Luzerne County’s recent delinquent tax auction hit another record sales high, with bidders paying $4.68 million to purchase 143 properties, according to a post-sale report.
The prior record was $4.616 million two years ago.
County auctions have been attracting more bidders in recent years due to increased public awareness about the opportunity and heightened interest in potential bargains that may not be available through the traditional real estate market, officials have said.
Officially called an “upset” sale, the first-stage auction set minimum bids at the amount of delinquent taxes and municipal liens owed. Bidders must also accept responsibility for any outstanding mortgages and non-municipal liens attached to their purchases.
As a result, taxing bodies will recoup all taxes owed on the 143 parcels sold last week, said Sean Shamany, of Elite Revenue Solutions, the county’s tax-claim operator.
County Councilwoman Patty Krushnowski attended the auction for the first time and was surprised to see so many properties with multiple bidders at high prices.
“I was blown away by that, especially because you need to come up with that money by the end of the day,” Krushnowski said. “It was very interesting. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Krushnowski, of Wilkes-Barre, registered to bid because she was interested in a neighboring residential structure, hoping the price would not go much above the $10,600 starting bid.
But competitors rapidly drove up the amount beyond what she was prepared to pay, with the property eventually selling for $80,000.
Although she didn’t leave with an acquisition, Krushnowski said the auction was a great “learning experience.” She commended Elite Revenue for providing detailed explanations on the tax sale process and procedures, including a Spanish translation.
“I really thought it was handled very professionally. It was very well-run,” Krushnowski said.
Properties were eligible for last week’s auction if the owners owed taxes dating back two years, or from 2024.
A total 3,220 parcels were eligible when Elite Revenue started compiling the sale list in June, Shamany said.
To avoid a sale, owners could pay everything owed through 2024, enter into a standard payment plan if they haven’t defaulted on one the prior three years, or obtain temporary removal through a court order or bankruptcy. The owners of at least six properties eligible for this auction filed for bankruptcy.
Thousands paid, as shown by the drastic reduction from those initially eligible and the approximately 400 that actually ended up in the auction, Shamany said.
Bidder Jeffrey Burrows, of Iron Castle Holdings LLC in Muncy, paid the highest price in the sale — $144,000 for a double-block on South Broad Street in West Hazleton that had bids starting at $11,222, according to Elite Revenue’s report. The winning bid exceeds the property’s assessed value of $118,100.
Burrows also paid the second and third highest bid amounts, the report said: $130,000 for a single-family residence on Vista Drive in Newport Township and $120,000 for a double-block on Rear North Church Street in Hazleton.
In all, Burrows purchased 11 properties through Iron Castle Holdings for a total of $1.023 million, including ones in Black Creek Township, Butler Township, and White Haven, the report said.
Longtime bidder Antonio Mannino, of Jim Thorpe, was the top buyer in quantity, purchasing 18 properties for $456,251, the report said. These properties are in Hazleton, Nanticoke, Wilkes-Barre, and the townships of Exeter, Foster, Hanover, Hazle, Hollenback, Hunlock, Plains, Plymouth, and Ross, it said.
Mannino, a bidder for more than three decades, spent the most in the previous main annual September 2025 upset auction, obtaining 31 properties for $1.234 million at that time. He has said bidding is “a very risky business and a lot of work” due to potential liens and because buyers have no authority to physically inspect their purchases in advance.
Tax auctions ensure the county, school districts, and municipalities receive real estate tax revenue required to provide services, Mannino has said.
The remaining 274 parcels not purchased last week will advance to a free-and-clear “judicial” sale in August 2027, when delinquent taxes and liens are deducted from the minimum bid.
Information on county tax auctions is posted at luzernecountytaxclaim.com.