Staying a tax sale requires?

• A. Only a court order may stay a tax sale. Bankruptcy provides an automatic stay. A lis pendens document is filed with the County Clerk and with the deed.
• B. A resolution by the governing body is required to stay a sale.
• C. A lis pendens alone stays the sale.
• D. A private agreement between parties can stay the sale.

Answer: (A)

Staying a tax sale depends on interrupting the transfer of title while disputes are resolved. The strongest and most direct way is a court order; a judge can issue an order that stops the sale. If someone files for bankruptcy, federal law provides an automatic stay, which halts most collection actions, including a tax sale, until the bankruptcy court allows otherwise. A lis pendens—notice of pending litigation affecting the property—can also pause the sale in practice because it clouds the title and signals potential buyers that the ownership issue is unsettled; in New Jersey, this notice is recorded with the County Clerk and then referenced against the deed, so it travels with the property and prevents a clean transfer while the dispute proceeds. Private, informal agreements between parties don’t have the force to stop a tax sale.