Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Tax Deed879,190 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 Real Estate Tax Sale Law (RETSL). Montgomery Tax Claim Bureau: Upset Sale first (buyer takes subject to many liens) then Judicial Sale of unsolds (free and clear of properly notified liens). 2026 Judicial Sale Aug 20 in Courtroom B 10 a.m.; Upset Sale Sept 24 Courtroom A 10 a.m. Some prior judicial sales used GovDeals online — confirm format per notice. No post-sale redemption; strict notice compliance can void sales.

Auction logistics

Format

In-person (courthouse; some cycles online via third-party)

Frequency

Upset ~September (and sometimes December); Judicial ~August/December annually

Platform

Montgomery County Tax Claim Bureau — Upset & Judicial Sales ↗

Deposit rules

Pre-register per Bureau rules when required; payment typically certified funds same day. Upset opening bid covers delinquent taxes/costs; Judicial openings set by Bureau to cover collection costs. Read posted sale list and terms.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

Upset Sale: purchaser assumes responsibility for surviving mortgages/judgments not included in upset price. Judicial Sale: free and clear of liens if parties properly notified. Federal tax liens need separate analysis.

Quiet title

Often used after Upset purchases; Judicial free-and-clear still benefits from underwriting and sometimes quiet title for resale.

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

Montgomery County Tax Claim Bureau ↗

Clerk of court

Montgomery County Prothonotary / Recorder of Deeds ↗

Property appraiser

Montgomery County Board of Assessment Appeals / property search ↗

GIS / parcel map

Montgomery County GIS / property maps ↗

Areas trending up

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

King of Prussia / Upper Merion

Employment and retail hub with strong multifamily and owner demand

Conshohocken / Plymouth Meeting edge

Office and transit-adjacent demand supporting price resilience

Lansdale / North Penn corridor

Relative value and family-buyer liquidity in central Montco