Maplewood Township is holding its annual tax lien sale on November 15. During the online sale, delinquent taxes and other municipal charges will be auctioned, as required by law.
Find out if you are on the list here:
https://maplewood.newjerseytaxsale.com/index.cfm?folder=previewitems
No lien will be placed on your property until your delinquent taxes are sold. However, per the sale instructions [and confirmed by township officials], when the debt is sold and the lien is in place, “After two years, a lien holder can begin proceedings to foreclose the certificate against the property.”
That means that, even if your tax lien amount is small (many of the amounts listed are below $400), if you do not resolve the lien within two years, you can face foreclosure proceedings.
New Jersey did recently update its laws to allow homeowners facing foreclosure or tax sales to reclaim home equity not needed to cover their debts. However, as The New York Times reported last year, “New Jersey requires communities to auction off unpaid tax and sewer debts annually. … Bidding is often aggressive, particularly for desirable properties in affluent or gentrifying towns.”
Related: NJ Changes Foreclosure Law Related to ‘Very Sad Situation’ in Maplewood
Many of the smaller amounts on the Maplewood tax lien sales list are delinquent sewer taxes. Residents receive the annual sewer bill in the mail every May; it is due in June. Delinquency notices are mailed over the summer. Tax lien sale notices were mailed just last week, which means many residents in arrears may not yet have received them. All notices arrive in white envelopes with the township return address.
Although the sale is online, you cannot pay your delinquent taxes online. Per Maplewood staff, payments need to be made by certified check or cash. You have until November 15 to make the payment (the online sale begins Nov. 15 at 8:30 a.m.).
There is good news on the horizon, however: Township Administrator Patrick Wherry told Village Green that the township is working to activate direct ACH withdrawal for payments in 2025. More information will be available in the coming months.
For more information, contact the township cashier at (973) 762-8120 ext. 2800. You can pay in person at 574 Valley Street, Maplewood, NJ. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
