Berks County sheriff sale: how it works and how to bid

A Berks County sheriff sale is a public auction where a property is sold to pay off a court judgment, most often a mortgage the owner stopped paying. The county runs these sales online through a website called Bid4Assets, they happen about once a month, and anyone can bid if they register and put down the required deposit first.

The sheriff does not choose to sell the property. A lender or other creditor sues, wins a judgment in the Berks County Court of Common Pleas, and gets a court order directing the sheriff to sell the property and turn the proceeds over to pay the debt. The sheriff carries out that order.

A sheriff sale is not a tax sale

These are two different sales run by two different county offices, and people mix them up constantly.

• A sheriff sale sells a property to satisfy a court judgment, usually a mortgage foreclosure. The Sheriff’s Office runs it.
• A tax sale sells a property because the owner did not pay real estate taxes. The Berks County Tax Claim Bureau runs it, through the upset sale and the judicial sale. See our guide to what happens if you don’t pay Berks County property taxes.

The rest of this guide is about the sheriff sale.

Where to find the sale list

Berks County holds its real estate sheriff sales online through Bid4Assets, under a court order that moved the sales off the courthouse steps and onto the internet. Sales are held about once a month and begin at 10 a.m.

Two places carry the current list:

1. The Sheriff’s Office Real Estate Executions page, which posts the sale schedule, the conditions of sale, and the list of properties for the next sale.
2. The county’s Bid4Assets auction page, where the properties, the bidding, and the deposits all live.

Sale dates change. Properties are often postponed or pulled off the list at the last minute when the owner pays, files for bankruptcy, or works out a deal. Check the official schedule for the next date rather than assuming a fixed day.

What you need before you can bid

You cannot walk in and bid on the day of the sale. Bidding is online, and you have to fund a deposit ahead of time.

• A single-bid deposit of $10,035, which includes a $35 nonrefundable processing fee, must be placed through Bid4Assets no later than seven days before the sale. The Sheriff’s Office does not take deposits in person. If you don’t win, the deposit comes back.
• A Bid4Assets account, set up and verified before the deposit deadline.
• Your own research on the property. Sheriff sales are sold as-is, sight unseen. You usually cannot go inside, and the county makes no promise about the condition, the occupants, or what other debts are attached.

How a sheriff sale works, step by step

1. Find the property on the sale list, on the Sheriff’s Real Estate Executions page or the county Bid4Assets page.
2. Research the title yourself, or hire a title company or lawyer, so you know what other liens exist before you bid.
3. Register on Bid4Assets and place the $10,035 single-bid deposit at least seven days before the sale.
4. Bid during the online auction, which opens at 10 a.m. on the sale date.
5. If you win, pay the rest of your down payment by the close of the next business day: 10% of the purchase price plus a 1.5% Bid4Assets buyer’s premium on the total price.
6. Pay the remaining balance within 10 days of the sale. Miss either deadline and you forfeit what you already paid, and the county can bar you from future sales.
7. A $250 fee for the county’s Demolition and Rehabilitation Fund is added to each property sold, effective January 1, 2026.
8. The sheriff records the deed in your name about 60 days after the sale.

What you are actually buying

A sheriff sale transfers whatever interest the former owner had, and no more. That comes with risks a normal home purchase does not.

• The sale can carry other debts. A foreclosing mortgage usually wipes out liens recorded after it, but unpaid taxes, municipal claims, and some senior liens can survive and become your problem. This is why title research before you bid matters.
• There is no inspection and no financing contingency. You bid on a property you have not been inside, and you owe the money on the deadlines above whether or not you can get a loan.
• There is no right to buy it back. Pennsylvania law gives no redemption period after a mortgage-foreclosure sheriff sale. Once the sale is confirmed and the deed is recorded, the former owner cannot reclaim the property by paying later. (A limited buy-back right exists in some tax-sale situations, which is a separate process.)

If any of this is unclear for a specific property, talk to a real estate lawyer before you bid. This guide explains the process; it is not legal advice.

If your own home is being sold

If you are the owner and your property is on the sale list, the sale is not always the end. Owners can sometimes stop or postpone a sheriff sale by paying what is owed, reaching an agreement with the lender, or through a court filing, and the deadlines are tight. Contact the lender’s attorney listed on the sale notice and get legal help immediately. Free or low-cost civil legal help is available to income-eligible Berks County residents through MidPenn Legal Services.

Where to go

Berks County Sheriff’s Office, County Courthouse, 633 Court Street, 3rd Floor, Reading, PA 19601. Main phone 610-478-6240; office hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Real estate questions go to the Sheriff’s Real Estate Division at 610-478-6240, extension 3210, or RealEstate@berkspa.gov. Sheriff Mandy P. Miller leads the office.

For how the Sheriff’s Office fits alongside the county’s other offices, see how Berks County government works. If you win a property and want to confirm the recorded deed afterward, see our guide to getting a copy of a deed in Berks County.

FAQ

Who can bid at a Berks County sheriff sale?

Almost anyone. You register on Bid4Assets and place the required deposit before the deadline. You do not have to be a Berks County resident. The person losing the property and their close associates are the usual exceptions.

How much money do I need to bid?

You place a single-bid deposit of $10,035, which includes a $35 nonrefundable fee, through Bid4Assets at least seven days before the sale. If you win, you owe 10% of the price plus a 1.5% buyer’s premium by the next business day, and the full balance within 10 days. If you lose, the deposit is returned.

Is a sheriff sale the same as a tax sale?

No. A sheriff sale satisfies a court judgment, usually a foreclosed mortgage, and is run by the Sheriff’s Office. A tax sale sells a property for unpaid taxes and is run by the Tax Claim Bureau. Different offices, different rules, different lists.

Can I inspect the property before I buy it?

Usually not. Properties are sold as-is and often still occupied, so you generally cannot go inside. Research the address, the title, and any liens on your own before you bid, because there is no inspection contingency and no refund if the property is in poor shape.

Do I get the property free of other debts?

Not automatically. A foreclosing mortgage typically clears liens filed after it, but unpaid taxes, municipal claims, and some earlier liens can survive the sale and pass to you. Search the title before bidding so you know what you would be taking on.