Erie County, New York

Hybrid950,602 residents

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

Sale typestate default

Hybrid

Redemption periodstate default

Typically 2 years, varies widely by county/municipality charter

Investor returnstate default

Varies — many counties use in-rem deed foreclosure rather than lien certificates; some (e.g., select NYC-area jurisdictions) sell liens

Governing statutestate default

New York Real Property Tax Law Art. 11

Notes

New York In Rem tax foreclosure county. Erie County Real Property Tax Services forecloses 2+ year delinquent county taxes via numbered In Rem actions (e.g., In Rem 173 sale scheduled August 26, 2026 including carryover from In Rem 172; In Rem 174 commenced May 5, 2026). After judgment of foreclosure and sale, parcels are offered at public auction. Online pre-registration available on the county form. City of Buffalo runs a separate In Rem program for city charges — do not mix city and county lists. Terms of Sale for each auction are posted with the Notice of Sale PDFs (deposit % confirmed per cycle; prior Erie County tax auctions have used substantial day-of deposits — read current Terms when published).

Auction logistics

Format

In-person public auction (confirm current cycle; pre-registration online)

Frequency

Periodic numbered In Rem sales (multiple per year as judgments issue; e.g. Aug 26, 2026 for In Rem 173)

Platform

Erie County Real Property Tax Services — Auction & Foreclosure ↗

Deposit rules

Online pre-registration required via county form before sale. Exact deposit/balance schedule published in each In Rem Terms of Sale / Notice of Sale PDF — verify before bidding. Historical Erie tax auctions have required significant deposits (e.g. percentage of bid + minimum) in certified funds.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

In Rem judgment extinguishes most prior private liens as to the tax lien years foreclosed, but federal liens and some interests can survive. Post-Tyler excess-proceeds/surplus claims processes apply in New York — confirm current county surplus procedures.

Quiet title

Often used after In Rem auction deed to clear residual claims for title insurance, especially on vacant or multi-claim parcels.

Deal maths for New York

Assessment ratio: 1× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer: $300

New York has no statewide level of assessment. Each of 1,200+ assessing units sets its own, and ORPTS publishes an equalization rate and residential assessment ratio per unit each year. 1.0 is used here as a deliberate floor — see the derived-ARV note — not as a claim that New York assesses at full value.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Erie County Real Property Tax Services ↗

Clerk of court

Erie County Clerk (records In Rem lists, judgments, deeds) ↗

Property appraiser

Erie County Real Property / parcel search ↗

GIS / parcel map

Erie County GIS / parcel tools via RPTS ↗

Areas trending up

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

Downtown Buffalo / Canalside / Harbor edge

Medical corridor and waterfront redevelopment supporting multifamily absorption into 2026

Elmwood Village / Allentown

Walkable urban demand with tighter inventory than soft East Side pockets

Amherst / University at Buffalo North Campus edge

Suburban job/education employment base and relatively stable owner demand