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Northampton County, PA

23 min read

Northampton County, Pennsylvania — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

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

Northampton County is a third-class county operating under the Real Estate Tax Sale Law (RETSL / Act 542), 72 P.S. §§ 5860.101–5860.803. The Revenue & Tax Claim Office — housed within the Department of Fiscal Affairs and located at Room 302, 669 Washington Street, Easton — administers an annual Upset Sale (title taken subject to undivested liens), a Judicial Sale (free and clear of all liens), and a Repository of Unsold Properties. There is no post-sale right of redemption in the RETSL system. See pennsylvania for the full statutory framework.

The Northampton County Sheriff conducts mortgage-foreclosure sales (judicial-only in Pennsylvania) on a monthly schedule. Sales are held in Council Chambers at the Government Center, 669 Washington Street, Easton. The county seat is Easton, located in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers.

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Easton
  • Population: ~312,951 (2020 census; FIPS 42095)
  • Recording unit type: county
  • Parent legal framework: pennsylvania (RETSL — 72 P.S. §§ 5860.101–5860.803)
  • County class: Third-class county; RETSL governs all delinquent-tax collection and sale via the Revenue & Tax Claim Office (also called “Tax Claim Bureau” in county materials). The MCTLA (Philadelphia / Allegheny only) does not apply.

Sources: pennsylvania; https://norcopa.gov/judicial-upset-sale (retrieved 2026-06-02); https://www.norcopa.gov/fiscal-affairs (retrieved 2026-06-02).

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the Northampton County Revenue & Tax Claim Office (Department of Fiscal Affairs) conducts all RETSL upset, judicial, and repository sales. Revenue Manager: Anthony Morris (610-829-6186); Deputy Revenue Manager: Heather Yoder (610-829-6199); Tax Claim Specialist: Bernadette Knecht (610-829-6188). The office’s primary contact for tax sales is Room 302, 669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042; phone: (610) 829-6200 (listed specifically for Tax Sales / Judicial Sales inquiries).

  • Platform / vendor:

    • Tax Claim Bureau sales (upset, judicial, repository): Sales are conducted in person at the Northampton County Courthouse Government Center (Courtroom #1 for upset and judicial sales). No online auction vendor platform (e.g., GovEase, Bid4Assets) has been confirmed for Tax Claim Bureau sales from directly retrieved county pages. Registration is only available at the Government Center location — not at the Human Services Building on Emrick Boulevard. Source: https://norcopa.gov/judicial-upset-sale (retrieved 2026-06-02).
    • Sheriff’s Sales (mortgage foreclosure): Conducted in person in Council Chambers (3rd floor), 669 Washington Street. No online bidding platform confirmed. Source: https://norcopa.gov/sheriff-department-sales (retrieved 2026-06-02).

  • Sale calendar:

    • Judicial Sale — 2026 confirmed date: May 27, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. in Courtroom #1, Northampton County Courthouse Government Center. Source: https://norcopa.gov/judicial-upset-sale (retrieved 2026-06-02).
    • Upset Sale — 2026 confirmed date: September 24, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. in Courtroom #1, Northampton County Courthouse Government Center. (2025 Upset Sale was held September 18, 2025; a 2025 Special Upset Sale was held November 24, 2025 in County Council Chambers, 3rd Floor.) Source: https://norcopa.gov/judicial-upset-sale (retrieved 2026-06-02).
    • Repository Sale: Ongoing; listed on the county’s repository list at https://northamptoncounty.org/FISAFF/REVENUE/Pages/Repository-List.aspx. Parcels that failed to sell at judicial sale may be offered for purchase at any time with all taxing districts’ written consent (RETSL §§ 626–627).
    • Sheriff’s Sales (mortgage foreclosure) — 2026 schedule: Monthly, typically on the Friday of the first full week of each month, at 10:00 a.m., in Council Chambers, 3rd floor, 669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042. Properties are advertised in the Northampton County Reporter (subscription: 610-258-6333) and local newspapers for three consecutive weeks prior to each sale. Full 2026 sale dates available at: https://web.northamptoncounty.org/SheriffSale/SheriffSale.html (SSL/cert issues on direct fetch 2026-06-02; access via official county link) and https://www.nccpa.org/cals/sheriff-sales (retrieved 2026-06-02 — 12 monthly dates confirmed for all of 2026).

  • Registration / deposit (Tax Claim Bureau upset and judicial sales):

    • Bidder pre-registration is mandatory under Pennsylvania House Bill 264 (2021), which amended RETSL Article V-A (72 P.S. § 5860.501-A et seq.). The county states: “There are no exceptions to these registration dates.”
    • Registration is only available in person at the Northampton County Courthouse Government Center, 669 Washington Street, Easton — not at the Human Services Building on Emrick Boulevard.
    • Registration forms are posted on the county’s judicial-upset-sale page when sale dates are confirmed with the Court of Common Pleas. Required forms include: Bid Registration Form, Bidder Affidavit Form, Notice to Sale Bidders, and Conditions of Sale.
    • needs_verification — specific pre-registration deadline dates, whether a deposit or pre-registration fee is required, and exact affidavit requirements were not specified on the directly retrieved county page as of 2026-06-02. Contact the Revenue & Tax Claim Office at (610) 829-6200 or (610) 829-6186.
    • Source: https://norcopa.gov/judicial-upset-sale (retrieved 2026-06-02).

  • Payment terms (Tax Claim Bureau sales):

    • Bidders at Tax Claim Bureau upset/judicial sales have 21 calendar days to pay the remaining balance after a successful bid. needs_verification — deposit percentage at the sale and required payment form (cash, certified check, etc.) were not confirmed on directly retrieved pages.
    • Source: https://norcopa.gov/judicial-upset-sale (search result; not directly confirmed on retrieved page as of 2026-06-02); needs_verification.

  • Payment terms (Sheriff’s Sales):

    • 10% deposit due at the time of sale in cash, money order, or check, payable to “Sheriff of Northampton County”.
    • Remaining 90% due within 21 calendar days via cash, money order, business check, or certified check. Non-payment results in forfeiture of deposit.
    • Source: https://norcopa.gov/sheriff-department-sales (retrieved 2026-06-02).

  • Bidder requirements / qualifications:

    • RETSL § 501-A (as amended by HB 264 of 2021) requires pre-registration with an affidavit certifying no delinquent real estate taxes and no unresolved code violations.
    • The Sheriff’s Office notes that “properties sold are as-is with no inspection permitted” and strongly recommends consulting an attorney before purchasing.
    • Source: https://norcopa.gov/judicial-upset-sale (retrieved 2026-06-02); https://norcopa.gov/sheriff-department-sales (retrieved 2026-06-02).

  • Delinquent list location:

    • needs_verification — a dedicated published online delinquent tax list for Northampton County (equivalent to Lancaster County’s monthly delinquent tax report) was not found on a directly retrieved county page as of 2026-06-02.
    • The Repository List (parcels exposed to judicial sale and remaining unsold) is published at: https://northamptoncounty.org/FISAFF/REVENUE/Pages/Repository-List.aspx (SSL/cert issues on direct fetch 2026-06-02; confirmed in search results as an active URL).
    • For delinquent tax inquiries, contact: Revenue Division, (610) 829-6186.

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

  • Post-sale redemption: NONE. Northampton County operates under RETSL (not MCTLA). RETSL provides no post-sale right of redemption — the deed is final once delivered. 72 P.S. § 5860.501; pennsylvania Module 2.

  • Pre-sale cure: The owner, a lien creditor, or other interested person may discharge the tax claim and remove the property from sale by paying all delinquent taxes, interest, and costs before the statutory cure deadline (RETSL § 501). Under RETSL, to be removed from the upset sale list and from advertising, payment must be made before July 1 of the year following the notice of claim.

  • Where / how to pay delinquent taxes / redeem pre-sale:

    • Northampton County Revenue & Tax Claim Office, Room 302, 669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042. Phone: (610) 829-6186.
    • Online payment portal (current taxes only): https://northamptonco.recoanywhere.io/property-tax/search (2026 tax year; processing fees: 3.5% credit card; $4 e-check under$29,999). Past-due accounts should contact the Revenue Office directly.
    • In-person: 669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042 (drop box available); also 2801 Emrick Blvd, Bethlehem, PA 18020 (closed 12 p.m.–2 p.m.; drop box available); and any Fulton Bank location in Northampton County.
    • Source: https://www.norcopa.gov/tax-payment-instructions (retrieved 2026-06-02); https://norcopa.gov/pay-my-bill (retrieved 2026-06-02).

  • Local fees / deviations from state default:

    • A $15.00 handling fee is applied when a check is dishonored (returned).
    • A 10% penalty applies to delinquent installment payments.
    • needs_verification — specific installment / payment-agreement terms (RETSL § 603 stay of sale, commonly 25% down) were not found on a directly retrieved Northampton County page.
    • Source: https://www.norcopa.gov/tax-payment-instructions (retrieved 2026-06-02).

  • Redemption contact:

    • Revenue & Tax Claim Office, (610) 829-6186 (general) / (610) 829-6200 (tax sales/judicial sales); 669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042; https://norcopa.gov/pay-my-bill.

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

Tax Claim Bureau surplus (upset / judicial sales)

  • Statutory basis: RETSL § 205(d) — after deducting the bureau’s 5% administration commission and costs, sale proceeds are distributed in priority order: (1) Commonwealth tax liens, (2) taxing districts pro rata, (3) municipal authorities, (4) mortgagees/lienholders in priority order, (5) the former owner. The bureau petitions the Court of Common Pleas for confirmation of the distribution schedule (§ 205(e)). See pennsylvania Module 3; 72 P.S. § 5860.205(d).

  • Claim filing venue:

    • Northampton County Revenue & Tax Claim Office (Room 302, 669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042) for initial inquiry and claim submission.
    • Formal distribution requires a Court of Common Pleas petition (§ 205(e)); court is at 669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042; Prothonotary/Clerk of Court: Holly Ruggiero (610-829-6457).
    • needs_verification — whether Northampton County has a standalone surplus claim form separate from the court petition process. Contact Revenue Office at (610) 829-6200.

  • 3-year claim deadline / escheat: Under RETSL § 205(f), if the owner’s balance is unclaimed for 3 years after the sale, it is redistributed to the taxing districts pro rata. The post-tyler-v-hennepin-county validity of this forfeiture is unresolved. See pennsylvania Module 3; surplus-3-year-forfeiture.

  • Unclaimed-funds list published:

    • needs_verification — no dedicated published surplus/unclaimed-funds list was found on a directly retrieved Northampton County page as of 2026-06-02. The repository list at https://northamptoncounty.org/FISAFF/REVENUE/Pages/Repository-List.aspx covers unsold properties, not surplus funds. Contact (610) 829-6200 to inquire whether a surplus list is maintained and available.

  • Contact:

Sheriff’s sale surplus (mortgage foreclosure)

  • Process: After a mortgage-foreclosure sheriff’s sale, the Sheriff files a proposed Schedule of Distribution with the Prothonotary (Pa.R.C.P. 3136); written exceptions may be filed within the notice window; distribution is made per the schedule if no exceptions are filed. Any balance after paying costs, the foreclosing lien, and junior lienholders in priority goes to the former owner.

  • Where to claim: Contact the Northampton County Sheriff’s Department, Civil Division, 669 Washington Street, Easton, PA 18042; phone: (610) 829-6501. View the sheriff sale listing at: https://web.northamptoncounty.org/SheriffSale/SheriffSale.html (SSL/cert issues on direct fetch 2026-06-02).

  • Unclaimed surplus / third-party recovery: needs_verification — no dedicated published unclaimed-sheriff’s-sale-surplus list for Northampton County was found as of 2026-06-02. Pennsylvania requires finder/locator agents to be registered with the PA Department of Treasury (PA unclaimed property / finder registry). See pennsylvania Module 3.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Northampton County runs an annual Upset Sale (September 24, 2026, Courtroom #1 — title taken subject to undivested liens) and a Judicial Sale (May 27, 2026, Courtroom #1 — title free and clear of liens), both in person at 669 Washington Street, Easton at 1:00 p.m. Bidder pre-registration is mandatory (in person at the Government Center only; no exceptions) per RETSL § 501-A. There is no post-sale right of redemption under RETSL. Unsold parcels enter the Repository. Sheriff’s sales for mortgage foreclosure run monthly (first Friday of the month, Council Chambers, 10:00 a.m.) with a 10% deposit at sale and 21-day balance. See pennsylvania for surviving-lien and title-chain guidance.

▸ For Former Owners — Surplus from a Northampton County RETSL sale is distributed in priority order (Commonwealth liens → taxing districts → former owner) by the bureau after a Court of Common Pleas § 205(e) confirmation petition; contact the Revenue & Tax Claim Office (Anthony Morris, 610-829-6186; Bernadette Knecht, 610-829-6188; Room 302, 669 Washington St., Easton) to inquire about any balance owed to you. Unclaimed owner balances are forfeited to the taxing districts after 3 years under RETSL § 205(f) — the constitutional validity of that forfeiture post-Tyler is unresolved. For mortgage-foreclosure surplus, file written exceptions to the Sheriff’s Schedule of Distribution with the Prothonotary (Holly Ruggiero, 610-829-6457).

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Revenue & Tax Claim OfficeAnthony Morris (Revenue Mgr); Heather Yoder (Deputy); Bernadette Knecht (Tax Claim Specialist)Room 302, 669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042(610) 829-6186 (Revenue); (610) 829-6200 (Tax Sales)https://norcopa.gov/fiscal-affairs
Assessment OfficeJulie Azzalina (Assessment Mgr); Julie Gooch (Deputy Mgr)669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042(610) 829-6155https://norcopa.gov/assessment
Recorder of DeedsDorothy Edelman669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042(610) 829-6210https://norcopa.gov/recorder-of-deeds
Clerk of Court / ProthonotaryHolly Ruggiero669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042(610) 829-6457https://norcopa.gov/contact-prothonotary
Court of Common PleasPresident Judge Craig A. Dally (+ 8 associate judges)669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042(610) 829-6500https://www.nccpa.org/
Sheriff(name not confirmed on directly retrieved page)669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042 (basement level)(610) 829-6501https://norcopa.gov/sheriffs-department

Sources:

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • RETSL sale chain (operational order):

    1. Real estate taxes go delinquent (unpaid after December 31); tax collector returns claim to Revenue & Tax Claim Office; claim becomes “absolute” if unpaid. Owner/lienholder may cure / discharge by paying all delinquent taxes, interest, and costs before the statutory deadline (RETSL § 501); online current-tax payments available at https://northamptonco.recoanywhere.io/property-tax/search. Taxes not paid transfer to Tax Claim Bureau as of the close of business January 31 of the following year.
    2. RETSL § 602 notice: Publication ≥30 days before sale in two newspapers
      • legal journal; certified restricted-delivery mail to each owner ≥30 days before; first-class follow-up ≥10 days before if no return receipt; posting ≥10 days. pennsylvania Module 6.
    3. Upset Sale (annually, typically September; 2026: September 24 at 1 p.m., Courtroom #1) — title taken subject to undivested liens (RETSL § 609). Bid at or above the upset price (taxes + claims + interest + costs per § 605). Bidder pre-registration required (HB 264 / RETSL § 501-A). Balance due within 21 calendar days.
    4. Still unsold → Judicial Sale (2026: May 27 at 1 p.m., Courtroom #1; judicial sales may precede or follow upset sales on the annual cycle) — title free and clear of liens (§§ 610–612). Court of Common Pleas confirmation required.
    5. Properties not sold at judicial sale → Repository (ongoing; https://northamptoncounty.org/FISAFF/REVENUE/Pages/Repository-List.aspx; minimum bid with taxing-district consent per RETSL §§ 626–627).
    6. Distribution (RETSL § 205): Bureau petitions Court of Common Pleas to confirm the § 205(e) distribution schedule; rule to show cause served on all distributees by first-class mail; owner’s balance claimed from the Revenue Office; 3-year forfeiture to taxing districts under § 205(f).

  • Sheriff’s Sale chain (mortgage foreclosure):

    1. Lender obtains mortgage-foreclosure judgment (judicial-only in PA; Pa.R.C.P. 1141–1150). pennsylvania Module 4.
    2. Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program (owner-occupied residential): Before sheriff sale, mandatory conciliation conference for owner-occupied residential properties per Administrative Order 2009-4. Forms and tracking email: crt19-cgagac@shom.nccpa.org. Source: https://www.nccpa.org/geninfo/mortgage-foreclosure-diversion-program (retrieved 2026-06-02).
    3. Sheriff advertises per Pa.R.C.P. 3129 (notice to all lienholders/owners; also published in Northampton County Reporter and local newspapers for three consecutive weeks).
    4. Monthly sheriff’s sale in Council Chambers, 3rd floor, 669 Washington Street, at 10:00 a.m. (typically first Friday of the month). 10% deposit (cash / money order / check to “Sheriff of Northampton County”) at sale; 90% balance due within 21 calendar days.
    5. Schedule of distribution filed with Prothonotary (Pa.R.C.P. 3136); surplus (after costs + foreclosing lien + junior liens) goes to former owner.

  • Notable quirks:

    • All government center, no satellite registration: Bidder pre-registration for tax claim sales is only available at 669 Washington Street (Government Center); the Human Services Building on Emrick Blvd does not handle registrations. This creates a single physical chokepoint for out-of-area investors.
    • Payment satellite for current taxes only: Emrick Blvd satellite office (2801 Emrick Blvd, Bethlehem) accepts tax payments with a lunch closure (12–2 p.m.) but does not conduct sale registrations.
    • Monthly sheriff sales: Northampton County holds sheriff’s sales monthly (12 per year), which is more frequent than the bimonthly or quarterly schedules seen in some neighboring Pennsylvania counties.
    • Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program: Mandatory pre-sale conciliation for owner-occupied residential foreclosures. This can extend the timeline before a sheriff’s sale may proceed.
    • Tax year timing: 2026 real estate tax bills mailed mid-January 2026; discount deadline March 31, 2026; base payment deadline June 1, 2026; unpaid taxes transfer to Tax Claim Bureau January 31, 2027.

  • Deviations from state default: No material deviation from RETSL framework identified. Northampton County follows the standard RETSL structure per pennsylvania.

C6. Records Access

C7. Meta

sources:

  • {type: official, url: https://norcopa.gov/judicial-upset-sale, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Northampton County judicial and upset sale page; 2026 judicial sale May 27 at 1 p.m.; 2026 upset sale September 24 at 1 p.m.; both in Courtroom #1; HB 264 registration requirement; no exceptions to registration dates; registration at Government Center only; forms: Bid Registration, Bidder Affidavit, Notice, Conditions of Sale, Sale List
  • {type: official, url: https://norcopa.gov/sheriff-department-sales, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Sheriff sales info; monthly schedule (first full week Friday); 10:00 a.m.; Council Chambers 3rd floor; 10% deposit at sale (cash/MO/check); 90% balance within 21 calendar days; no inspection; Revenue Office (610) 829-6200 as contact for tax/judicial sales
  • {type: official, url: https://norcopa.gov/sheriffs-department, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Sheriff’s Department; 669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042; (610) 829-6501; M–F 8:30–4:00; Civil Division conducts sales; PPCOA accredited
  • {type: official, url: https://www.norcopa.gov/fiscal-affairs-contacts, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Fiscal Affairs staff directory: Anthony Morris Revenue Manager (610-829-6186); Heather Yoder Deputy Revenue Manager (610-829-6199); Bernadette Knecht Tax Claim Specialist (610-829-6188); Julie Azzalina Assessment Manager (610-829-6155); Julie Gooch Deputy Assessment Manager (610-829-6155); Dorothy Edelman Recorder of Deeds (610-829-6210); Brandon Dunstane Budget Administrator (610-829-6139); Mary Alice Einfalt Accounting Manager (610-829-6147); Jeffrey O’Brien Procurement Manager (610-829-6178)
  • {type: official, url: https://norcopa.gov/recorder-of-deeds, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Recorder Dorothy Edelman; 669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042; (610) 829-6210; M–F 8:30–4:30; LANDEX system for deeds/mortgages; property alert via landex.com/recordalert; assessment data via ncpub.org
  • {type: official, url: https://norcopa.gov/contact-prothonotary, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Clerk of Court Holly Ruggiero; 669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042; (610) 829-6457; M–F 8:30–4:30; handles civil court matters and Sheriff-Civil Services
  • {type: official, url: https://norcopa.gov/assessment, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Assessment Office; Assessment Manager Julie Azzalina; (610) 829-6155; 669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042; M–F 8:30–4:30; creates/maintains property values; online assessment data at ncpub.org
  • {type: official, url: https://www.norcopa.gov/tax-payment-instructions, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — 2026 real estate tax payment instructions; bills mid-January; discount deadline March 31; base payment June 1; transfer to Tax Claim Bureau January 31, 2027; $15 dishonored check fee; 10% penalty on installment delinquency; payment locations (Easton + Bethlehem + Fulton Bank)
  • {type: official, url: https://norcopa.gov/pay-my-bill, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — online payment portal (recoanywhere.io); 3.5% credit card / $4 e-check; current taxes only; fiscal affairs fee schedule current as of July 1, 2024; tax certification application; judicial and upset sale info link
  • {type: official, url: https://norcopa.gov/gis, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — GIS division; (610) 829-6205; interactive maps; parcel info at ncpub.org; court case lookup at ujsportal.pacourts.us
  • {type: official, url: https://norcopa.gov/fiscal-affairs, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Dept of Fiscal Affairs overview; divisions: Assessment, GIS, Recorder of Deeds, Procurement, Revenue; main address 669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042; (610) 829-6500
  • {type: official, url: http://www.ncpub.org/_web/default.aspx, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Northampton County online property tax and assessment records (iasWorld Public Access); search by parcel/address/owner; data last updated June 1, 2026; disclaimer on accuracy; Revenue Division (610) 829-6186; Assessment Division (610) 829-6155
  • {type: official, url: https://www.nccpa.org/, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Northampton County Court of Common Pleas; 669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042; (610) 829-6500; President Judge Craig A. Dally; eight associate judges (Roscioli, Beltrami, Koury, Sletvold, Murray, Morganelli, Kassis, Panella)
  • {type: official, url: https://www.nccpa.org/cals/sheriff-sales, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Sheriff sale calendar for 2026; 12 monthly dates (January 9 through December 11, 2026); execution and advertising deadlines for each date; 669 Washington St., Easton, PA 18042
  • {type: official, url: https://www.nccpa.org/geninfo/mortgage-foreclosure-diversion-program, retrieved: 2026-06-02} — Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program (Administrative Order 2009-4); mandatory conciliation conference for owner-occupied residential properties before sheriff sale; case tracking crt19-cgagac@shom.nccpa.org; forms in English and Spanish

needs_verification:

  • Bidder pre-registration deadline and deposit amount for Tax Claim Bureau upset/judicial sales — the county page confirms registration is required and in-person only at Government Center, but does not specify the registration window, deadline relative to sale date, or any deposit required. Contact (610) 829-6200.
  • Payment terms at the Tax Claim Bureau sale — the 21-day balance period was noted in search results but not directly confirmed on a fetched county page; the deposit percentage/amount at time of sale was not confirmed.
  • Delinquent tax list publication — no dedicated online delinquent list (equivalent to Lancaster County’s delinquent tax report) was found at a directly retrieved Northampton County URL. The repository list is confirmed; the broader delinquent/pre-sale list may be published only in newspapers per RETSL § 602.
  • Northampton County surplus claim procedure and form — no standalone surplus claim form or published unclaimed-surplus list was found on a directly retrieved county page. Contact Revenue Office at (610) 829-6200 or Tax Claim Specialist Bernadette Knecht at (610) 829-6188.
  • Unclaimed sheriff’s-sale surplus list — not found on a directly retrieved county page; contact Sheriff Civil Division (610) 829-6501.
  • LANDEX remote deed search URL for Northampton County — confirmed as the system used; specific remote-access URL not confirmed. Contact Recorder at (610) 829-6210.
  • Repository List content and minimum bid — repository URL confirmed in search results (northamptoncounty.org/FISAFF/REVENUE/Pages/Repository-List.aspx; SSL/cert issues on direct fetch); specific number of listed parcels and minimum bid terms not confirmed from a directly retrieved page.
  • Sheriff name — current Sheriff not confirmed on directly retrieved pages as of 2026-06-02.
  • Tax Claim Bureau room number — search results consistently reference “Room 302, 669 Washington Street” for Tax Sales/Judicial Sales contact; not confirmed from a directly fetched page.
  • Payment agreement / installment plan terms (RETSL § 603 stay of sale; commonly 25% down) — not confirmed from a directly retrieved Northampton County page.
  • Post-Tyler validity of RETSL § 205(f) 3-year surplus forfeiture — open across all PA RETSL counties; no Northampton County–specific 2024–2026 development found.
  • County millage rate for 2025/2026 — third-party sources cite 11.8 mills county rate; official Northampton County ordinance text not directly retrieved (northamptoncounty.org ordinance page timed out). Effective combined property tax rate approx. 1.65% per secondary sources.

cross_links: pennsylvania, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, surplus-3-year-forfeiture, third-party-recovery-rules, due-process-notice, treasurer-sale, sheriff-sale, tyler-v-hennepin-county, jones-v-flowers, mennonite-v-adams, mullane-v-central-hanover, tracy-v-county-of-chester, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, federal-tax-lien-redemption, heirs-property, undivested-liens-upset-sale

changelog:

  • 2026-06-02 — Initial population (autoresearch wave 1). Core sale data (2026 upset sale September 24, judicial sale May 27) extracted from directly fetched norcopa.gov/judicial-upset-sale. Staff directory extracted from directly fetched fiscal-affairs-contacts page. Tax payment info, sheriff sales info, sheriff department, assessment, recorder, prothonotary/clerk, Court of Common Pleas, GIS, and ncpub.org assessment portal all directly fetched. Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program details extracted from nccpa.org. Sheriff sale monthly schedule (12 dates) extracted from nccpa.org/cals/sheriff-sales. northamptoncounty.org (original domain) had SSL/TLS certificate errors on direct fetch; norcopa.gov (the current primary domain) used throughout.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Northampton County runs an annual Upset Sale (September 24, 2026, Courtroom #1 — title taken subject to undivested liens) and a Judicial Sale (May 27, 2026, Courtroom #1 — title free and clear of liens), both in person at 669 Washington Street, Easton at 1:00 p.m. Bidder pre-registration is mandatory (in person at the Government Center only; no exceptions) per RETSL § 501-A. There is no post-sale right of redemption under RETSL. Unsold parcels enter the Repository. Sheriff’s sales for mortgage foreclosure run monthly (first Friday of the month, Council Chambers, 10:00 a.m.) with a 10% deposit at sale and 21-day balance. See pennsylvania for surviving-lien and title-chain guidance.

▸ For Former Owners — Surplus from a Northampton County RETSL sale is distributed in priority order (Commonwealth liens → taxing districts → former owner) by the bureau after a Court of Common Pleas § 205(e) confirmation petition; contact the Revenue & Tax Claim Office (Anthony Morris, 610-829-6186; Bernadette Knecht, 610-829-6188; Room 302, 669 Washington St., Easton) to inquire about any balance owed to you. Unclaimed owner balances are forfeited to the taxing districts after 3 years under RETSL § 205(f) — the constitutional validity of that forfeiture post-Tyler is unresolved. For mortgage-foreclosure surplus, file written exceptions to the Sheriff’s Schedule of Distribution with the Prothonotary (Holly Ruggiero, 610-829-6457).

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Northampton County, Pennsylvania operational procedures for tax and mortgage foreclosure sales as of the last_verified date. Northampton County operates under RETSL (72 P.S. §§ 5860.101–5860.803); there is no post-sale right of redemption. Verify all procedures, dates, and deadlines against the cited primary sources and with the Revenue & Tax Claim Office at (610) 829-6200 or (610) 829-6186, or with legal counsel, before acting. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

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