Bergen County sheriff’s sale at a glance
When
Fridays at 1:00 PM (confirm the current schedule with the Foreclosure Unit)
Where
Large Conference Room, lobby of 2 Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack
Bidder deposit
20% of the bid in cash, certified funds, or cashier's check at the time of sale; certified checks must be dated within 90 days of the sale and payable to "Bergen County Sheriff"; balance due within 30 days
Adjournments
New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 2A:17-36) entitles the homeowner to two adjournments of the sheriff's sale, and the court may grant additional adjournments for cause. The Foreclosure Unit is closed for lunch 12:30–1:30 PM Monday through Thursday, so file adjournment paperwork early in the day.
Bergen County Sheriff's Office, Foreclosure Unit
2 Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack, NJ 07601 · (201) 336-3500 ext. 4453
- Bidding opens at $100 and rises in $100 increments to $100,000, then $1,000 increments.
- The original owner may redeem within 10 calendar days after the sale.
Verified against the Bergen County Sheriff’s website. Schedules change; David confirms every client’s sale date directly with the sheriff.
How a home gets to sheriff’s sale
A New Jersey sheriff’s sale is the last step of a court case, not the first. The lender must send a Notice of Intention to Foreclose, file a complaint, obtain a final judgment, and then deliver a writ of execution to the Bergen County Sheriff, who has 150 days to schedule the sale and must advertise it for four weeks. Contested cases are heard at Bergen County Justice Center in Hackensack. If you are reading this with a sale date already set, the judgment has been entered, but several tools remain.
Six ways to stop or postpone the sale
- Statutory adjournments. The homeowner is entitled to two by law, and the court can order more for cause. In Bergen County, follow the sheriff’s procedure exactly; a request made the wrong way or too late is refused.
- A complete loan modification application. Federal rules restrict a servicer from holding the sale while a complete application received more than 37 days before the sale is under review. Loan modification.
- Reinstatement or payoff. Paying the arrears or the full judgment cancels the sale. Get the figure in writing.
- A short sale with a lender postponement. Lenders often postpone when a real offer is on the table. Short sales.
- A motion to stay the sale or vacate the judgment. Where service, notice, or standing were defective, the court can stop the sale. Foreclosure litigation.
- Bankruptcy, by referral. A filing imposes an automatic stay. David does not handle bankruptcy cases. When a bankruptcy filing is the right tool, he refers you to a bankruptcy attorney.
After the sale
The sale is not final the moment the gavel falls. The former owner has a short period to redeem or object, and the deed is delivered only afterward. If the home sold for more than the judgment, the difference is held by the court as surplus funds that you can claim. Tenants have separate rights and generally cannot be removed without a court process.
Have a Bergen County sale date?
Bring the notice of sale and your latest mortgage statement. In one free conversation you will know whether the date can be moved and how.