Tax Sale

The Township of Ewing holds an annual Tax Sale for any municipal charges for the current fiscal year remaining delinquent on November 11^th. The tax sale includes delinquent taxes as well as other delinquent municipal charges as dictated by New Jersey statutes (Ch. 99, PL 1997). The Tax Sale for 2023 delinquent taxes will be held on December 26, 2023 beginning at 9 am.

When a Property is in the Sale

The Tax Collector is required by state law to hold a tax sale each year for the prior year's unpaid municipal charges. Properties are not sold at the tax sale; liens are placed on them.   When a property is included in the tax sale, a lien is sold for the amount of the debt owed to the municipality by the assessed owner of the property together with interest to the date of the tax sale and costs of sale. Interest rates for liens sold may be as high as 18%. Depending on the amount of the lien sold there are additional penalties of 2, 4 or 6% charged. The lien holder receives a guaranteed interest rate on the amount paid when the lien is redeemed. 

A tax sale certificate is issued as a detailed receipt of what the lien holder purchased at the tax sale.  Then most lien holders record their liens at the Mercer County Clerk's Office to ensure redemption of the lien if the property is sold.  Clear title cannot be issued for a property with recorded liens on it.  At the tax sale, most liens are sold to a third party, on occasion there is not a third party interested in purchasing the lien and the lien is struck off to the municipality.  If a lien is held by Ewing Township, they may begin foreclosure proceedings six months from the date of the tax sale.  The lien holder also has the right to pay any municipal charges that are billed to the property once they are delinquent, and add them to the lien balance.  Liens MUST be redeemed in full with guaranteed funds through the Tax Collector's office.  Assessed owners of property are ultimately responsible for the municipal charges even if you are escrowing for taxes through your mortgage company. 

Online Auction Tax Sale

The Tax Sale is held via an Online Auction. Instructions on bidding, to view items listed for sale and to bid can be found at the Ewing Township Official Tax Auction Site.  See  (https://ewing.newjerseytaxsale.com/).

For additional information about NJ Tax Sales  CLICK HERE.

Lienholders

By virtue of their purchase of the tax lien, lienholders have earned certain rights with respect to the property.  They may continue to pay any subsequent fees assessed against the property such as tax and sewer charges and add these charges to the original lien.  They will also earn interest on the original lien, as well as on any additional charges against the property that they have continued to pay.  The payment of these unpaid property charges does NOT give them any rights of ownership or the ability to trespass on the property.  These are only acquired through foreclosure. 

Foreclosure
Foreclosure on a property may be pursued by a private lienholder two years after the purchase of the tax certificate. If the certificate was not purchased by a private lien buyer at the annual tax sale, the Township becomes the lien holder by default and may initiate foreclose in as little as six months from the tax sale date. 

Tax liens may become costly to settle as additional charges such as interest and other penalties will accrue.  It is therefore in the best interest of the property owner to avoid these by paying their taxes before the property goes to the tax sale.

For More Information

For further information on tax liens, you may call the Tax Collector at 609-883-2900 x7607.