is no over the counter channel.
City of Buffalo parcels are a separate sale. Buffalo runs its own in rem process; a Buffalo parcel is not in this auction merely because it is in Erie County.

How registration works

Pre-register online on the Real Property Tax Services site during the posted window (July 20 to August 19, 2026 for the last sale), or register at the door from 8:00 AM on sale day. Bring valid ID and be ready to state the exact name title will be taken in; changing the entity name before closing costs a $75 fee. One hard eligibility rule: bidders must be current on all taxes, water, sewer, user fees, and violations owed to any municipality in Erie County, and the county will refuse title, and keep the money, from a buyer who is not. The current owner of a foreclosed parcel may not bid on it, directly or through an agent. And bring the deposit with you: bidders may not leave the auction to go to the bank.

Terms: what a bid actually costs

The money layer, from the official 2026 Terms of Sale. There is no buyer premium; the trap in this county is not the fee stack, it is the deposit forfeiture and the interest that runs while you wait for the deed.

Deposit, at the sale	The greater of 20 percent of the purchase price or $500, paid at the time and place of sale in cash or certified check payable to the Referee. The minimum bid is $500, and the Referee may set a higher minimum on a parcel.
Buyer premium	None in the published Terms of Sale.
Balance due	The remainder in cash or certified check within 30 days, by appointment at closing. No notice of the deadline is owed to you. Fail to close and you default: all monies paid are forfeited, the parcel can be offered to the second highest bidder, and you are liable for any deficiency.
Interest while you wait	The balance accrues interest at 9 percent per annum from the sale date to deed delivery.
Closing costs	The buyer bears all closing expenses, including recording the Referee's Deed, transfer tax and stamps, and title charges. The Referee furnishes no abstract or survey.
Deed type	Referee's Deed, prepared by the county; the buyer pays the recording costs.

Before you bid

Read the survival language before you price a parcel: taxes arising after the proceeding's Notice of Pendency date can survive the sale to the extent the bid proceeds do not pay them, and the terms warn that where a winning bid is too small to satisfy certain tax liens, those liens remain open, valid, and enforceable against the property. School taxes coming due after the sale are the buyer's alone, with no closing adjustments. The purchaser may not enter, charge rent, or evict until the terms are satisfied, the deed is recorded, and closing is complete. Verify before you go: In Rem 174 has no date yet, and the county's auction page is the final word.

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