County Seal

The 2009 Cayuga County, NY Tax Foreclosed Property Auction Was Held On September 14, 2009 At Emerson Park Near Auburn NY.  For Information About Properties Offered At That Auction, Click HERE (PDF File).

We Have Not Yet Scheduled A Specific Date And Time For The 2010 Tax Foreclosed Property Auction -
We Anticipate That The Next Tax Foreclosed Property Auction Will Be Held In Early September 2010 -
Detailes About The Properties Being Offered At The 2010 Auction Will Not Be Available Until Mid August 2010.

The County Government of Cayuga County NY conducts only ONE tax foreclosed property auction each year.  The 2009 auction was held on September 14, 2009 at 6:30 pm in the pavilion at Emerson Park.  To view the results of that auction, click HERE.

NOTE: An On~Line version of the 'Auction Catalog Brochure' (with current property photos and maps)
will be available on the website for Auctions International in mid August of each year.
Printed copies of the auction catalog brochure (with current property photos and maps) will also
be available for FREE at the Cayuga County NY Office Of Real Property Services in Mid August.

Tax foreclosed properties will be sold at the public auction ONLY.  NO advance sales are permitted and it is not possible to purchase the lien from Cayuga County prior to foreclosure.  There is no minimum bid required and all properties are sold at the PUBLIC AUCTION to the highest bidder.  Bidders will be required to pay an auctioneer's premium (Usually 10% of the winning bid) and  also pay fees to prepare and file the deed.  

"CAYUGA COUNTY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE SALE, DISPOSITION AND USE OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY THE COUNTY OF CAYUGA -REVISED 7-2004" (Legislative Resolution 382-04)
1 Sale Authority - Tax foreclosure property may be processed for sale pursuant to these rules in due course by the RPTS without having to come to this legislature for authority.
2 County Treasurer to Deliver Papers & Information to RPTS -The applicable records and documents relative to the acquisition of county-owned property shall be delivered to the RPTS offices by the Tax Enforcing officer or other officer holding same upon filing of the deed conveying title to the County of Cayuga. Said records shall include, but not be limited to
a) abstracts of title,
b) Itemized computation of total delinquent taxes, interest, and penalties, for each individual parcel
c) any/all other pertinent data relating to the subject parcel so acquired by the County of Cayuga.
There shall be no undo delay in delivering this information to RPTS.
3 Auction -The sale of the properties shall be done by public auction unless the County Legislature adopts a resolution approving a negotiated sale of a particular parcel.  The Director of RPTS shall issue an RFP from time to time to determine who should act as auctioneer.  Included here are Attachments labeled "Auction 1" and "Auction 2" which contain guidelines for the Director to include in the RFP with any other provisions that will assist in obtaining the proper person to act as auctioneer for one ,or more, auctions.  If an auctioneer has, in the judgment of Ways & Means, conducted an auction for the county pursuant to these procedures in a satisfactory manner and is willing to do so again on the same terms, said committee may authorize that.  The goal should be to hold the auction in approximately 60 days after turning the parcels over to the auction company.  Their fees and costs will be collected in full from a "buyer's premium".  The amount of the buyer's premium will be determined and set in accord with the accepted proposal for auction services or negotiated.
4 Terms of Sale -Attached hereto is a document titled "Terms of Sale".  The Terms of Sale shall be a guide with regard to the sale and shall be printed in the catalog of sale or handed out to persons registering as bidders.  The said document may be amended with the consent of he Director of RPTS, the Chairman, the Committee Chairman, and the County Attorney.
5 Identification of Parcels to be Sold -Specific parcels may be withdrawn from the auction by the Chairman or the Committee Chairman.  Prior to starting the auction process, the Director of RPTS shall review the parcels to be sold with the Chairman of the County Legislature ("the Chairman") and the Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee ("the Committee Chairman").  Their decision to withdraw parcels from the sale may be reversed by County Legislature resolution.  To sell County property other than property acquired by tax foreclosure, a resolution of the County Legislature declaring it surplus and authorizing its sale must be adopted.
6. Requested Redemption by Previous Owner or Requested Purchase by Others -Up to the date the properties are given to the auction company to sell, a request may be made by the previous owner(s), listed in the tax foreclosure, to redeem the property and remove from the auction. Such request is to be made to the Director of RPTS who has responsibility for disposing of said property once a deed has been issued to the County of Cayuga.  The Director of RPTS will instruct the person(s) of the steps required to request consideration of redemption.  These steps will include, but may not be limited to,
a) providing an updated abstract of title,
b) provide written consent from all holders of mortgages, liens, judgments, or other encumbrances cut off by the tax foreclosure proceeding who could be prejudiced thereby,
c) deposit of an amount not less than all accumtllated fees, disbursements, taxes, interest, and penalties, plus a foreclosure fee of $400 four hundred dollars), which sums must be paid by money order, bank check, or equivalent before the parcel is turned over to the auctioneer as set forth above.  
If owner completes all steps as directed by RPTS, said purchase offer shall be forwarded to the Ways & Means Committee by the Director of RPTS, along with his/her recommendation, for approval or rejection, by County Legislature resolution, along with a statement that all payments required above have been paid and are being held by the Director until approval, or rejection, of the sale by the Legislature. Notwithstanding the above, any party at any time before the property is struck down at the auction may apply to the County Legislature requesting to be allowed to purchase the property based on fairness and equity.  Such request is to be made through the Director of RPTS who has responsibility for disposing of said property once a deed has been issued to the County of Cayuga.  The Director of RPTS will instruct the person(s) of the steps required to request consideration of their purchase offer.  If the application is made at a time too close to the sale for the legislature to act on the request, the party has to apply for withdrawal of the property from the sale to the persons named above where withdrawal is discussed. At any time during this entire process, if there is any kind of dispute as to who should be allowed to purchase the property, e.g. if more than one person wants to purchase, the matter shall be referred to the following officers of the county which shall constitute the "Real Property Committee" to make recommendations to the County Legislature on such matters: the Chairman, the Committee Chairman, the County Attorney, the Director of RPTS.  Said committee may require that notice be given to other parties of their intent to recommend or consider a certain party's purchase or require any proposed purchaser to take steps necessary to be fair to all parties. The decision of Real Property Committee as to who shall be allowed to purchase shall be approved by the legislature.
7 Courtesy Letters -The Director of RPTS may, but shall not be required to, send courtesy letters to parties who might have an interest in the fact that the property will be auctioned off, e.g., the persons who were listed as owner(s) in the foreclosure proceeding, mortgagees, lien holders, neighbors, etc.
8 Report to County Legislature -A list of successful bidders shall be maintained by RPTS, and a copy of such list shall be forwarded to the Clerk of the Cayuga County Legislature for distribution to Legislator's folders.  After the successful completion of the public auction and closing of the sales, the Director of RPTS shall prepare and submit a report of same to the Clerk of the Cayuga County Legislature to be distributed to all Legislator's folders.
9 Transfer of Title Process -Deeds issued by the County shall be immediately filed by the Director of RPTS in the office of the Cayuga County Clerk after all papers are in order.  The expense of all filing costs shall be incurred by the grantee.  The buyer(s)/grantee(s) shall sign the usual documents necessary and customary to file a deed, e.g., Real Property Transfer Report (RP-52 17), Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax Return (TP-584), Acknowledgment of Receipt of Lead Paint Notice (if applicable) and Notice Required in Agricultural District as regarding smells and dust and such in agricultural areas (if applicable). Deeds issued pursuant to this resolution shall be executed by the Chairman of the Legislature, or, if he/she is not available, the Deputy Chairman.
10. Parties Not Eligible to Purchase at Auction Sale -The following parties are not eligible to purchase at the auction sale:
a)The owner of any of the properties being offered for sale at the time they were foreclosed:
b) Anyone acting on behalf of, as an agent of, or as a representative of the said former owner(s);
c)An officer or stockholder of a Corporation or Limited Liability Company or General or Limited partner of a partnership which owned any of the properties being offered for sale when they were foreclosed;
d) Anyone who owns property in the County of Cayuga which is tax delinquent, either individually or jointly with others, or has an ownership interest through an entity of any kind;
e)Anyone acting on behalf of, as an agent of, or a representative of, any of the persons or entities set forth in sub-paragraphs c) or d) above; and
f) Any of the following officials (or anyone acting on behalf of or for the benefit of same): County Treasurer, County Attorney, County Legislators, Clerk of the County Legislature, and Director RPTS, or any county employee employed in the offices of the Treasurer, Attorney, Legislature Clerk, or RPTS.
11. Bidder's Certification Form -Attached hereto is a form entitled "Bidder Certification Forrn" which shall be utilized at the auction. Minor changes to the form may be agreed to by the Real Property Committee.
12. Authority to Supplement Rules -The Director of RPTS, with the approval of the Ways & Means Committee of the Cayuga County Legislature, may supplement these rules in connection with the auction sale and closing in the event a question of procedure arises that is not covered by this resolution.

TERMS OF SALE (Effective July 2005)
1. All prospective bidders must register at the door and show a valid driver's license or other acceptable identification along with social security number. Prospective bidder must also disclose principals on whose behalf bidder will be bidding. Failure to show proper ID and disclose principals will result in disqualification from bidding.
2. All eligible registrants must receive a bid package outlining properties in the auction and all policies and terms of sale. Upon reviewing same and submitting properly executed bidder's certification, qualified registrants shall receive a bid number permitting them to participate in the auction. The County reserves the right to reject any bidder that has defaulted in any manner at a previous sale.
3. The Director of Real Property Tax Services reserves the right, at his option, to group one or more properties into a single bid sale.
4. The auctioneer shall have the sole authority to resolve any disputes which may arise between bidders and may immediately re-offer the parcel for sale to the highest bidder upon resolution of disputes.
5. A buyer's premium of 10% of the purchase money will be required to be paid in cash or by check at the time that the deposit (20% of bid) and administrative fee ($200) are paid. In addition, on closing, successful bidder is responsible for all recording costs and fees incidental to the transfer of title.
6. Any parcel sold for $500 or less shall be paid in full the night of the auction.
7. Any mailed bid received by the county prior to the public auction shall be considered as the minimum opening bid at the public auction.
8. To be accepted, any bid, at public auction or by mailed bid, shall be accompanied by a 20% cash or check deposit. Cash shall not be sent in the mail.
9. Successful bidders, whether by mailed bid or by public auction, shall be required to pay the balance due to the County Office of Real Property Services ("RPS") within thirty (30) days from the date of auction. Receipt received on night of auction should be brought in when paying balance due. Payments for the balance of such purchase price within the thirty (30) day period shall be by cash, bank check, money order or equivalent. Successful bidders will be notified/confirmed the night of the auction, if in attendance, or within ten days if bid came by mail or electronic bid.
10. The buyer shall pay a one-time administrative fee of $200 (two hundred dollars) for each parcel purchased, which will go into the Assessment/Real Estate Services revenue account in the Office of Real Property. Title insurance is extra and may be obtained at buyer's option. Successful bidder is responsible for all recording costs and fees incidental to the transfer of title.
11. If the successful bidder fails to pay the balance of such purchase price within said thirty (30) day period, said 20% bid deposit as well as the buyer's premium, administrative fee and any other amounts paid, may be forfeited and retained by the County of Cayuga, at the option of the Real Property Committee.

ATTACHMENT AUCTION 1
Auctioneers licensed to sell real property-
The auctioneer must be licensed to sell real property in New York State and is expected to have an intimate knowledge of Cayuga County with regard to its geography, demographics, real estate market, economic climate, real property tax collection and mapping systems.

Basic additional requirements and responsibilities of the auctioneer are as follows:
1. Supply proof of General Liability and Errors & Omissions insurance in the amount of $1,000,000 each, which shall include, but not be limited to, protection against any claim arising from charges of misrepresentation by the auctioneer. The county shall be named as additional insured on the liability policy. Also, proof of statutory Workers Compensation shall be furnished.
2. Prepare and publish a catalog of the sale including descriptions and pictures, where possible, to attract buyers and see to it that the entire county policies and procedures for the sale of property are included in the catalog, together with a sample lead paint notice required on property constructed before 1978 and the agricultural notice required for the purchase of property in agricultural districts.
3. Hire and direct a professional videotape of the entire auction event (from start to finish) so as to provide an official record of the proceedings; such videotape record to be turned over to the county within five days of the event.
4. Place newspaper advertising at auctioneer's expense, in compliance with County guidelines, prior to the event. Such advertising must appear at least twice in the Syracuse Herald American, the Cayuga County Weeklies publications and the Auburn Citizen.
5. Register bidders at the auction (in conjunction with RPTS staff and direction).
6. Coordinate every aspect of this event with the RPTS Director to insure a seamless presentation and orderly sale in compliance with County policies, rules and regulations.
7. Provide personnel to assist the auctioneer and to log and record successful bidders and "back up bidders" in a compatible manner with the Real Property Department's automated record system such that electronic data flow is maintained between the County's system and the auctioneer's system.
8. Auctioneer the event.
9. The night of the auction, a representative of the County Treasurer's office shall collect the 10% one-time buyer's premium, the $200 one-time administrative fee and the 20% down payment of the successful bid amount, or, if the sale price is $500 or less, 100%. Auctioneer shall be paid the 10% buyer's premium as parcels close. The $200 administrative fee shall be deposited in a Real Property Service account called Assessment Fees/Real Estate.

ATTACHMENT AUCTION 2
We welcome your proposal if you are interested in auctioneering this sale.

" THE COUNTY WILL PAY NO FEES OR EXPENSES TO THE AUCTIONEER.

" The sole source of remuneration to the auctioneer is through a buyer's premium on the sales that close. The proposed buyer's premium shall be included in auctioneer's proposal.

" I acknowledge receipt of a copy of the County's procedures and rules for sale by auction.

" There is no minimum bid. All properties receiving a bid are considered sold at auction.

" Written proposals are due into this office on or before (date). Multiple copies are desirable but not necessary.

" Auctioneer's selection and notification will take place the week of the ____________.

" The county may, at its option, offer an auctioneer the right to conduct the next auction pursuant to the county rules in the event that the terms remain the same or minor variations are negotiated.
BIDDER CERTIFICATION FORM is available to download & view in Adobe PDF format.  To download & view the form, click HERE.
The above cited policy and terms are subject to change without notice.  
Information on this website is provided as an informal convenience and is not meant to be relied upon without verification.  Please be sure to verify the information with appropriate agencies before acting upon it.  It is possible that in the process of transferring the information to the website errors may occur.

This website page provides information about tax foreclosed property auction procedures for the Cayuga County NY Government.
For information about Auburn NY city government tax foreclosed property auction procedures, contact the Auburn NY City Government

Cayuga County NY Office Of Real Property Services Home Page
This website was revised Sept. 15, 2009