One of the functions of the Ocean County
Sheriff's Department is to conduct the sale of real property after
foreclosure proceedings have been completed. We believe this information
is beneficial to those who would like to bid on properties but are
unfamiliar with the conditions and manner of sale.
Foreclosure sales are for real property only; the Sheriff's Department
does not know whether or not structures occupy the property. Further,
we cannot give permission for any prospective bidders to enter and
inspect any structure that may be located on the property to be
sold.
All properties sold at auction at the Sheriff's Department are advertised
on Thursday in the Asbury Park Press and in the local newspaper depending upon the location of the property. Advertisements appear
four consecutive weeks prior to the initial date of sale. In addition
to the newspapers advertising, notices of sale are posted at the
Sheriff's Department, Justice Complex, Hooper Ave, Toms River, NJ.
The Sheriff's Department does not have a list of the properties
to be sold for general distribution. Persons interested in following
up on these properties must make their own lists by checking the
legal advertisements in the newspapers or by checking the notices
posted on the bulletin board at the Sheriff's Office.
Sales of property are open-type auction sales (no sealed bids).
The Plaintiff bids a minimum bid of $100 on the first round. All
subsequent bids are for a minimum of $100 each. The property is
sold to the highest bidder. The successful bidder, upon full payment
of the bid, will receive a Sheriff's Deed. The Sheriff shall deduct
his fees, costs and commissions of sale from the total amount bid
at the sale. Sales are subject to all outstanding liens, mortgages
and encumbrances, which must be satisfied in order to obtain clear
title. If a purchaser does not complete the requirements of sale,
he may be held liable for Sheriff's Fees and certain penalties as
per Order of the court and/of The Fair Foreclosure Act concerning
the defaulting bidder.
If you are interested in a particular piece of property,
we recommend a title search before you actually bid. Private firms
listed in the yellow pages of the telephone directory conduct title
searches.
If you are the
successful bidder on a piece of property,
you are required to post a deposit of 20% of the total bid price
in Cash, Certified Check, Cashier's Check, or Treasurer's Check
immediately after the close of that sale; the balance is due 30
days from the date of sale. To determine what funds you may need
as a deposit, you must ascertain what your highest bid will be and
then make out the certified check for 20% of the bid amount. Cash
deposit would be the same. Total amount due, including Sheriff's
fees, may be obtained on the day of sale by calling the Sheriff's
Department. Certified checks should be made out to yourself and
if you were the highest bidder, you would then endorse the check
over to the Sheriff of Ocean County.
If the property you purchased is occupied, it is your responsibility
to have the occupants removed. The purchaser must pay deed-recording
fees to the County Clerk when the deed is recorded.
Anything in matters of redemption the defendants or their attorneys
should refer to The Fair Foreclosure Act.
There are times when the sale of property is not completed on the
date advertised because of adjournments, settlements or bankruptcies.
We recommend that you call the Sheriff's Department on the date
the sale is scheduled to determine the status of the sale.
To speed your inquiry on a specific piece of property, please be
sure you have the name of the defendant, which appears in the legal
advertisement. Further assistance is available through the Foreclosure
Unit of the Sheriff's Department at 732-929-2044.
The title received at Sheriff's sale is governed by state statue
N.J.S.A. 2A: 17-41. The purchaser receives the same title as if
the debtor had sold the real estate to the purchaser. He receives
no more, nor less, than the debtor owned prior to the Sheriff's
sale.
The Ocean County Board of Health passed a Well Testing Ordinance
87-1, Section 10, on May 6, 1987, and amended on June 6, 1990, pertaining
to the Sale or Transfer of Ownership of Real Property Upon Which
A Well is Located, as follows:
No real property nor any interest in the same shall be sold or transferred
after July 1, 1987, which utilizes a well for its potable water
supply until the well has been sampled and analyzed. A complete
copy of this Ordinance is available at the Office of the Sheriff.
SALES ARE CONDUCTED ON
TUESDAY, 2:00 P.M.
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
OCEAN COUNTY JUSTICE COMPLEX, THIRD FLOOR
120 HOOPER AVE, TOMS RIVER, NJ 08753
