Philadelphia, PA – Sheriff Rochelle Bilal and the Office of the Philadelphia Sheriff announce that Sheriff Sales will resume virtually on April 6, 2021.
Due to COVID-19 social distancing requirements necessary to protect bidders and employees, it has not been safe to hold in-person auctions. Following a detailed analysis of the available options, Sheriff Sales of foreclosed and tax lien properties will resume via online auctions. Until now, these sales, which are a result of mortgage foreclosures and money judgments, have been in-person auctions conducted by the Sheriff’s Office.
The Office of the Sheriff has selected online auction company Bid4Assets (Bid4Assets.com) to produce the virtual sales. The company has significant experience successfully hosting online auctions and currently performs the same auction services in Pennsylvania for Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, Monroe, and Adams Counties.
“Our last in-person Sheriff Sale was held in March of last year,” Sheriff Rochelle Bilal said. “With so much uncertainty still surrounding when it will be safe to hold large, in-person gatherings, the urgency of the situation demanded that we think outside of the box. We determined that holding virtual sales was the best way to go, and that Bid4Assets presented the best opportunity for a successful resumption of sales. By order of the courts, these properties must be sold. We believe that these virtual sales will offer the best, safest solution for all involved.”
Jesse Loomis, Bid4Assets’ CEO, said: “Bid4Assets is honored to serve the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office in conducting online Sheriff Sales for the county. Nearby counties have seen an increase in participation by as much as tenfold and third-party sales increase 200% to 500%. More properties return to the tax rolls, fewer vacant properties sit as REO (real estate owned) and the overbids that people who lose their properties can claim will be much higher. All of these benefits, along with eliminating the risks of spreading COVID-19 at the auction and improving transparency, will come at no cost to the county and the constituents the Sheriff’s Office serves.”
The auctions held by Bid4Assets will lead to reduced expenses for the Sheriff’s Office, while opening the sales up to a global audience – based on the exponential gains seen by other counties’ virtual sales. As a result, there is more potential for funds to be returned to former homeowners whose properties have been sold.
To help familiarize people with the new system, the Sheriff’s Office will be holding two virtual town halls on the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office YouTube Account. The first, on March 15 at 1 p.m., will introduce the team behind the launch and will feature an extended question-and-answer session. The second, to be held on March 29 at 1 p.m., will feature a mock Sheriff’s Sale and a question-and-answer session. Questions can be submitted in real time on the Sheriff’s YouTube channel and by email.
About the Office of The Sheriff of Philadelphia
As the pandemic continues, the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office wants to ensure that Philadelphia residents can remain in their homes, which is why the Sheriff’s Office supports any programs that help residents. It is important that Philadelphia residents contact the Sheriff’s Office if they believe they have been illegally evicted by someone who was impersonating a Deputy Sheriff. The Sheriff’s Office will also continue to host food giveaways and virtual town halls to answer any questions that residents may have. If there are any questions that a resident may have, they can reach out to the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office at 215-686-3560 or 215-686-3542.
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