Ocean County sheriff’s sale at a glance
When
Tuesdays at 2:00 PM, except legal holidays; bidders must register before the sale begins
Where
Ocean County Administration Building, 101 Hooper Avenue, Room 119, Toms River (corner of Hooper Avenue and Washington Street)
Bidder deposit
20% of the bid by cashier's check, certified check, or cash up to $1,000; a certified or cashier's check may not be older than 90 days; balance within 30 calendar days
Adjournments
Under N.J.S.A. 2A:17-36 the homeowner may take two adjournments of up to 30 days each, the lender two, and one more by agreement; the court may order additional adjournments for cause. The Ocean County Sheriff accepts adjournments up to 2:00 PM on the day of sale.
Ocean County Sheriff's Office, Foreclosure Unit
Justice Complex, 120 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08754 · (732) 929-2044
- Bidding opens at $100 and rises in $1,000 increments.
- The owner may redeem within 10 days after the sale or until the deed is delivered.
- Purchasers of homes in age-restricted communities must certify age-compliant occupancy before the deed can be recorded.
- Sales are advertised on four consecutive Thursdays in the Asbury Park Press, and the sheriff posts the current listing as a PDF on the county website.
Verified against the Ocean 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 Ocean County Sheriff, who has 150 days to schedule the sale and must advertise it for four weeks. Contested cases are heard at Ocean County Courthouse in Toms River. 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 Ocean 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 Ocean 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.