Union County, New Jersey

Tax Lien594,160 residents

County research last verified 2026-07. Office holders, platforms, and deposit rules change — re-confirm anything time-sensitive.

Sale typestate default

Tax Lien

Redemption periodstate default

2 years from sale (statutory minimum before foreclosure)

Investor returnstate default

Up to 18% per annum, bid down at auction; additional 2–6% penalty on larger liens

Governing statutestate default

New Jersey Statutes Title 54, Ch. 5

Notes

New Jersey municipal tax-lien system: Union County's municipalities (Elizabeth, Union Twp, Plainfield, etc.) each conduct annual tax sales under N.J.S.A. 54:5. Investors purchase certificates, not deeds; foreclosure is judicial and typically available after 2 years for third-party holders. Online platforms (RealAuction/newjerseytaxsale.com) are common. Confirm each town's tax collector notice for 2026 dates.

Auction logistics

Format

Online (most municipalities) / varies by town

Frequency

Annual per municipality (dates vary — watch each collector's notice)

Platform

Municipal tax sales (often RealAuction / newjerseytaxsale.com) ↗

Deposit rules

Per municipal sale notice and auction vendor: register, fund any required deposit, bid interest/premium per NJ rules, pay certificates by deadline. Redemption only via municipal collector; cancel recorded certificate with Union County Clerk.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

Tax certificate is a priority lien, not ownership. Junior liens and federal tax liens require full analysis; no possession rights pre-foreclosure.

Quiet title

Marketable title requires completed tax foreclosure action; additional quiet title may be used for residual clouds.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Municipal tax collectors (Union County municipalities) ↗

Clerk of court

Union County Clerk (records certificates) ↗

Property appraiser

Union County Board of Taxation / municipal assessors ↗

GIS / parcel map

Union County GIS ↗

Areas trending up

Directional read from dated market analysis — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for your own comps.

Elizabeth / port-adjacent

Logistics and industrial employment supporting workforce housing demand

Union Township / Route 22 corridor

Central county access with multifamily and SF liquidity toward Newark/NYC jobs

Summit / Westfield edge

High-income suburban demand and transit access supporting resilient pricing