State guides / New York / Erie County

Erie County property data

Where Erie County's property records live, how its tax and foreclosure sales work, and what Deedplat puts on one map, including Buffalo.

31Cities and towns

Hover a town to see its name

Where the records are

The county offices an investor deals with in Erie County, and what each one puts online.

Deeds and mortgages

Erie County Clerk's Office, Land Records. The Clerk's Official Records Public Search lets anyone search the index online, but only registered users can view document images.

Owners and values

City of Buffalo Department of Assessment and Taxation (towns and other cities have their own assessors). Buffalo assessments and property record cards are free on the City's Property Information search, and the 2026 tentative and final assessment rolls are posted as free downloads.

Tax sales

Erie County Department of Real Property Tax Services (county taxes) and City of Buffalo Assessment and Taxation (city taxes). The County posts its notices of sale, property lists, terms of sale and bidder FAQ free online, and offers online bidder pre-registration.

Foreclosure sales

Erie County Clerk's Office, Legal Records (foreclosure actions and lis pendens). Foreclosure lawsuits and notices of pendency are filed with the County Clerk and can be found through the Clerk's public search; there is no county list of upcoming referee sales.

Parcel maps

Erie County Office of GIS, On-Map. Erie County On-Map is a free interactive viewer for searching tax parcel data and viewing aerial photos and Pictometry, and digital or paper tax maps can be ordered from Real Property Tax Services.

How property is sold here

Erie County follows New York's rules, with its own calendar and offices. Read the New York guide for how the state works.

Tax sales

New York does not sell tax liens in Erie County; unpaid taxes lead to an In Rem foreclosure, and the property itself is sold at public auction with a referee's deed. Erie County Real Property Tax Services forecloses on unpaid county taxes and holds one in person auction a year (the 2026 auction was August 26 at the Buffalo Convention Center), with a deposit of 20% or $500, whichever is greater, due at the sale. The City of Buffalo separately forecloses on unpaid city taxes through its own yearly In Rem auction, and its next one (In Rem 56) is tentatively set for March 23 to 25, 2027.

Foreclosure sales

New York mortgage foreclosures go through the courts, and the property is sold at a public auction run by a court-appointed referee after a judgment of foreclosure and sale. Notices of sale are published in a local newspaper, and the foreclosure case and lis pendens are filed with the Erie County Clerk.

Assessed values

Assessments are done by each city and town, not the county; the City of Buffalo resumed annual reassessments in October 2025, updating values each year from neighborhood sales and reviewing every parcel at least once every five years.

Transfer tax

The transfer tax in Erie County totals $4.50 per $500 of consideration (0.9%), made up of $2.00 New York State tax and $2.50 Erie County tax, paid by the seller at recording; New York's 1% mansion tax also applies to homes selling for $1 million or more.

Land bank

The Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corporation (BENLIC), the regional land bank, acquires and sells vacant, abandoned and tax delinquent properties throughout Erie County.

Worth knowing

Buffalo property can face two separate tax foreclosures: Erie County forecloses on unpaid county taxes and the City of Buffalo forecloses on unpaid city taxes, each with its own auction.

Worth knowing

Assessments are set by each municipality, so Buffalo values come from the City of Buffalo Assessment and Taxation Department, not the county.

Worth knowing

Erie County's transfer tax is more than double the New York State rate because of the county's own $2.50 per $500 share, though a senior citizen exemption can lower it to $2.00 per $500.

Every town in Erie County

The cities, towns and townships inside the county line.

Alden town
Amherst town
Aurora town
Boston town
Brant town
Buffalo city
Cattaraugus Reservation
Cheektowaga town
Clarence town
Colden town
Collins town
Concord town
County subdivisions not defined
Eden town
Elma town
Evans town
Grand Island town
Hamburg town
Holland town
Lackawanna city
Lancaster town
Marilla town
Newstead town
North Collins town
Orchard Park town
Sardinia town
Tonawanda Reservation
Tonawanda city
Tonawanda town
Wales town
West Seneca town

Questions

Where are deeds recorded in Erie County?

Deeds are recorded by the Erie County Clerk's Office at 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo, or by e-recording. A deed costs $45 plus $5 per page to record, plus fees for the TP-584 and RP-5217 forms.

When is the Erie County tax sale?

Erie County holds one In Rem tax foreclosure auction a year; the 2026 auction was August 26 at the Buffalo Convention Center. The City of Buffalo holds its own auction for city taxes, tentatively March 23 to 25, 2027.

How do I find who owns a property in Erie County?

Use the County's free Real Property Parcel Search or On-Map. For property in Buffalo, the City's Property Information search shows assessment record cards.

Are Erie County property records online?

Yes. Parcel and tax data, tax maps, auction lists and the Clerk's recorded document index are online, but viewing document images on the Clerk's site requires a registered account.

Sources for this guide

Office hours, fees and sale dates change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.

Every parcel in Erie County, on one map

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