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1. When and where do Sheriff Real Estate Sales take place?

Sales are held on the third Thursday of the month, January through November. There is no sale in December. All sales begin at 11:00 a.m. in Room 3300 on the third floor of the Chester County Justice Center, located at 201 W. Market Street, West Chester, PA.

2. How can I obtain a list of the properties to be sold?

Listings are posted, and printed listing books are available, in the Sheriff’s Office in Suite 1201 of the Chester County Justice Center, located at 201 W. Market Street, West Chester, PA.
Listings are advertised in the three weeks leading up to every sale in the Chester County Law Reporter, the Daily Local newspaper, and the Chester County Press newspaper.
Listings are posted and updated on our website under “Sheriff Real Estate Sales Information”.

3. Can I inspect a listed property prior to the Sheriff Real Estate Sale?

No. Sheriff Sale properties are not available for inspection prior to sale.

4. Do I need an attorney in order to purchase a property at a Sheriff Real Estate Sale?

No. Attorney representation is not required to purchase a property. However, you may wish to consult an attorney with expertise in this field as there are numerous legal issues that accompany the purchase of real estate at the Sheriff Sale.

5. How do I purchase a property at a Sheriff Real Estate Sale?

In order to bid on a Sheriff Sale property, you must be present at the sale on the date and time advertised. The sale is a public auction with open bidding. No registration is required. Sealed bids are not permitted. Bids by telephone or e-mail are not permitted.

6. How will I know how much to bid on a property?

The minimum bid price, also called the upset price, is set by the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney. These upset prices can be obtained by contacting the plaintiff’s attorney of record on the day before the sale. Contact information for plaintiff’s attorneys is in our website database under “Sheriff Real Estate Sales Information”. The Sheriff’s Office does not set or publish the upset prices.

7. How do I pay for a property purchased at a Sheriff Real Estate Sale?

At the time of the sale, you must pay a deposit of 10% of the winning bid/purchase price. This is called “hand money” and must be paid immediately by cash or certified check made payable to “Chester County Sheriff’s Office”. We cannot accept personal checks, business checks, or credit cards. Winning bidders cannot leave the sale to obtain the hand money.
The balance of the winning bid/purchase price is due 21 days after the sale in the Sheriff’s Office. Balance payments must be made by cash or certified check made payable to “Chester County Sheriff’s Office”.

Please Note: You will forfeit the 10% hand money deposit if you do not pay the balance of the purchase price by the 21-day deadline.

8. Do Sheriff Real Estate Sales differ from Tax Sales or Judicial Sales?

Yes. There are significant differences between Sheriff Sales and Tax Sales or Judicial Sales.
For information regarding Tax Sales or Judicial Sales, contact the Chester County Tax Claim Bureau at (610) 344-6360.

9. Can I get legal advice from anyone in the Sheriff’s Office?

No. No Sheriff’s Office employee is permitted to give legal advice; we can assist with factual and procedural questions. You may wish to consult an attorney for any issues related to Sheriff’s Sales or other matters involving the Sheriff’s Office, and you can reach out to the Chester County Bar Association for a referral at www.chescobar.org. If you have financial constraints, you can contact Legal Aid of Southeastern PA at www.lasp.org. You may also choose to conduct your own legal research by visiting the public Law Library located in the Justice Center at 201 W. Market Street, West Chester, PA.