The Cortland County tax sale list is published on the Auctions International website, usually several weeks before bidding opens, with each foreclosed parcel shown by tax map number, last owner of record, and a short description. The Cortland County Treasurer’s Office controls which properties end up on the list after completing in rem tax foreclosure, and Auctions International runs the online auction itself. Every parcel sells as is by quitclaim deed, with no title insurance and no abstract of title from the county.
Where to Find the List and When It Posts
Two places are worth checking regularly: the Auctions International platform, where the live catalog appears, and the Cortland County government website, which links out to upcoming sales. The county also runs legal notices in local newspapers as state law requires.
Because the Treasurer sets the auction schedule, timing isn’t on a fixed calendar you can mark months ahead. If you want to be ready, watch both sites throughout the year rather than waiting for an announcement. Direct questions about sale dates and specific parcels go to the Treasurer’s Office. The Real Property Tax Services office does not collect taxes or maintain the foreclosure list.
Who Can Register to Bid
You can’t walk in and bid. Cortland County requires every prospective buyer to complete a county-specific online registration packet and return the original signed documents to Auctions International’s office by a posted deadline. Having an existing Auctions International account doesn’t exempt you; the county packet is separate.
The packet generally includes a bidder registration form, a certificate of non-collusion (a legal statement that you haven’t coordinated with others to suppress bidding), and a bidder’s affidavit. If you’re buying through an LLC or other entity, be ready to provide organizational documents and an EIN.
One disqualifier trips people up: you cannot register if you owe any delinquent county, city, town, village, or school district taxes. The county checks before approving your registration, and there is no last-minute fix. Clear anything outstanding well before the deadline.
How the Online Auction Runs
Bidding takes place entirely through the Auctions International platform, with the system updating in real time. If a bid lands in the final minute before a listing closes, the auction automatically extends by another minute, which stops last-second sniping.
The county keeps wide discretion. It can reject any bid, withdraw parcels, or group parcels into a single listing. The highest bidder wins only if that bidder is also qualified, meaning registration is in order and tax obligations are current.
What You’ll Actually Pay
The hammer price is a fraction of the total. Several fees stack on top, and the payment deadlines are short.
- Down payment: $1,000 or 10% of the winning bid, whichever is higher, due within two business days of the auction closing. Sales under $1,000 are due in full immediately. Pay by credit card through Auctions International (with a 4% processing fee) or by cash or certified check at the Treasurer’s office.
- Buyer’s premium: An additional 10% of the sale price, paid to Auctions International.
- Auctioneer’s fee: 6% of the sale price per parcel, also due within two business days of close.
- Balance and administrative fee: The remaining sale price plus an administrative fee of $503 to $603 are due within 15 business days of notice that the deed is ready for signing. Any outstanding current-cycle taxes are due at the same time.
- Recording costs: Paid separately to the Cortland County Clerk’s Office. The base recording fee is $45 for the deed and cover page, plus $5 per additional page, a $5 TP-584 filing fee, a $10 deed notice fee for residential properties, and an RP-5217 form fee of $125 or $250 depending on the property class.
You will not pay New York State real estate transfer tax. Conveyances tied to tax sales are specifically exempt.
Miss the 15-business-day deadline for the balance and the county can forfeit your deposit, the auctioneer’s fee, the administrative fee, and anything else you’ve already paid. Starting a credit card chargeback after a purchase triggers a $750 recovery fee. The auction terms give the county broad latitude to keep your money and relist the parcel.
What the Deed Actually Gives You
Cortland County conveys foreclosed property by quitclaim deed only. The in rem foreclosure is designed to extinguish prior ownership interests, liens, and rights of redemption, and in most cases it does.
The practical reality is messier. The county explicitly will not furnish an abstract of title or title insurance. Many title insurance companies are reluctant to insure tax-sale properties without additional steps. Some underwriters require a quiet title action, which is a lawsuit asking a court to confirm your ownership, before issuing a policy. Others require releases from prior owners or impose a waiting period of several years. That matters if you ever want to sell or borrow against the property, because buyers and lenders almost always require title insurance.
Budget for the possibility of a quiet title action. Attorney fees vary, and the sale price alone won’t reflect that added cost.
Federal Tax Liens and the 120-Day IRS Window
Even after the county’s foreclosure wipes out state and local liens, a federal tax lien can complicate your purchase. Under federal law, the IRS has 120 days from the sale date to redeem the property if a federal tax lien was attached, which means paying what you paid and taking the property back.
For the sale to discharge a federal tax lien at all, the IRS must receive written notice by registered or certified mail at least 25 days before the sale. If that notice wasn’t properly sent, the federal lien may survive the sale, leaving you as the owner of a property still encumbered by someone else’s federal tax debt. Even an informal title search before bidding is worth the effort.
Condition: Sold As Is, Where Is
Every parcel sells “as is, where is, how is.” The county makes no guarantees about structural condition, environmental contamination, zoning compliance, or whether the property on the ground matches the tax map description. You cannot inspect the interior of occupied properties before the sale, and the county won’t arrange access.
Successful bidders tend to drive by in advance, compare tax maps to aerial imagery, and check for code violations through the local building department. Properties that sat vacant through years of unpaid taxes often come with deferred maintenance, water damage, or occupants you’ll need to deal with. The discount at a tax sale is compensation for taking on those unknowns.
After You Win
Once you’ve paid the full balance and all fees, the Treasurer prepares the quitclaim deed for your signature. After signing, the deed goes to the Cortland County Clerk’s Office for recording, and you pay recording fees directly to the Clerk by cash or a separate check. The county typically mails the recorded deed once processing is complete.
From that point on, you’re responsible for all current and future property taxes on the parcel. If school or village taxes accrued during the foreclosure cycle, some of that may already be covered by what you paid at closing. Confirm with the Treasurer’s office which tax periods your payment covered, because falling behind on the same property you just bought at tax sale is an expensive mistake.