Livingston Township will auction tax liens on properties with delinquent taxes or municipal charges on Friday, Oct. 16, at 8 a.m.
The online sale, required annually under New Jersey law, does not sell the properties themselves. Instead, the township sells the right to collect unpaid taxes from the property owner, with interest and penalties, according to the township's announcement.
The number of properties on the delinquent list and the total dollar value of liens have not been published. The township directed residents to livingston.newjerseytaxsale.com for listings and registration, but as of Wednesday, Sept. 2, the site displayed a message saying it was "currently offline."
How the auction works
New Jersey uses a "bid-down interest" system, according to Ansell Law, a New Jersey real estate law firm. The interest rate on tax liens starts at 18%, and investors compete by bidding that rate down.
Property owners whose liens are sold have a two-year redemption period. During that window, they can pay the full amount owed, including interest and costs, to clear the lien. A private lienholder cannot begin foreclosure until that two-year period expires. Owners can also pay off delinquencies and extinguish the lien at any point before a court enters a foreclosure judgment.
The sale does not mean a homeowner loses the property.
A 2024 New Jersey law further protects homeowners by allowing them to reclaim excess equity through a judicial sale before a final foreclosure judgment.
What property owners should do before Oct. 16
Homeowners with outstanding balances have roughly six weeks to pay before the sale. Livingston's quarterly property tax due dates are Feb. 1, May 1, Aug. 1 and Nov. 1, with a 10-day grace period each quarter, according to the township's tax collector page.
New Jersey law requires the township to publish a notice of the sale in a local newspaper at least four weeks before the auction. That would mean a public notice by approximately Sept. 18.
Tax Collector Vinesa Putri's office is listed as open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office can be reached at (958) 578-4567, extensions 5121, 5122 or 5123, or by email at [email protected].
The sale will be conducted through Realauction.com's platform at livingston.newjerseytaxsale.com.
