Auctions

Vehicle auctions

The City of New York will auction vehicles that have been seized or abandoned.

The vehicle’s owner must pay all tickets that are in judgment, plus penalties and interest, to redeem the vehicle. Vehicles are sold at auction if they are not redeemed within 10 business days of being towed.

Proceeds from the auction, after expenses, are used to pay the judgment debt. All vehicles are sold "as is” and the purchaser must pick them up where they are located.

Upcoming Auction(s):

• May 6, 2024 - Bronx
• May 7, 2024 - Bronx
• May 8, 2024 - Brooklyn
• May 8, 2024 - Queens
• May 9, 2024 - Bronx
• May 10, 2024 - Brooklyn
• May 10, 2024 - Queens
• May 13, 2024 - Staten Island
• May 14, 2024 - Bronx
• May 15, 2024 - Bronx
• May 15, 2024 - Brooklyn
• May 16, 2024 - Bronx

Bidding on a vehicle

1. Be sure you know the lot number of the vehicle you’d like to bid on.
2. Vehicles are sold to the highest bidder.
3. If there is a dispute about the highest bid between two or more bidders, the bidding process will begin again.
4. The Sheriff’s Office may refuse any bid and cancel the sale at any time.

After you have purchased a vehicle at auction

1. You must pay with cash in full as soon as the sale is final. We will waive the sales tax if you present a resale certificate.
2. In many cases, you may need to tow the auctioned vehicles from the yard. Vehicle keys are not available.
3. You must remove the vehicle from the tow yard by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the auction or you will be charged a storage fee of $20 per day. If you do not take the vehicle within 96 hours of 5:00 p.m. of the auction date, it will be considered abandoned and will be removed.
4. Once you remove a vehicle from the tow yard, you cannot park it on the street or drive it unless the owner has proper registration and license plates.
5. You must take the Certificate of Sale to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a title issued in your name. We only issue one certificate of sale per owner – no exceptions. We cannot issue duplicates for second copies or replacements of the original.
6. The Department of Motor Vehicles may consider the vehicle as salvage. This means the vehicle may have to be examined before a new title or registration is issued.
7. The tow yard may charge a tow fee to remove a purchased vehicle from the yard.

Property auctions

The Sheriff may sell real or personal property to satisfy an unpaid judgment. This is known as a “private asset auction.”

Auction dates are advertised in New York City newspapers and posted in each county's Sheriff's and county clerk offices. The money from the auction goes to the creditor.

Sale of real property

1. At an auction, the successful bidder must pay at least 1O percent of the bid price (not less than $2,000). Cash, money orders, and certified checks are accepted for payment. A Memorandum of Sale is issued immediately.
2. If partial payment is made at the auction, the balance of the bid price must be paid no later than three business days after the auction.
3. If the successful bidder does not pay the balance within three business days, the sale will be voided and the property re-sold.
4. A successful bidder who fails to comply with the terms of the sale may be liable for damages to the judgment creditor.
5. Any taxes or transfer/delivery fees must be paid by the bidder.
6. The Sheriff reserves the right to approve or deny all bids.

Sale of personal property

1. Payments must be made in cash.
2. The Sheriff sells the right, title, and interest only.
3. The Sheriff reserves the right of approval on all bids.

Upcoming property auctions

• New York County Sheriff Auction - September 8, 2021

Vehicle auctions — frequently asked questions