Cumberland County, Pennsylvania — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (RETSL redemption rules, surplus rights, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → pennsylvania. This page covers how Cumberland County actually runs it: the Bid4Assets online auction platform, specific dates, registration/deposit requirements, surplus claim procedure, and all offices/portals. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

C0. Identity

• County seat: Carlisle, PA 17013
• Population (2020 census): 259,469
• FIPS: 42041
• Recording unit: county (Recorder of Deeds)
• Parent legal framework: pennsylvania — Cumberland is a third-class county governed by RETSL (Act 542, 72 P.S. §§ 5860.101–5860.803); the Tax Claim Bureau (not the sheriff) conducts upset, judicial, and repository sales. No post-sale right of redemption. — pennsylvania

C1. Local Tax Sale

Conducts own sale? Yes — the Cumberland County Tax Claim Bureau runs all three sale types.

Platform: Bid4Assets online auction at https://www.bid4assets.com/cumberlandpa (upset and judicial sales both online). Repository sales are submitted in writing to the bureau. — Source: Upset Sale Conditions document (directly retrieved, see C7); https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/2735/Upset-Real-Estate-Tax-Sale

Sale Calendar

Sources: Upset Sale Conditions (directly retrieved PDF, cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/41617); Judicial Sale Conditions (directly retrieved PDF, cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/41618); Sheriff Schedule of Sales page (cumberlandcountypa.gov/994/Schedule-of-Sales); Repository page (cumberlandcountypa.gov/2282/County-Repository-Sales).

Registration & Deposit (Upset and Judicial Sales — both online via Bid4Assets)

Registration opens August 3 and closes September 7 (4:30 PM EST) for the September sale — two-step process:

1. Register with Bid4Assets at https://www.bid4assets.com/registration/signup/step1 (or call 1-877-427-7387 for proxy bidding). Non-refundable registration fee: $35.00.
2. Submit Bidder Affidavit to the Cumberland County Tax Claim Bureau (in person or by mail) by the same deadline, with a copy of photo ID. Business entities must also provide proof of incorporation and a letter of proxy. Forms available at cumberlandcountypa.gov/3282 and bid4assets.com/cumberlandpa.

Deposit: $500 (must reach Bid4Assets no later than September 14, 2026 — approximately one week before the September sale). Refunded if no property won; refunds processed within ~30 days of settlement.

Buyers Premium: 5% of the winning bid (charged by Bid4Assets; minimum $100).

Administrative / recording fees: recording fee $105.75 per parcel (real estate); mobile/manufactured homes$17.00 and no transfer tax. Transfer tax calculated per PA Realty Transfer Tax statute.

Payment deadline: full payment to Bid4Assets by the Tuesday following the sale close (~6 days after auction closes). Failure to pay forfeits $500 deposit and bars participation in future Cumberland County sales.

Source: Upset Sale Conditions (directly extracted text, cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/41617); Judicial Sale Conditions (directly extracted text, cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/41618).

Bidder Eligibility Requirements (RETSL § 501-A + local conditions)

• Must be at least 18 years old; not a Cumberland County Tax Administration employee or their agent.
• Must not be delinquent in paying real estate taxes to this or any Tax Claim Bureau in Pennsylvania, or any other taxing district statewide.
• Must not have municipal utility bills more than one year outstanding.
• No assignment of ownership processed — deeds issued in the registered name only.

Delinquent List

• Online delinquent tax database at https://cumberlandcountypa.gov/2279/Delinquent-Real-Estate-Tax-Database (searchable; updated Mondays for balances, monthly for ownership).
• GIS tax sales map at https://gis.ccpa.net/taxsales/ — interactive map showing locations of delinquent/sale properties.
• Property listings posted to Bid4Assets (approximately mid-July for the September sale). — Source: cumberlandcountypa.gov/2277/Tax-Claim-Bureau

Delinquent interest rate: per the Tax Claim Bureau FAQ, delinquent taxes accrue ¾ of 1% per month (9% per year) plus a $15 filing fee per delinquent bill, plus mailing/posting costs. — Source: cumberlandcountypa.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=443.

Upset-Sale Lien Trap

The upset-sale deed is subject to all recorded liens/mortgages not included in the upset price (RETSL § 609); only a judicial sale delivers free-and-clear title. The 2026 conditions document states this expressly: “All properties listed may include other outstanding liens, mortgages and encumbrances that will not be divested by the Upset Sale.” — undivested-liens-upset-sale

Repository Sales

Properties unsold at the judicial sale go to the repository. Bids submitted in writing with a certified check/money order; presented to all taxing districts for approval. Bid Sheet and Bidder Affidavit available at cumberlandcountypa.gov/3282. Address: Tax Claim Bureau, 1 Courthouse Square, Room 107, Carlisle, PA 17013. — Source: cumberlandcountypa.gov/2282/County-Repository-Sales.

C2. Local Redemption → framework: right-of-redemption

No post-sale right of redemption under RETSL. The 2026 upset-sale conditions document states verbatim: “There shall be no redemption of any property after the actual sale thereof.” — Condition 15 (directly extracted), citing RETSL §§ 501(c) & 609.

Pre-sale cure: The owner, any lien creditor, or other interested party may stop the sale by paying all delinquent taxes, costs, and interest before the property is struck down. The bureau may (at its option) allow a payment agreement under RETSL § 603; the 2026 conditions note the bureau requires all 2023-and-prior taxes paid in full before the upset-sale strike-down, and all 2022-and-prior for the judicial sale — meaning installment arrangements (§ 603) are possible only at the bureau’s discretion and must be in place before sale day.

Redemption office / payment:

• Walk-in: 2 Courthouse Square, Room 104, Carlisle, PA 17013
• Mailing: 1 Courthouse Square, Room 107, Carlisle, PA 17013
• Online portal: https://gss.ccpa.net (credit/debit, e-check)
• Phone payment: 1-866-549-1010 (bureau code 3903053); do not make electronic payments within 2 days of a tax sale.
• Fees: credit/debit card 2.5% (min $2.00); e-check$1.00; phone-operator surcharge $3.95 additional.
• Contact: 717.240.6367 | taxclaim@cumberlandcountypa.gov

Sources: cumberlandcountypa.gov/1297/Payment-Instructions-Delinquent-Real-Est (directly fetched); FAQ at cumberlandcountypa.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=443.

C3. Local Surplus / Excess Proceeds → framework: surplus-funds

Governing procedure: “Tax Sale Overages and Claim Procedure” — directly retrieved official PDF (cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/42153, 6-page Cumberland County document created September 2025).

Claim Filing Venue

Claim Process (directly extracted from official PDF)

1. Prior owner fills out the claim form provided in the Petition for Distribution packet, has it notarized, and mails it with photo ID to the bureau (Room 107).
2. Bureau solicitor reviews the claim. If approved, a check is mailed to the prior owner at the address on the form.
3. Estate claims: executor fills out the same form (notarized) + photo ID + short certificate; check is mailed in the name of the estate.
4. Distribution hearing notification is given approximately 90 days after sale.
5. Deadline to claim: 3 years from the sale date (matching RETSL § 205(f)). The surplus list in the PDF confirms “DEADLINE TO CLAIM” columns running exactly 3 years from each sale date (e.g., sales of 9/15/2023 → deadline 9/15/2026; sales of 9/19/2025 → deadline 9/19/2028).

Unclaimed Funds List

Published: Yes — the Tax Claim Bureau publishes a running list of unclaimed surplus with: prior owner name, parcel number, situs address, docket number, holding amount, remarks (distribution status), and claim deadline. Updated periodically (last update noted “2-2026” in the directly-retrieved PDF). — URL: https://cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/42153/Sale-Surplus-and-Claim-Procedure

Finder / Third-Party Recovery Rules (directly extracted from official PDF)

The bureau will release the claim form to a third-party “finder” only upon:

1. Proof of registry as a finder with the PA Treasury (unclaimed-property finder registration), AND
2. A signed agreement/authorization between the prior owner and the finder.

“The Cumberland County Tax Claim Bureau is not a participant in the agreement between a third party ‘finder’ and the previous owner.” — verbatim from the directly-retrieved PDF.

Fee cap: needs_verification — no RETSL fee cap located; PA finder rules sit in the PA Treasury unclaimed-property finder program, terms not separately retrieved.

Surplus distribution workflow: the Tax Claim Bureau petitions the Court of Common Pleas for confirmation of the distribution schedule (RETSL § 205(e)); parties listed in the proposed distribution (including the prior owner) are served by first-class mail; absent objection the court confirms absolutely. Court filings accessible via the Prothonotary’s OnBase system (cumberlandcountypa.gov → Public Records → Civil Records and Documents). — Source: surplus PDF.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Cumberland County runs both upset and judicial sales online via Bid4Assets (https://www.bid4assets.com/cumberlandpa), tentatively September 18, 2026. A dual registration step is required: register on Bid4Assets and file a notarized Bidder Affidavit with the Tax Claim Bureau before the September 7 deadline. The $500 deposit must arrive at Bid4Assets by September 14; a 5$100) applies on top. The upset-sale deed is subject to undivested liens (RETSL § 609) — only the judicial sale delivers free-and-clear title. Full payment is due the Tuesday following the sale close; non-payment forfeits the deposit and bars future participation in Cumberland County sales.

▸ For Former Owners — Cumberland County publishes a running list of tax-sale surplus with claim deadlines at https://cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/42153/Sale-Surplus-and-Claim-Procedure (updated February 2026). The claim window is 3 years from the sale date (RETSL § 205(f)). Submit a notarized claim form with photo ID to the Tax Claim Bureau, One Courthouse Square, Room 107, Carlisle, PA 17013 (taxclaim@cumberlandcountypa.gov; 717.240.6367). Estate claims require a short certificate; a distribution hearing is noticed approximately 90 days after the sale.

C4. Offices & Contacts

General county main line: 717.240.6100 | Toll Free: 1.888.697.0371

C5. Local Procedure Notes

• Dual-step registration is required: bidders must register with Bid4Assets AND file a Bidder Affidavit with the bureau before the deadline. Affidavit submission is denied if Bid4Assets registration is not completed first.
• Both upset and judicial sales run online on Bid4Assets; the county transitioned to online auctions from in-person (per Central Penn Business Journal article, cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/41617).
• Deed delivery takes ~4 months after the sale. Longer if any legal challenge is filed.
• No assignments of ownership: deeds are issued only in the name registered with the bureau; post-issuance changes require a Recorder of Deeds instrument.
• Delinquent tax balances update Mondays; ownership updates at month start — the county warns that the online database “may be slightly dated.” Verify by calling the bureau directly or requesting a $5 tax certification.
• Tax certification fee: $5 per parcel (by mail or at paylocalgov.com/cumberlandpa-tax).
• Installment stay: bureau may (at its option) stay the sale if the owner enters into a written § 603 installment agreement before the sale date — but the 2026 conditions document signals the bureau’s current policy is to require all delinquent taxes paid in full before the strike-down. This is consistent with RETSL § 603 (discretionary).
• Sheriff sales (mortgage foreclosure) are held approximately quarterly (April, July, October, January) at 10:00 a.m. at 1 Courthouse Square; filings go to the Prothonotary, not the sheriff. Plaintiff must provide a $2,500 deposit payable to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. — Source: cumberlandcountypa.gov/2230/Sheriffs-Real-Estate-Sales.

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

sources:

• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/41617/Upset-Sale-Conditions, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Upset Tax Sale Conditions (2026 edition); full text directly extracted via pdftotext. Confirms Bid4Assets platform, $500 deposit +$35 fee, 5% buyers premium, $105.75 recording fee, September 18 2026 tentative date, registration/bidder requirements, no-redemption clause, RETSL § 501(c) & 609 citation, bureau director Melissa F. Mixell, solicitor Keith O. Brenneman.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/41618/Judicial-Sale-Conditions, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Judicial Tax Sale Conditions (2026 edition); full text directly extracted. Same platform/deposit/fee structure; free-and-clear sale; settlement deadline September 22, 2026; all 2022-and-prior taxes required paid.
• {type: official, url: https://cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/42153/Sale-Surplus-and-Claim-Procedure, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — “Tax Sale Overages and Claim Procedure” (Cumberland County, created September 2025); full text directly extracted via pdftotext. Confirms notarized claim form + photo ID; estate requires short certificate; PA Treasury finder registration; ~90-day distribution hearing notice; 3-year claim deadlines; unclaimed list current through 2-2026.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/2277/Tax-Claim-Bureau, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Tax Claim Bureau main page; confirmed manager Melissa F. Mixell, email taxclaim@cumberlandcountypa.gov, phone 717.240.6367, physical address Room 104.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/2735/Upset-Real-Estate-Tax-Sale, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Upset sale page; references Bid4Assets platform, downloadable conditions and bidder registration forms, GIS map.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/2739/Judicial-Real-Estate-Tax-Sale, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Judicial sale page; references Bid4Assets, conditions, bidder forms, GIS.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/2282/County-Repository-Sales, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Repository sale page; written bids + certified check; all taxing districts must consent; mailing address Room 107; updated list (March 2026).
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/1297/Payment-Instructions-Delinquent-Real-Est, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Delinquent tax payment instructions; online portal gss.ccpa.net; phone 1-866-549-1010 bureau code 3903053; credit/debit 2.5% fee, e-check $1.00; no payment within 2 days of sale.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=443, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Tax Claim online payment FAQ; confirmed ¾% per month (9%/year) delinquent interest; $15 filing fee; accepted payment methods.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/123/Recorder-of-Deeds, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Recorder of Deeds; Susan G. Turner; phone 717.240.6370; email recorder@cumberlandcountypa.gov; hours Mon–Fri 8–4; Landex portal.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/2230/Sheriffs-Real-Estate-Sales, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Sheriff real estate sales; $2,500 filing deposit; real estate coordinator Claudia Brewbaker 717.240.6391; Room 303.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/994/Schedule-of-Sales, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Sheriff sale schedule; quarterly sales April 1, July 8, October 7 2026 + January 6 2027 at 10:00 AM; location 1 Courthouse Square.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/contactus, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — County directory; confirmed phone numbers for Tax Claims (6367), Treasurer (6380), Recorder (6370), Sheriff (6390); all at 1 Courthouse Square, Carlisle, PA 17013.
• {type: official, url: https://www.cumberlandcountypa.gov/2675/Public-Records-Documents, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Public records page; confirmed Landex deed search, DataScout, delinquent tax database links, Tax Claims Bureau link /2277.
• {type: secondary, url: https://www.bid4assets.com/storefront/CumberlandPATaxSaleSep25, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Bid4Assets September 2025 upset sale storefront; corroborates $500 deposit +$35 fee, 5% buyers premium, registration deadlines (September 8, 2025); 362 properties listed, minimum bids $190–$210,980. (Direct fetch returned 403; details confirmed via search result snippet.)

needs_verification:

• Treasurer’s office name — directory page did not return the individual’s name; fetched page returned 404.
• Prothonotary’s name — confirmed phone 717.240.6195 and email prothonotary@ccpa.net but name not on retrieved pages.
• Surplus claim form name — the official PDF describes the form as “claim form provided in the Petition for Distribution packet” but does not give it a standalone form number; the county’s online listing does not provide a standalone downloadable form (the form is mailed with the petition packet).
• PA Treasury finder-fee cap / contract-disclosure rules — the bureau’s surplus PDF confirms PA Treasury finder registration is required but does not state the fee cap; the PA Treasury Disposition of Abandoned and Unclaimed Property Act finder rules were not retrieved. — see pennsylvania Module 3.
• Exact upset-sale listing publication date (“mid-July” per bureau page — confirm for any given year).
• Whether Cumberland County ran a judicial sale in 2024 or 2025 — search results show a 2023 judicial sale on Bid4Assets (CumberlandPATaxSaleSep23J) but no 2024 or 2025 judicial sale storefront was found. It is unclear if the judicial sale is held every year or only when unsold upset parcels accumulate.

cross_links: pennsylvania, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, third-party-recovery-rules, due-process-notice, undivested-liens-upset-sale, surplus-3-year-forfeiture, tyler-v-hennepin-county, tracy-v-county-of-chester

changelog:

• 2026-06-02 — Initial population. Upset Sale Conditions (2026) and Judicial Sale Conditions (2026) fully extracted from directly-retrieved official PDFs; Tax Sale Overages and Claim Procedure (September 2025) fully extracted. All operational data (deposit, registration, fees, bidder requirements, surplus deadlines, finder rules) sourced from directly-retrieved county documents.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Cumberland County runs both upset and judicial sales online via Bid4Assets (https://www.bid4assets.com/cumberlandpa), tentatively September 18, 2026. A dual registration step is required: register on Bid4Assets and file a notarized Bidder Affidavit with the Tax Claim Bureau before the September 7 deadline. The $500 deposit must arrive at Bid4Assets by September 14; a 5$100) applies on top. The upset-sale deed is subject to undivested liens (RETSL § 609) — only the judicial sale delivers free-and-clear title. Full payment is due the Tuesday following the sale close; non-payment forfeits the deposit and bars future participation in Cumberland County sales.

▸ For Former Owners — Cumberland County publishes a running list of tax-sale surplus with claim deadlines at https://cumberlandcountypa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/42153/Sale-Surplus-and-Claim-Procedure (updated February 2026). The claim window is 3 years from the sale date (RETSL § 205(f)). Submit a notarized claim form with photo ID to the Tax Claim Bureau, One Courthouse Square, Room 107, Carlisle, PA 17013 (taxclaim@cumberlandcountypa.gov; 717.240.6367). Estate claims require a short certificate; a distribution hearing is noticed approximately 90 days after the sale.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Cumberland County, Pennsylvania tax sale and surplus-recovery procedure from official county sources as of the last_verified date. Cumberland County operates under RETSL (Act 542, 72 P.S. §§ 5860.101–5860.803) — verify current sale dates, deposit requirements, and claim deadlines directly with the Tax Claim Bureau before acting. Last verified: 2026-06-02.