Monroe County tax sale, 2026 season

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Monroe County (county seat Rochester) runs two different sales, and mixing them up is the expensive mistake here. The one this page tracks is the in rem deed auction under the Monroe County In Rem Tax Foreclosure Act, where the county sells the property itself by Referee's deed. It ran in person on Friday, September 11, 2026 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, for In Rem Action No. 150. The other sale, the annual tax sale certificate sale each August, transfers a lien, not title; it feeds this foreclosure years later.

The county's own timeline explains the September rhythm: taxes go delinquent, are published in successive years, become foreclosure eligible after about a year, and reach auction after roughly two years of delinquency. The entry gate is unlike any other county on this hub: every bidder must show proof of at least $3,000 in good funds just to be admitted to the sale floor. Owners could still redeem until noon on the day before the sale, and redeemed parcels were pulled.

Dates and deadlines

Last sale (deed auction)	Fri, Sep 11, 2026 · 9:30 AM, Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center, 123 East Main Street, Rochester; pre-bidding registration from 8:30 AM 2026-09-11
Redemption cutoff	Noon on the day before the sale, at the Treasury Division, Room B-2, 39 West Main Street, Rochester
Closing deadline	On or before Fri, Nov 20, 2026 2026-11-20
Separate certificate sale	Thu, Aug 20, 2026 · 10:00 AM, County Treasury. A lien sale under the Monroe County Tax Act; it does not transfer title and is not the deed auction.
Format	In person only
Platform	None. Referee conducted sale; foreclosure and closing counsel Bond, Schoeneck and King, PLLC
Selling office	Department of Finance, Treasury Division; the sale is conducted by the Assistant County Treasurer as Referee
Next sale	Not announced. The Treasury Division's own process description puts the deed auction in September.

Sources: Monroe County Treasury Division (official county). Monroe County Notice of Sale, In Rem 150 (official county). Monroe County Closing Instructions (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.

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How Monroe County foreclosure works

The county enforces under its own act, the Monroe County In Rem Tax Foreclosure Act (County Code Chapter 635), in numbered Supreme Court actions; the 2026 sale was In Rem Action No. 150 under Resolution No. 122 of 2026.
The runway is long: about 28 months of notices and payment plan outreach, with the auction scheduled in September after roughly two years of delinquency.
Redemption stays open almost to the end: owners and interested parties could redeem until noon on the day before the sale by paying all taxes, liens, and certificates with interest, penalties, and costs; redeemed parcels leave the list.
Removal is narrow: beyond redemption, a parcel leaves the foreclosure only on the Act's limited grounds, bankruptcy, court order, or legislative approval on the Director of Finance's request for specified reasons such as a repayment agreement in good standing.

How registration works

Registration happens at the sale site on sale day, from 8:30 AM; the forms can be downloaded from the county site in advance to speed it up. The gate is financial, not clerical: every bidder must present proof of a minimum of $3,000 in good funds to gain entry to the sale site, and no one else is admitted except attorneys whose clients present that proof.

Terms: what a bid actually costs

The money layer, from the official Notice of Sale and Closing Instructions. Two checks at closing, to two different payees, and the recording fee is a separate check to the County Clerk.

Deposit, at the auction	10 percent of the bid, paid at the time of the auction. The county's worked example: a $12,000 purchase requires a $1,200 deposit.
Buyer premium	None stated in the Notice of Sale or Closing Instructions.
Recording fees	Paid by the buyer to the Monroe County Clerk: $190 for a single page deed (plus $5 per additional page) for one to three family, rural residential, condo, and agricultural property; $315 (plus $5 per page) for all other property. Fees stated as subject to change. A $100 fee applies if the county's attorneys must later reproduce your Proof of Service Packet.
Balance due	The balance (bid minus deposit) at closing, on or before Friday, November 20, 2026, by bank check, attorney's trust account check, or money order: one check to Bond Schoeneck and King for the balance, one to the Monroe County Clerk for recording fees. Schedule at least 72 hours ahead. A late closing without counsel's consent forfeits the deposit.
Deed type	Referee's Deed. Deeds are not available on auction day.

Before you bid

The City of Rochester trap, in the county's own bold print: some county auction parcels are also in the City of Rochester's tax foreclosure auction, on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, or sit under city tax liens assigned to third party foreclosers. If the city or a third party forecloses before you close, you lose the property and forfeit your deposit. Unpaid city taxes, water and sewer rents, later school and town/county taxes, village taxes, utilities, and code violations or demolition orders all survive the county sale. Separately, the United States may redeem within 120 days where a federal lien predates the sale, everything sells strictly as is with tenants' rights intact and eviction on the buyer, and the county expressly does not guarantee that all required notices were given: run your own title search before closing. Verify the live terms before you go.

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