Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

Tax Deed63,679 residents

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

Sale typestate default

Tax Deed

Redemption periodstate default

None in most counties for upset/judicial sales; limited redemption (90 days) survives in specific home-rule counties (e.g., Philadelphia, in narrow cases)

Investor returnstate default

N/A — outright deed transfer in the large majority of counties

Governing statutestate default

Pennsylvania Real Estate Tax Sale Law, 72 P.S. §5860.101 et seq.

Notes

Pennsylvania tax-deed county under RETSL. Armstrong County Tax Claim Bureau (Kittanning) runs Upset, Judicial, and Repository sales. Upset Sale scheduled September 24, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., Armstrong County Court House, 500 Market St., Court Room 3, Kittanning. ALL SALES ARE BUYER BEWARE. Prospective bidders must pre-register in person at the Tax Claim office not less than 10 days prior ($15 registration fee; no exceptions). Winning amount must be paid by 3:00 p.m. day of sale by cash or certified check to Armstrong County Tax Claim Bureau. Upset buyers typically take subject to mortgages/liens; Judicial is the free-and-clear track when notice is proper. Kittanning / Ford City / Allegheny River market.

Auction logistics

Format

In-person (Tax Claim Bureau Upset / Judicial / Repository)

Frequency

Annual Upset (2026: September 24, 10:00 a.m.); Judicial and Repository on published dates

Platform

Armstrong County Tax Claim Bureau — Upset Sale ↗

Deposit rules

In-person pre-registration required ≥10 days before sale; $15 fee; no day-of exceptions. Winning bid paid by 3:00 p.m. sale day by cash or certified check payable to Armstrong County Tax Claim Bureau. Review Conditions of Upset Sale PDF before attending. Sold AS IS.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

Upset Sale: buyer generally takes subject to mortgages and many private liens. Judicial Sale: most private liens can be cut off if parties are properly noticed. Federal tax liens and some municipal claims can survive. Full title search mandatory.

Quiet title

Often required for title insurance after Upset; Judicial deed is stronger but insurers may still want quiet title.

Deal maths for Pennsylvania

Assessment ratio: 0.4065× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,500–$5,000 · 4 mo
Recording and transfer: $250

Pennsylvania has no statewide assessment ratio. Counties assess against their own base years, some decades old, and the State Tax Equalization Board publishes a Common Level Ratio per county each year. Always use the county ratio.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Armstrong County Tax Claim Bureau ↗

Clerk of court

Armstrong County Prothonotary / Recorder of Deeds ↗

Property appraiser

Armstrong County Assessment ↗

GIS / parcel map

Armstrong County GIS / assessment parcel resources ↗

Areas trending up

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

Kittanning / downtown–courthouse core

County-seat employment with selective SF rehab demand

Ford City–Manorville river corridor

Entry-priced SF along Allegheny River; underwrite flood risk

Freeport–South Buffalo / south county fringe

Pittsburgh metro north-spillover commute demand