Berks County repository list: how to buy unsold parcels
Berks County's repository is a standing list of unsold tax-sale properties. Bid by mail or in person; the minimum is $500 or the assessed value.
The repository is Berks County's standing list of properties that no one bought at the upset or judicial tax sale. Anyone 18 or older can bid on one by mailing or hand-delivering a bid form and payment to the county Tax Claim Bureau, and the minimum bid is the lesser of $500 or the property's assessed value. The county takes bids on the current list from March 1 through October 31 each year.
What the repository is
When a property owner stops paying real estate taxes, the Tax Claim Bureau tries to sell the property twice: first at the September upset sale, then at the following June's judicial "free and clear" sale. Anything still unsold after those two auctions goes into the repository, a list the bureau keeps open year-round.
Under Pennsylvania's Real Estate Tax Sale Law, the bureau can sell a repository property without going back to court or advertising it again. That is why these parcels are not on the Bid4Assets auction site with the upset and judicial sales. You buy a repository property by submitting a paper bid directly to the bureau.
The list changes as parcels are bought and as new unsold properties are added after each judicial sale. As of the list printed August 6, 2026, it held 23 parcels spread across the county, from vacant lots to small parcels, with assessed values ranging from $100 to about $15,200. Check the current Repository List PDF before you bid; it lists each parcel's address, municipality, school district, owner of record, assessed value, and the exact recording fee, document prep fee, demolition fund fee, and minimum bid for that property.
What it costs
The minimum bid covers the bureau's costs and is not the property's market value. On top of the bid amount, you owe several fees, and your payment must include all of them at once.
- Minimum bid: the lesser of $500 or the parcel's assessed value.
- Demolition fund fee: $250, added to every bid.
- Transfer tax: 5% of your bid for property in the City of Reading, 2% everywhere else in the county. Mobile homes are exempt.
- Document or deed prep fee: $25.
- Recording fee: $88 on the current list.
For a $500 bid on a property outside Reading, the total comes to $872: the $500 bid, $250 demolition fund fee, $10 transfer tax, $25 prep fee, and $88 recording fee. Inside Reading, the same bid totals $887, because the transfer tax rises to $25. Pay by certified check or money order made out to the Berks County Tax Claim Bureau. The exact recording, prep, and demolition figures for each parcel appear on the repository list, so use those, not the example, when you write your check.
How to bid, step by step
- Read the Repository Conditions and Instructions so you know what you are responsible for. Properties are sold "as is, where is," with no warranty and subject to anyone living there.
- Pick a parcel from the current repository list and note its parcel number, municipality, assessed value, and listed fees.
- Print and complete the Repository Bid Form (use the mobile-home version for a manufactured home), fill in the included affidavit, and attach a color copy of your photo ID. Incomplete forms are not accepted.
- Write a certified check or money order for the bid plus the transfer tax, demolition fund fee, prep fee, and recording fee.
- Mail or hand-deliver the form and payment to the Berks County Tax Claim Bureau, ATTN: Repository Bid, Services Center 2nd Floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601.
Every bid is final. Once you submit a bid, you cannot call and take it back, so be sure of the parcel before you send it.
What happens after you bid
The bureau opens the bids and accepts the highest one for each property; losing bids are returned. It mails the winner a receipt, then sends the bid to every taxing body where the property sits, the county, the municipality, and the school district, for written approval. A repository sale is not final until all of them consent, and the sale date is the day the last consent arrives.
The bureau then notifies the bidder in writing. If the bid is approved, you sign and return the receipt within 20 days, along with an affidavit stating you do not owe any delinquent Berks County property taxes or any municipal or utility bills more than a year past due. The bureau prepares a deed in the new owner's name and sends it to the Recorder of Deeds to be recorded. The deed carries no warranty, so consult an attorney about a title search before you count on clear ownership.
Where to go
Berks County Tax Claim Bureau, Berks County Services Center, 2nd Floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601. Phone 610-478-6625, email taxclaim@countyofberks.com, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To look up a parcel's assessed value before you bid, use the county's property and parcel search; to understand how a property ends up in the repository in the first place, see what happens when you don't pay Berks County property taxes.
FAQ
How much does a repository property cost in Berks County?
The minimum bid is the lesser of $500 or the parcel's assessed value. On top of that you pay a $250 demolition fund fee, transfer tax (2% outside Reading, 5% inside), a $25 prep fee, and the recording fee listed for the parcel. A typical $500 bid outside Reading totals about $872.
Is a repository property sold free and clear in Berks County?
Yes. A repository sale conveys the property free and clear of back taxes, municipal claims, mortgages, and most liens, except a ground rent that is separately taxed. The deed comes with no warranty, and the property is sold as is and subject to any existing occupancy, so a title search is worth doing before you rely on the sale.
Do I bid on repository properties through Bid4Assets?
No. The upset and judicial tax sales run online through Bid4Assets, but repository parcels are sold by paper bid submitted directly to the Tax Claim Bureau by mail or in person. You use the county's repository bid form, not the auction site.
Can my repository bid be rejected after I submit it?
Yes. The county, municipality, and school district each have to consent in writing before a repository sale is valid, and any of them can decline. If your bid is not approved, the bureau notifies you in writing and returns your payment.
How often does the Berks County repository list change?
It changes throughout the year as parcels are sold and as new unsold properties are added after each June judicial sale. Always download the current repository list from the Tax Claim Bureau before bidding rather than relying on an older copy.
Sources
- Repository List, Berks County Tax Claim Bureau (printed August 6, 2026)
- Repository Instructions, Berks County Tax Claim Bureau (revised June 2025)
- Repository Conditions, Berks County Tax Claim Bureau (revised June 2025)
- Repository Bid Form, Berks County Tax Claim Bureau
- Repository page, Berks County Tax Claim Bureau
Berks County Tax Claim Bureau, 633 Court Street, 2nd Floor, Reading, PA 19601. Phone 610-478-6625, email taxclaim@countyofberks.com, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.