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Post Office Box 900
Morristown, NJ 07963-0900
Telephone: 973.285.6600
Facsimile: 973.605.8312

Sheriff’s Sales

A Sheriff’s Sale is a public auction of real property which takes place at the end of the foreclosure process. A foreclosure occurs when payments have not been made on a mortgaged property. As a result, the lender files suit in Superior Court to terminate the property owner’s rights of possession so that the lender may sell the property to recover its loss. If the lender prevails, the Court then directs the Sheriff to schedule the property for sale.

When and Where

Sheriff’s Sales are held on Thursdays (excluding holidays) at 2:00 p.m. in the Freeholder’s Public Meeting Room, 5th Floor, Records and Administration Building, Court Street, Morristown, New Jersey.

Notice of Sales/Advertisement

All Sheriff’s Sales for real property are advertised on Fridays in the legal section of the Daily Record for four consecutive weeks prior to the initial date of sale. Sales are also advertised for four consecutive weeks in a second newspaper that serves the area in which the subject property is located.

The Legal Services Division maintains an online database of Sheriff’s Sales which is continually updated as information changes. While every effort is made to insure that these listings are accurate and timely, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office does not warrant or guarantee the reliability of same.

Click to access the Sheriff’s Sales database

One week before the sale date, a list of the next scheduled sales is posted on the bulletin board located at the building housing the Legal Services Division. This list is revised on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 11:00 a.m. We don’t provide copies of this list. A recorded message of same can be heard by calling (973) 829-8070.

Location of the Legal Services Division

The Legal Services Division is now located at 620 W. Hanover Ave. in Parsippany. Please note that if you are performing location lookups in MapQuest, Yahoo Maps, etc. or using courier mail, you will need to substitute Morristown for Parsippany.

The mailing address for general correspondence is as follows:

Morris County Sheriff’s Office
Legal Services Division
P.O. Box 900
Morristown, NJ 07963-0900

The information which follows is provided as a public service by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office and is only intended to present a general overview regarding the manner in which Sheriff’s Sales are conducted. We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of this information. Individuals who plan to attend a Sheriff’s Sale with the intent of purchasing a property are advised to proceed with extreme caution.

Foreclosure sales are for real property only; the Sheriff’s Office does not know what structures, if any, are on the property. Moreover, up until the sale actually takes place, the defendant (owner) is entitled to his privacy therefore, prospective purchasers will not be able to enter or inspect any buildings that may be located on the property to be sold. The owner has no legal obligation to allow anyone to examine the property prior to the sale and may not take kindly to uninvited visitors.

The Sheriff’s Office also does not know the conditions of the titles. Since the purchaser will be responsible for any prior liens, we strongly recommend potential bidders determine if such liens exist, via use of a Title Search, prior to bidding. This information can be obtained at the County Clerk’s Office. Some liens must be paid no matter when filed, such as tax liens, sewer and water liens, etc. The status of a property may change at any time, even after a sale has occurred, by court order.

How the Sales Work

Sales of real property are “open type” auctions (no sealed bids).

A minimum bid of $100.00 is required.

The property is sold to the highest bidder.

The successful bidder must pay a minimum of twenty percent (20%) of the total bid price at the time of the sale. This is called a bid deposit.

• The bid deposit must be paid by cash, certified check or cashier’s check only.
• Official bank checks or treasurer’s checks will not be accepted unless accompanied by a letter from the issuing bank stating its check is the equivalent of the aforementioned or if we receive permission from the attorney for the Plaintiff to accept the funds.
• Checks drawn on attorney trust fund accounts will NOT be accepted.

As there is no guarantee you will win the bid, checks should be made payable to yourself. If you win the bid, you will endorse the check and sign it over to the Sheriff of Morris County.

If the full bid deposit is not given at the time of the sale, an announcement voiding the sale will be made at the Sheriff’s Sale and we will immediately proceed to sell the property again.

Payment Terms

The balance of the bid is due within thirty days from the date of the sale.

Additional time is not granted to the purchaser to obtain a mortgage.

Interest is charged on the balance due beginning on the eleventh day after the sale.

If the balance is not paid on the 30th day, the property will be sold a second time without further advertisement. The purchaser will be held responsible for all losses and expenses but will receive no benefit from this second sale. The bid deposit will be retained by the Sheriff’s Office to be disbursed by court order.

Sheriff’s Deed

The purchaser will receive a Sheriff’s Deed after payment of the balance of the bid. An Affidavit of Consideration will be attached to the deed and must be with the deed upon recording of same at the Clerk’s Office.

The deed may not give clear title to the property. In order to obtain a clear title, all liens, taxes or encumbrances must be satisfied. This is why we recommend a title search be performed before you bid on a property.

It is the sole responsibility of the purchaser to record the deed and pay the applicable fees in the County Clerk’s Office.

If, after the sale and receipt of the Sheriff’s Deed, the property is owner-occupied, the purchaser must obtain a Writ of Possession to be served on the defendant with instructions to vacate the premises by a scheduled date. This is handled by the Summons and Complaints Unit.

If, after the sale and receipt of the Sheriff’s Deed, the property is tenant-occupied, the purchaser must go through Landlord-Tenant Court to perform an eviction.

Rights of the Defendant

Before the sale:

• The defendant may, at any time prior to the sale, try to save his home or property interest in several ways. He may try to reinstate the delinquent amount owed, pay the judgement in full, obtain another loan, etc.
• The defendant may also request an adjournment at any time prior to the sale.
• By statute, the Sheriff has the discretionary right to grant up to two 14-day adjournments of the sale. Unless otherwise provided for, these two adjournments (if approved) will be given in one consecutive 28 day period.
• A defendant who seeks an adjournment must submit a written request to the Sheriff’s Office and include the reason(s) for the request together with a fee of $28.00 payable by cash, money order or check made payable to the Sheriff of Morris County.
• Adjournments are granted at the Sheriff’s discretion. The Sheriff’s decision is based on the information supplied in the written request. Adjournments are NOT automatically granted.

After the sale:

• The defendant has a ten day period after the sale during which time he/she may redeem the property. If this occurs, the purchaser’s bid deposit will be returned.
• Redemptions may be extended only as a result of a court order.