Monroe County, New York

Hybrid752,202 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 — not a lien certificate sale. Monroe County Treasury runs multi-year notice process culminating in a foreclosure judgment and public auction (historically September; e.g. airport location for county sales). City of Rochester holds a separate annual In Rem Tax Foreclosure auction (typically November) for city delinquencies. Two channels: County vs. City of Rochester.

Auction logistics

Format

In-person (county and city channels; online may be used for some city cycles — confirm)

Frequency

County: typically September after ~2 years delinquency notices; City of Rochester: typically November (next details Fall 2026)

Platform

Monroe County Treasury / City of Rochester Division of Real Estate — Tax Foreclosure Auctions ↗

Deposit rules

City of Rochester: $5,000 deposit per winning property at auction; balance due following week; proof of funds required at registration. County auction deposit/payment rules are set in the annual Notice of Sale — register day-of at published location (e.g. Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport International Arrivals Hall for recent cycles). Confirm current notice.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

In rem foreclosure judgment is intended to clear most prior tax liens; federal liens and some interests can survive. Environmental/demo and occupancy create practical risk — research thoroughly.

Quiet title

Judgment of foreclosure is the primary clearing step; some insurers still require further review or quiet title on tax-foreclosed inventory.

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

Monroe County Treasury — Property Tax / Foreclosure ↗

Clerk of court

Monroe County Clerk (records) ↗

Property appraiser

Monroe County Real Property Tax Service / municipal assessors ↗

GIS / parcel map

Monroe County Real Property Portal / GIS ↗

Areas trending up

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

Downtown Rochester / Cascade District

Urban redevelopment and institutional employment supporting multifamily demand

Brighton / Pittsford edge

Strong suburban school demand and tighter inventory versus city core volatility

Henrietta / marketplace employment corridor

Retail/logistics job access with relative affordability for workforce housing