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Hampden County, MA

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Hampden County, Massachusetts — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (redemption periods, surplus rights, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → massachusetts. This page covers how local operations actually run in Hampden County. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

Critical jurisdictional note — there is no “Hampden County” tax office. Hampden County’s county government was effectively abolished. Under St. 1997, c. 48, Massachusetts dissolved most county governments; Hampden County survived longer than most but retains only an elected Sheriff and the Registry of Deeds (a state office under the Secretary of the Commonwealth). There is no county treasurer, no county tax collector, and no county clerk of court for tax purposes. Every operational fact on this page resolves to one of four layers: (1) the city/town treasurer-collector that owns the tax title and takes property; (2) the Massachusetts Land Court (statewide, Boston) that adjudicates every c. 60 tax foreclosure; (3) the Hampden County Registry of Deeds where instruments are recorded; (4) the Hampden County Superior Court (Springfield) for retroactive § 64A excess-equity complaints. Surplus/excess-equity claims are filed against the municipality, not any county office. — see massachusetts §§ 0–3. (Wikipedia — Hampden County, MA, county government history)

Springfield-specific note: Springfield is the county seat and the largest municipality (population ~156,000). Several operational details below are Springfield-specific, as verified from official city pages. Springfield is also the home of Mills v. City of Springfield (Docket 23 79CV 00545, Hampden Sup. Ct. 2024), the first Massachusetts court decision declaring G.L. c. 60 unconstitutional as applied in an equity-theft situation — the case that helped catalyze St. 2024, c. 140 (§ 64A post-Tyler reform). — see massachusetts §3, mills-v-city-of-springfield.

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Springfield (traditional; no functioning county executive). (Wikipedia — Hampden County, MA)
  • Population: 465,825 (2020 Census, county total); Springfield city population 155,929. 23 cities and towns in the county. (Census QuickFacts — Hampden County, MA)
  • FIPS: 25013
  • Recording unit: county — one Registry of Deeds district for all 23 Hampden County municipalities, operated by the Secretary of the Commonwealth under Register Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, Esq. (Deeds.com — Hampden County recorder info)
  • Parent legal framework: massachusetts — municipal tax taking under G.L. c. 60 § 53 → judicial foreclosure in the Land Court → post-Tyler § 64A excess-equity return (St. 2024, c. 140 effective Nov. 1, 2024).

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? No county sale exists. Tax “sale” in Massachusetts is a municipal tax taking (G.L. c. 60 § 53) performed by each city/town treasurer-collector; no county office is involved. The county does not conduct competitive lien-certificate auctions. — see massachusetts §1.
  • Platform / venue — tax taking: None (administrative, not an auction). The collector records an instrument of taking at the Hampden Registry, creating a municipal tax title; foreclosure is then judicial in the Land Court. No RealAuction / GovEase / Bid4Assets platform applies to the tax foreclosure itself. (Springfield tax-title page)
  • Platform / venue — post-foreclosure city-owned property auction: After a municipality acquires absolute title via Land Court judgment (§ 64), it may sell the property at public auction. Springfield (the county seat) conducts annual in-person tax-foreclosure auctions at City Hall, 36 Court Street, handled by Sullivan & Sullivan Auctioneers. The most recent verified auction was February 3, 2026 (20 vacant lots; registration at 4:30 p.m.; 6:00 p.m. start). Auction details are published on the Springfield finance page and at Sullivan & Sullivan’s website. Bid4Assets has also listed Springfield tax deed sales (Auction #1112076, 21 deeds). Other Hampden County municipalities handle post-foreclosure disposition on their own schedules. — needs_verification for other municipalities’ auction platforms. (Springfield tax foreclosure auction — official city page; Sullivan & Sullivan Auctioneers; Bid4Assets — Springfield Hampden, MA tax deed sale)
  • Calendar / frequency: No fixed county calendar. Each municipality takes parcels on its own schedule after the statutory demand and 14-day notice of taking (G.L. c. 60 § 53). Land Court foreclosure petitions generally follow 6 months after the taking. Springfield’s post-foreclosure auction appears to run annually (February). — see massachusetts §5.
  • Rate within statutory range: statewide rate — 8% per annum on the tax-title account post-reform (St. 2024, c. 140, G.L. c. 60 § 62). Pre-reform or older accounts carried 16%. — see massachusetts §1. No county adjustment identified.
  • Registration / deposit (Springfield city auction):
    • Deposit: $5,000 per property, by bank check payable to City of Springfield, due at auction registration.
    • Buyer’s premium: 5% due at closing.
    • Registration: opens 4:30 p.m. day of auction.
    • needs_verification for bidder-qualification requirements beyond the deposit. (Springfield tax foreclosure auction page)
  • Delinquent / tax-title list — Springfield (verified): searchable at https://www.springfield-ma.gov/finance/taxtitle/. Allows search by owner name, parcel number, or street name. Payoff inquiries handled by Revenue Service LLC, 1-866-604-7216; payments sent to Springfield Treasurer’s Office, 36 Court Street, Springfield, MA 01103. (Springfield properties with tax liens)
  • Delinquent list — other municipalities: published per municipality (each treasurer-collector). needs_verification for Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, and other Hampden municipalities. Westfield publishes a tax-title detail report at https://www.cityofwestfield.org/699/Tax-Title. (City of Westfield — Tax Title)

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

  • Where / how to redeem locally: pay the municipal treasurer-collector that holds the tax title (the city/town where the parcel sits), not any county office, at any time before the Land Court enters judgment; after a petition is filed, redemption is on court-set terms until judgment (G.L. c. 60 §§ 62, 76). For Springfield tax-title payoffs, contact Revenue Service LLC, 1-866-604-7216 for the payoff amount, then remit payment to the Springfield Treasurer’s Office, 36 Court Street, Springfield, MA 01103. — see massachusetts §2. (Springfield tax-title page)
  • Local fees: statutory tax-title account balance + 8% (or legacy 16%) interest from the taking + lawful charges; no county fee. — G.L. c. 60 § 62.
  • Redemption contact — Springfield (verified):
  • Redemption contact — Westfield (verified): 59 Court Street, Westfield, MA 01085; phone (413) 572-6200. Payment agreements up to 2 years available while current taxes are kept current. (Westfield Tax Title page)
  • Deviations from state default: none identified at county level; all mechanics governed by state c. 60. needs_verification for individual-town local rules (e.g., Chicopee, Holyoke, Palmer).

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

  • Claim filing venue: the municipality that foreclosed (its treasurer- collector / law department), by written request under G.L. c. 60 § 64A after a final Land Court judgment. For Springfield, written requests are submitted to or through the Springfield Collector-Treasurer’s Office, City Hall Room 112, 36 Court Street, Springfield, MA 01103; the statute allows the claimant to submit at the local collector’s office directly (personal service with acknowledged receipt or certified mail, return receipt requested). The municipality has 30 days after a sale or receipt of appraisal to send a written itemized accounting by certified mail to parties known to be entitled to excess equity. — G.L. c. 60 § 64A (eff. Nov. 1, 2024). (Search result quoting § 64A requirements; findlaw.com description of § 64A)
  • Retroactive claims (Land Court judgments entered on/after May 25, 2021 but before St. 2024, c. 140): filed as a civil complaint in the Hampden County Superior Court, 50 State Street, P.O. Box 559, Springfield, MA 01102-0559; Clerk phone (413) 735-6017; hours M–F 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. — St. 2024, c. 140. needs_verification for whether the retroactive claim window has now closed (commentators disputed July 1 vs. Nov. 1, 2025 as the cutoff). (Search snippet — Hampden County Superior Court contact)
  • Claim form: no standardized statewide § 64A excess-equity form exists as of this verification. The claim must be in writing and contain: claimant’s name, telephone number, mailing address, property address or parcel number, description of interest in the property, and any other known persons with interest at the time of the final judgment. — G.L. c. 60 § 64A; see massachusetts §3.
  • Deadline for claim: 18 months from the date of notice (the municipality’s written itemized accounting). Any dispute may be brought to Superior Court within 12 months of the date of that accounting. — G.L. c. 60 § 64A. (FindLaw — c. 60 § 64A)
  • Unclaimed-funds list: No county list. Massachusetts unclaimed property is held by the State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division. Springfield also maintains a city unclaimed-checks list at https://www.springfield-ma.gov/finance/collect/unclaimed.php (last updated May 2022; covers uncashed city checks, not § 64A excess equity). Whether unclaimed § 64A excess equity escheats to the State Treasurer is unresolved — needs_verification. — see massachusetts §3. (Springfield unclaimed checks)
  • Contact for surplus — Springfield (verified):
    • Stephen Lonergan, Collector-Treasurer, (413) 736-3111, 311@springfieldcityhall.com, City Hall Room 112, 36 Court Street, Springfield, MA 01103. The Treasurer’s Office maintains custody of tax-title foreclosed properties. needs_verification for a dedicated § 64A excess-equity contact or form at Springfield. (Springfield Collector/Treasurer page)
  • Notable case — Mills v. City of Springfield: Hampden Superior Court, Docket 23 79CV 00545, Judge Michael Callan, ruling April 18, 2024. Held G.L. c. 60 unconstitutional as applied where Springfield sought to retain ~$230,000 in property value against a$22,000 tax debt. The first Massachusetts court ruling of its kind; prompted St. 2024, c. 140 / § 64A. (Trial-level; persuasive only.) — see mills-v-city-of-springfield. (Community Legal Aid — Mills case detail)

▸ For Investors / Operators — There is no county-level tax sale in Hampden County; acquisition opportunities arise from post-foreclosure municipal auctions (Springfield holds an annual in-person auction via Sullivan & Sullivan, most recently February 3, 2026, with a $5,000 bank-check deposit and 5% buyer’s premium; Bid4Assets has also listed Springfield sales). All Hampden County c. 60 tax foreclosures run through the statewide Land Court in Boston — a quiet-title action or confirmation step may be needed if the notice chain (RSA 80 does not apply; here G.L. c. 60 §§ 53–76 governs) shows any deficiency. The Hampden County Registry of Deeds (436 Dwight Street, Springfield; Register Cheryl Coakley-Rivera) is the single recording venue for all 23 municipalities.

▸ For Former Owners — Under G.L. c. 60 § 64A (effective November 1, 2024), the municipality that foreclosed must send a written itemized accounting of excess equity by certified mail within 30 days of sale or receipt of appraisal; the former owner has 18 months from that notice to claim, and 12 months to dispute in court. For Springfield properties, submit written claims to the Springfield Collector-Treasurer’s Office, City Hall Room 112, 36 Court Street, (413) 736-3111. Retroactive claims for Land Court judgments entered on or after May 25, 2021 but before the 2024 reform may be filed as civil complaints in the Hampden County Superior Court, 50 State Street, Springfield, (413) 735-6017.

C4. Offices & Contacts

No county treasurer / county tax collector / county clerk of court for tax purposes. Tax-title/redemption is municipal; foreclosure court is the statewide Land Court; recording is at the single Hampden County Registry of Deeds. The Superior Court handles retroactive § 64A claims. The Sheriff does not conduct c. 60 tax foreclosures (process service only).

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer / Tax Collector (Springfield — largest municipality; verified)Stephen Lonergan, Collector-TreasurerCity Hall Room 112, 36 Court Street, Springfield, MA 01103(413) 736-3111https://www.springfield-ma.gov/finance/collector
Treasurer / Tax Collector (Westfield — verified)Westfield Collector-Treasurer59 Court Street, Westfield, MA 01085(413) 572-6200https://www.cityofwestfield.org/699/Tax-Title
Clerk of Court — tax foreclosureMassachusetts Land Court (statewide; handles all c. 60 tax-lien foreclosures)Suffolk County Courthouse, 3 Pemberton Square, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02108(617) 788-7470https://www.mass.gov/land-court-tax-lien-foreclosure-cases-resources
Clerk of Court — retroactive § 64A civil complaintsHampden County Superior Court (Hall of Justice)50 State Street, P.O. Box 559, Springfield, MA 01102-0559(413) 735-6017; fax (413) 737-1611https://www.county-courthouse.com/ma/springfield/hampden-superior-court
Recorder / Register of DeedsHampden County Registry of Deeds — Register Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, Esq.436 Dwight Street, Room B042, Springfield, MA 01103 (also Westfield satellite: 59 Court Street, Room 104, Westfield, MA 01085)(413) 755-1722https://search.hampdendeeds.com/ALIS/WW400R.HTM?WSIQTP=SY00
Sheriff (civil process / NOT a tax-sale officer)Sheriff Nick CocchiProcess Division: 95 Liberty Street, P.O. Box 5005, Springfield, MA 01103(413) 732-5772https://hampdencountysheriff.com/

Contact sources: Springfield Collector page (Lonergan, address, phone); Springfield tax-title page (Revenue Service LLC payoff number); Westfield tax-title page; Land Court address via search snippet (Mass.gov/Boston legal sites); Hampden Superior Court via search snippet; Registry of Deeds via deeds.com and ALIS search portal; Sheriff via official website.

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • No county government (tax functions): Hampden County has no county executive, no county treasurer, and no county tax-collection function. All tax-taking and redemption is municipal; recording is at the county Registry (now a state office). The county sheriff (Nick Cocchi) and Registry survive. (Wikipedia — Hampden County, MA)
  • Springfield uses Revenue Service LLC as its tax-title servicing agent: payoff amounts and inquiries for Springfield properties in tax title route through Revenue Service LLC (1-866-604-7216), not the city’s collector directly. This is an administrative arrangement; the legal obligation to redeem remains with the City of Springfield as the tax-title holder. (Springfield tax-title page)
  • Post-foreclosure city auctions (Springfield) are separate from the tax-taking: after the Land Court enters absolute title (§ 64), Springfield Treasurer’s Office auctions city-owned parcels annually via Sullivan & Sullivan Auctioneers with a $5,000 bank-check deposit. This is a disposition of already-foreclosed city-owned property, not a competitive tax-lien sale. These auctions are announced on the Springfield finance page and at Bid4Assets for some sales. (Springfield auction page)
  • Single statewide foreclosure court: every Hampden County tax foreclosure (regardless of municipality) is filed in the Land Court in Boston — there is no local tax-foreclosure docket at any Springfield-area courthouse. The Register of Deeds for Hampden County serves as an assistant recorder of the Land Court for recording purposes (Land Court certificates, registered-land documents). (Hampden Registry — ALIS portal)
  • Westfield payment-agreement option (verified): Westfield will accept up to a 2-year repayment plan for tax-title accounts provided all current taxes remain current — a deviation (favorable to owners) from the bare statutory minimum. (Westfield Tax Title)
  • Registry offices: Springfield (main, 436 Dwight Street) and Westfield satellite (59 Court Street). Westfield records only Mon/Wed/Fri. Registry hours: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. M–F; recording until 4:00 p.m. (Deeds.com — Hampden recorder info)
  • 23 municipalities: Agawam, Blandford, Brimfield, Chester, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Granville, Hampden, Holland, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Montgomery, Palmer, Russell, Southwick, Springfield, Tolland, Wales, West Springfield, Westfield, Wilbraham. Each runs its own tax-title operation. needs_verification for delinquent-list URLs beyond Springfield and Westfield.

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

▸ For Investors / Operators — There is no county-level tax sale in Hampden County; acquisition opportunities arise from post-foreclosure municipal auctions (Springfield holds an annual in-person auction via Sullivan & Sullivan, most recently February 3, 2026, with a $5,000 bank-check deposit and 5% buyer’s premium; Bid4Assets has also listed Springfield sales). All Hampden County c. 60 tax foreclosures run through the statewide Land Court in Boston — a quiet-title action or confirmation step may be needed if the notice chain (RSA 80 does not apply; here G.L. c. 60 §§ 53–76 governs) shows any deficiency. The Hampden County Registry of Deeds (436 Dwight Street, Springfield; Register Cheryl Coakley-Rivera) is the single recording venue for all 23 municipalities.

▸ For Former Owners — Under G.L. c. 60 § 64A (effective November 1, 2024), the municipality that foreclosed must send a written itemized accounting of excess equity by certified mail within 30 days of sale or receipt of appraisal; the former owner has 18 months from that notice to claim, and 12 months to dispute in court. For Springfield properties, submit written claims to the Springfield Collector-Treasurer’s Office, City Hall Room 112, 36 Court Street, (413) 736-3111. Retroactive claims for Land Court judgments entered on or after May 25, 2021 but before the 2024 reform may be filed as civil complaints in the Hampden County Superior Court, 50 State Street, Springfield, (413) 735-6017.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes local operational procedure and inherits its legal framework from massachusetts. Verify every fact against the cited official source before acting. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

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