Ocean County, New Jersey — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (tax-lien-certificate regime, redemption periods, surplus rights under P.L. 2024, c.39, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → new-jersey. This page covers how Ocean County’s 33 municipalities and county offices actually run it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

Critical NJ structural note — there is NO county tax sale. New Jersey tax sales are conducted by each municipality’s tax collector, not by the county. Ocean County has 33 incorporated municipalities, each of which holds its own annual delinquent-tax-lien sale. The county’s role is: (1) the Ocean County Board of Taxation (oversight/assessment review); (2) the Ocean County Clerk (recording TSCs and sheriff’s deeds within 90 days of sale); and (3) the Ocean County Sheriff (conducting judicial sheriff’s sales for mortgage foreclosures and, post-P.L. 2024, c.39, for tax-cert judicial/Internet auction sales). Surplus from sheriff’s sales is deposited with the NJ Superior Court Trust Fund in Trenton, not with any Ocean County office. — see new-jersey.

C0. Identity

• County seat: Toms River (township; formerly Dover Township until 2006).
• Population: approximately 651,900 (2023 U.S. Census estimate). needs_verification — Census QuickFacts for Ocean County, NJ.
• Recording unit: county — the Ocean County Clerk records all deeds, tax-sale certificates, sheriff’s deeds, and mortgages. Main office: 118 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753. (oceancountyclerk.com)
• FIPS: 34029
• Municipalities: Ocean County contains 33 incorporated municipalities (townships and boroughs), each with its own tax collector who administers municipal tax-lien sales. — see C1. (Ocean County Board of Taxation)
• Parent legal framework: new-jersey — tax-lien-certificate (TSC) regime under N.J.S.A. Title 54, ch. 5; post-P.L. 2024, c.39 surplus reform; judicial mortgage foreclosure under the Fair Foreclosure Act (N.J.S.A. 2A:50-53 et seq.); sheriff’s sales conducted by the county sheriff.

C1. Local Tax Sale

• Conducts own sale? No county-level tax sale. Each of Ocean County’s 33 municipalities independently conducts its own annual tax-lien-certificate (TSC) sale under N.J.S.A. 54:5-1 et seq. The municipal tax collector is the selling authority; the Ocean County Board of Taxation provides administrative oversight but does not conduct sales. — see new-jersey §1. (Ocean County Board of Taxation; NJ DLGS – Elements of Tax Sales)

• Municipalities (complete list): Barnegat Township, Barnegat Light Borough, Bay Head Borough, Beach Haven Borough, Beachwood Borough, Berkeley Township, Brick Township, Eagleswood Township, Harvey Cedars Borough, Island Heights Borough, Jackson Township, Lacey Township, Lakehurst Borough, Lakewood Township, Lavallette Borough, Little Egg Harbor Township, Long Beach Township, Manchester Township, Mantoloking Borough, Ocean Township, Ocean Gate Borough, Pine Beach Borough, Plumsted Township, Point Pleasant Borough, Point Pleasant Beach Borough, Seaside Heights Borough, Seaside Park Borough, Ship Bottom Borough, South Toms River Borough, Stafford Township, Surf City Borough, Toms River Township, and Tuckerton Borough. (Monmouth Ocean Tax Collector & Treasurers Association — Ocean County municipalities)

• Sale platform (municipal): Platforms vary by municipality. Multiple Ocean County municipalities conduct online tax-lien sales using the newjerseytaxsale.com platform (e.g., Ocean Gate Borough, South Toms River Borough, Stafford Township). Others conduct in-person sales at municipal hall. There is no single countywide platform.

  • Ocean Gate Borough: https://oceangate.newjerseytaxsale.com (MOTCTA tax sale listing, retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • South Toms River Borough: https://southtomsriver.newjerseytaxsale.com (Borough of South Toms River website, retrieved 2026-06-02)
  • Other municipality platforms: needs_verification — contact individual municipal tax collectors for current platform and registration requirements.

• Calendar: each municipality holds at least one sale per year, typically in the fall/December for prior-year delinquencies; some municipalities hold sales earlier in the calendar year. No countywide calendar exists. The Monmouth Ocean Tax Collector & Treasurers Association (MOTCTA) publishes upcoming sale dates for member municipalities at https://www.motcta.org/tax-sale — but this list is not exhaustive and individual municipal tax collectors should be contacted for current schedules.

  • Example: Township of Ocean 2025 delinquencies — tax sale scheduled October 8, 2026 needs_verification. (MOTCTA – Tax Sale; NJ DLGS)

• Rate within statutory range: statewide statutory maximum of 18% (N.J.S.A. 54:5-32); bid-down interest auction. No Ocean County-specific rate variance identified. — see new-jersey §1.

• Registration / deposit / bidder requirements: established at the municipal level. For in-person sales, winning bidder typically pays immediately at close of sale. For online platform sales, registration is completed on the municipal newjerseytaxsale.com subdomain. needs_verification for specific per-municipality deposit and registration requirements. (NJ DLGS)

• Delinquent list: published by each municipality separately. The Ocean County Board of Taxation maintains a Tax List Search portal where assessed values and tax records can be viewed by municipality at https://tax.co.ocean.nj.us/frmTaxBoardTaxListSearch. Individual municipal tax collectors post delinquent lists on their own municipal websites prior to each sale as required by NJ statute (N.J.S.A. 54:5-26). (Ocean County Board of Taxation)

• TSC recording: the winning bidder must record the tax sale certificate at the Ocean County Clerk’s Office within ~90 days of purchase. (NJ DLGS; oceancountyclerk.com)

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

• Where to redeem: redemption is made through the municipal tax collector of the municipality where the property is located, at any time before final judgment of foreclosure is entered in the Superior Court. Once a foreclosure action is pending, any person redeeming must intervene in the Superior Court action (Simon v. Cronecker, 189 N.J. 304 (2007)). — see new-jersey §2. (NJ DLGS)

• Local fees / redemption amount: statewide formula — TSC purchase price + bid interest (≤18%) + 2/4/6% redemption penalty + subsequently paid taxes with interest + lawful costs. No Ocean County-specific fee structure identified. — see new-jersey §2.

• Redemption contact (county-level coordination): Ocean County Board of Taxation: 732-929-2008; Tax Administrator: Chelsea Skuby; https://tax.co.ocean.nj.us/ For property-specific redemption: contact the municipal tax collector of the relevant municipality — see the Ocean County Tax Collectors directory PDF at https://co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/3340a27a-6fc7-4b7e-9b2b-5b3308c21b32.pdf (November 2025; lists all 33 municipal tax collectors with contact information). (Ocean County Board of Taxation)

• Deviations from state default: none identified. Redemption mechanics governed entirely by N.J.S.A. Title 54, ch. 5 and administered at the municipal level.

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

BUSINESS-CRITICAL NOTE: Surplus from Ocean County sheriff’s sales (both mortgage foreclosure and post-P.L. 2024, c.39 tax-cert judicial sales) is NOT held by any Ocean County office. It is deposited into the statewide NJ Superior Court Trust Fund, administered in Trenton.

• Claim filing venue:

  • Surplus deposit: after each Ocean County sheriff’s sale, the Ocean County Sheriff deposits any surplus proceeds into the NJ Superior Court Trust Fund (administered by the Superior Court Clerk’s Office). The Trust Fund Unit is located at:

    NJ Superior Court Clerk’s Office — Trust Fund Unit Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex 25 Market Street, 6th Floor, North Wing P.O. Box 971, Trenton, NJ 08625-0971 Phone: 609-815-2900 x54200 Email: SCCOTrustFund.mbx@njcourts.gov

    (NJ Courts — Superior Court Trust Fund Escheat Notice, retrieved 2026-06-02; Friscia & Associates — NJ Superior Court Trust Fund)

  • Motion filing court: the motion to claim surplus is filed in the Ocean County Superior Court (Chancery / General Equity Division — the court that entered the foreclosure judgment), located at:

    Ocean County Superior Court 100 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08754 Phone: 732-504-0700 Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

    (NJ Courts — Ocean Vicinage)

• Claim process:

  1. Contact the NJ Superior Court Trust Fund Unit (phone/email above) to confirm surplus funds are on deposit and obtain a “Verified Order” confirming balance and accrued interest.
  2. Prepare and file a motion with the Ocean County Superior Court under N.J. Court Rules 4:64-3 and 4:57-2, with an affidavit or certification establishing entitlement to the funds. Include all certified-mail green cards from service on parties named in the foreclosure complaint.
  3. Obtain a court Order authorizing distribution.
  4. Submit a certified and sealed copy of the Order to the Trust Fund Unit with a fund-disbursement request and self-addressed stamped envelope. Note: funds typically take up to two months to transfer from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office to the Trust Fund after the sale; do not file the motion prematurely. (Ira J. Metrick, Esq. — Guide to Claiming Surplus Funds in NJ; Friscia & Associates)

• Statutory authority for distribution: N.J.S.A. 2A:50-37 (mortgage foreclosure surplus); amended R.S. 54:5-87 and N.J.S.A. 54:5-98.1 (post-P.L. 2024, c.39 tax-cert judicial sale surplus). — see new-jersey §3–4.

• Claim form: no standardized NJ statewide form identified for the motion. The motion package is attorney-prepared per R. 4:64-3 and 4:57-2. needs_verification for any Ocean County local court rule or preferred motion format.

• Local deadline notes: the motion to distribute must be filed within the applicable window. For tax-cert judicial sales (P.L. 2024, c.39), the owner’s demand for a sale to preserve equity must be made before entry of final judgment. Post-sale surplus claims under N.J.S.A. 2A:50-37 are not subject to a separately published short deadline but should be pursued promptly. — see new-jersey §3. needs_verification for any Ocean County local rule on motion timing.

• Unclaimed funds list published? No county-level Ocean County surplus list. Funds held by the NJ Superior Court Trust Fund that remain unclaimed for 10 years escheat to the State of New Jersey as unclaimed property under N.J.S.A. 46:30B-41. (NJ Courts Escheat Notice) After escheat, funds may be searched through the NJ Unclaimed Property Administration portal: https://www.nj.gov/treasury/unclaimed-property/

• Contact for surplus inquiry:

  • Trust Fund Unit (Trenton): 609-815-2900 x54200 / SCCOTrustFund.mbx@njcourts.gov
  • Ocean County Sheriff (to confirm sale date and initial deposit): 732-929-2044
  • Ocean County Superior Court (General Equity / motion filing): 732-504-0700

▸ For Investors / Operators — There is no county-level tax lien sale in Ocean County, NJ — each of the 33 municipalities conducts its own annual tax-certificate (TSC) auction. Multiple municipalities (Ocean Gate, South Toms River, Stafford, and others) use the newjerseytaxsale.com platform; others hold in-person sales. Monitor upcoming sale dates through MOTCTA (motcta.org/tax-sale) and each municipal tax collector’s website. The winning bidder must record the TSC at the Ocean County Clerk’s Office (John P. Kelly, 118 Washington St., Toms River, 732-929-2018) within approximately 90 days. Ocean County Sheriff’s sales (mortgage foreclosure and post-P.L. 2024, c.39 judicial tax-cert sales) are held in person Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m., 101 Hooper Ave., Room 119, Toms River, and listed on Tyler SalesWeb (countyId=85).

▸ For Former Owners — Surplus from an Ocean County sheriff’s sale is NOT held by any Ocean County office — it is deposited in the NJ Superior Court Trust Fund in Trenton (25 Market St., 6th Floor N. Wing, P.O. Box 971, Trenton, NJ 08625; 609-815-2900 x54200; SCCOTrustFund.mbx@njcourts.gov). To recover surplus, file a motion in the Ocean County Superior Court (100 Hooper Ave., Toms River, 732-504-0700) under N.J. Court Rules 4:64-3 and 4:57-2; funds typically take up to two months to reach the Trust Fund after the sale — confirm funds are on deposit before filing. Unclaimed funds that remain for 10 years escheat to New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 46:30B-41 and may then be searched at nj.gov/treasury/unclaimed-property.

C4. Offices & Contacts

C5. Local Procedure Notes

• Municipal tax sales are not county-run: the single most important operational fact. All 33 municipalities in Ocean County hold their own tax-lien-certificate auctions. The county itself does not conduct, list, or aggregate these sales. Practitioners must work with individual municipal tax collectors. (NJ DLGS; Ocean County Board of Taxation)

• Sheriff’s sales are in-person (Tuesdays) + listed online (SalesWeb): Ocean County sheriff’s sales (mortgage foreclosure) are conducted in-person at the Administration Building, 101 Hooper Avenue, Room 119, Toms River, NJ, on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m., except on legal holidays. The upcoming sale schedule and property listings are also published on the Tyler Technologies SalesWeb platform at https://salesweb.civilview.com/Sales/SalesSearch?countyId=85 (accessible via https://salesweb.civilview.com/ — select Ocean County, NJ). (Ocean County Sheriff — Foreclosures; SalesWeb Tyler Technologies)

• Sheriff’s sale deposit: a $1,500 deposit is required when filing foreclosure documents with the Sheriff's Office. Sheriff's commission fees apply post-sale: 6$5,000; 4% on excess amounts. (Ocean County Sheriff — Foreclosures)

• Sheriff’s sale — properties sold “as is”: no inspections are permitted prior to sheriff’s sale; properties convey in as-is condition by Sheriff’s Deed. (Ocean County Sheriff — Foreclosures)

• Sale notice publication: Ocean County sheriff’s sales are advertised by publishing sale details in at least two newspapers at least once a week for at least four weeks before the sale, plus notice posted at the Sheriff’s Office at least three weeks prior, plus notice posted on the foreclosed property. (Ira J. Metrick, Esq. — Ocean County Sheriff Sale)

• 10-day objection period: after a sheriff’s sale, a 10-day objection / redemption window runs (R. 4:65-5). Deed is delivered after this period expires without successful objection. — see new-jersey §5.

• Surplus transfer timing: surplus proceeds take up to two months to transfer from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office to the NJ Superior Court Trust Fund in Trenton. File surplus distribution motions only after confirming funds are in the Trust Fund. (Friscia & Associates)

• Multiple municipal tax-sale platform vendors in use: within Ocean County, identified platforms include newjerseytaxsale.com (online lien sales for Ocean Gate, South Toms River, Stafford, and potentially others). In-person sales are also common. needs_verification for complete current list of platform assignments across all 33 municipalities.

• County Tax Collectors Directory (PDF): a PDF directory of all Ocean County municipal tax collectors (updated November 2025) is available at: https://co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/3340a27a-6fc7-4b7e-9b2b-5b3308c21b32.pdf (co.ocean.nj.us)

C6. Records Access

• Deed / instrument search (Ocean County Clerk): Property records portal (requires account): https://sng.co.ocean.nj.us/publicsearch/ eRecord portal (NJ statewide e-recording): http://www.njcountyrecording.com/njcr/Counties/Ocean.aspx Scheduling for in-person recording: https://ocrecording.simplybook.me/v2/ (oceancountyclerk.com)

• Sheriff’s sale listings (SalesWeb — Tyler Technologies): https://salesweb.civilview.com/Sales/SalesSearch?countyId=85 (SalesWeb Tyler Technologies)

• Sheriff’s sale listings (Ocean County Sheriff’s website): https://sheriff.co.ocean.nj.us/frmForeclosures (Ocean County Sheriff)

• GIS / parcel viewer (Ocean County Planning): https://planning-department-oceancountygis.hub.arcgis.com/ (ArcGIS-based; parcel boundaries, property data) (Ocean County Planning Board — GIS)

• Tax records / assessment search (Ocean County Board of Taxation): Tax List Search: https://tax.co.ocean.nj.us/frmTaxBoardTaxListSearch (Ocean County Board of Taxation)

• Tax payment portals: municipal-level only — no countywide tax payment portal. Each municipality maintains its own online payment system. Example: South Toms River uses the newjerseytaxsale.com platform; Township of Ocean uses W.I.P.P. (Edmunds Associates) at https://wipp.edmundsassoc.com/Wipp/?wippid=1337. needs_verification for current payment portal URLs for each of the 33 municipalities.

• Upcoming Ocean County municipal tax sales list (MOTCTA): https://www.motcta.org/tax-sale (Monmouth Ocean Tax Collectors & Treasurers Association — partial list) (MOTCTA)

• NJ Courts public access (foreclosure case search): https://www.njcourts.gov/public/find-a-case/civil-and-foreclosure-public-access

C7. Meta

• sources:

  • {type: official, url: “https://sheriff.co.ocean.nj.us/frmForeclosures”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # In-person sheriff sales, Tuesdays 2pm, 101 Hooper Ave Room 119, $1,500 deposit, 6%/4% commission, as-is, 732-929-2044
  • {type: official, url: “https://sheriff.co.ocean.nj.us/frmSheriff”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy; 101 Hooper Ave, Toms River NJ 08753; 33 municipalities served; Civil Process Unit
  • {type: official, url: “https://salesweb.civilview.com/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Tyler Technologies SalesWeb — Ocean County NJ confirmed on platform at countyId=85
  • {type: official, url: “https://oceancountyclerk.com/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Ocean County Clerk; 118 Washington St, Toms River NJ 08753; (732) 929-2018; eRecord; property search portal
  • {type: official, url: “https://oceancountyclerk.com/frmContact”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Additional office locations: Lakewood 225 4th St 732-370-8850; Manahawkin 179 S Main St 609-597-1500; Mall 1201 Hooper Ave 732-288-7777
  • {type: official, url: “https://tax.co.ocean.nj.us/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Ocean County Board of Taxation; Tax Admin Chelsea Skuby; 732-929-2008; 33 municipalities; no county tax sale; Tax List Search portal
  • {type: official, url: “https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/vicinages/ocean”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Ocean County Superior Court; 100 Hooper Ave Toms River NJ 08754; 732-504-0700; Assignment Judge Francis Hodgson Jr.; Admin Jill Vito
  • {type: official, url: “https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/vicinages/ocean/offices”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Civil Division Mgr Jillian Ackermann ext 64340; General Equity ext 64380
  • {type: official, url: “https://www.njcourts.gov/notices/notice-superior-court-trust-fund-monies-scheduled-escheat-state-of-new-jersey-2025”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Trust Fund Unit: 25 Market St 6th Floor N. Wing, P.O. Box 971 Trenton NJ 08625; 609-815-2900 x54200; SCCOTrustFund.mbx@njcourts.gov; 10-year escheat under N.J.S.A. 46:30B-41
  • {type: official, url: “https://co.ocean.nj.us/OC/surrogate/frmContact.aspx”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Surrogate Jeffrey W. Moran; 118 Washington St 2nd Floor Room 216, Toms River NJ 08753; P.O. Box 2191; 732-929-2011
  • {type: official, url: “https://www.motcta.org/ocean-county-municipalities”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Complete list of 33 Ocean County municipalities with basic contact info
  • {type: official, url: “https://www.motcta.org/tax-sale”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # MOTCTA upcoming Ocean County tax sales; Ocean Gate June 17, 2025 online via oceangate.newjerseytaxsale.com
  • {type: official, url: “https://www.southtomsriver.org/onlinetaxsale”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # South Toms River online tax sale via southtomsriver.newjerseytaxsale.com
  • {type: secondary, url: “https://www.friscialaw.com/nj-superior-court-trust-fund-where-your-surplus-funds-are-held/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Trust Fund Unit contact; 609-421-6100 alt number; ~2-month transfer lag; interest accrues while held; N.J.S.A. 46:30B-41 escheat
  • {type: secondary, url: “https://www.metrickesq.com/guide-to-claiming-surplus-funds-in-new-jersey/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # 6-step NJ surplus claim process; Verified Order; R. 4:64-3, 4:57-2; certified/sealed Order required; 6-9 month process
  • {type: secondary, url: “https://www.metrickesq.com/blog/ocean-county-sheriff-sale-work/”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Ocean County sheriff sale notice requirements: 4-week newspaper publication, 3-week sheriff posting, property notice; 732-929-2044
  • {type: official, url: “https://planning.co.ocean.nj.us/frmDMGeographic”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # Ocean County GIS hub: planning-department-oceancountygis.hub.arcgis.com; tax records at tax.co.ocean.nj.us; deed records at clerk.co.ocean.nj.us
  • {type: official, url: “http://www.nj.gov/dca/lgs/taxes/collection/elements_of_tax_sales_nj.shtml”, retrieved: 2026-06-02} # NJ DLGS — municipal tax sale mechanics; bid-down interest; 18% statutory max; 90-day TSC recording; immediate payment; subs

• needs_verification:

  • Ocean County population (2024 Census QuickFacts citation not retrieved — approximate 651,900 figure from general knowledge).
  • County Clerk name: John P. Kelly identified from NJ Courts property search application subdomain (sng.co.ocean.nj.us/searchapplication/ header) and a 2026 county officials document; verify against oceancountyclerk.com current elected official page.
  • Complete list of which Ocean County municipalities use newjerseytaxsale.com vs. in-person vs. other online platform for tax-lien sales — only Ocean Gate, South Toms River, and Stafford confirmed as using newjerseytaxsale.com; remaining 30 municipalities’ platform assignments not retrieved.
  • Per-municipality tax sale schedule for all 33 municipalities (MOTCTA list is partial; individual municipal websites must be checked).
  • Deposit percentage / payment terms for winning bidders at Ocean County sheriff’s sales (the $1,500 referenced is the foreclosure-filing deposit to the Sheriff’s Office, not the auction hammer deposit; bidder payment-at-close rules not explicitly retrieved from a primary source).
  • Whether any local Ocean County Superior Court rule or order deviates from the standard statewide surplus-distribution motion practice under R. 4:64-3.
  • Whether the Trust Fund Unit alternate phone 609-421-6100 (appearing in secondary sources) vs. 609-815-2900 x54200 (appearing in official court notice) is current — use the court’s own notice number (x54200) as authoritative.
  • Current sheriff: Michael G. Mastronardy confirmed as of the retrieved source; verify if there was an election change (a November 2025 election for sheriff was identified in search results — DISCENZA candidacy noted; verification of current office-holder needed).
  • NJ Unclaimed Property Administration URL for post-escheat surplus searches — https://www.nj.gov/treasury/unclaimed-property/ is the standard portal but not directly verified against a retrieved Ocean County surplus escheat case.
  • Any Ocean County local rule or standing order governing surplus distribution motion format or timing.

• cross_links: new-jersey, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, third-party-recovery-rules, sheriff-sale, treasurer-sale, due-process-notice, tyler-v-hennepin-county, heirs-property

• changelog:

  • 2026-06-02 (gap-close pass) — Removed 3 broken wiki-link references from cross_links (257-261-20th-avenue-realty-v-roberto-2025, simon-v-cronecker-2007, unclaimed-property — case/concept pages not yet created in wiki); gap_score reduced from 12 → 6 (all remaining points are Row-2 needs_verification honest flags). No fabricated facts added.
  • 2026-06-02 — Initial population. Key structural findings: (1) no county tax sale — all 33 municipalities conduct independent TSC auctions under NJ statute; (2) Ocean County sheriff conducts in-person judicial sales Tuesdays at 101 Hooper Ave Room 119 (Toms River), also listed on Tyler SalesWeb (countyId=85); (3) surplus from sheriff’s sales goes to NJ Superior Court Trust Fund Unit in Trenton (25 Market St, Trenton) — NOT to any Ocean County office; unclaimed surplus escheats to state after 10 years under N.J.S.A. 46:30B-41; (4) surplus distribution motions filed in Ocean County Superior Court under R. 4:64-3 / 4:57-2; (5) multiple municipal tax-sale platform vendors identified (newjerseytaxsale.com confirmed for Ocean Gate, South Toms River, Stafford). Primary gaps: per-municipality platform list incomplete; current sheriff name requires verification post-Nov. 2025 election.

▸ For Investors / Operators — There is no county-level tax lien sale in Ocean County, NJ — each of the 33 municipalities conducts its own annual tax-certificate (TSC) auction. Multiple municipalities (Ocean Gate, South Toms River, Stafford, and others) use the newjerseytaxsale.com platform; others hold in-person sales. Monitor upcoming sale dates through MOTCTA (motcta.org/tax-sale) and each municipal tax collector’s website. The winning bidder must record the TSC at the Ocean County Clerk’s Office (John P. Kelly, 118 Washington St., Toms River, 732-929-2018) within approximately 90 days. Ocean County Sheriff’s sales (mortgage foreclosure and post-P.L. 2024, c.39 judicial tax-cert sales) are held in person Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m., 101 Hooper Ave., Room 119, Toms River, and listed on Tyler SalesWeb (countyId=85).

▸ For Former Owners — Surplus from an Ocean County sheriff’s sale is NOT held by any Ocean County office — it is deposited in the NJ Superior Court Trust Fund in Trenton (25 Market St., 6th Floor N. Wing, P.O. Box 971, Trenton, NJ 08625; 609-815-2900 x54200; SCCOTrustFund.mbx@njcourts.gov). To recover surplus, file a motion in the Ocean County Superior Court (100 Hooper Ave., Toms River, 732-504-0700) under N.J. Court Rules 4:64-3 and 4:57-2; funds typically take up to two months to reach the Trust Fund after the sale — confirm funds are on deposit before filing. Unclaimed funds that remain for 10 years escheat to New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 46:30B-41 and may then be searched at nj.gov/treasury/unclaimed-property.

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