Case Study: City of Paterson, NJ achieves transparent special tax-lien auctions and accelerated property redevelopment with GovPilot GIS

City of Paterson, NJ Uses GovPilot's GIS For Special Tax Lien Auction

The City of Paterson, NJ partnered with GovPilot to support a special tax lien sale after a 2015 law allowed municipalities to auction liens on vacant and abandoned properties. Facing 90 liens that were depressing property values and neighborhood conditions, Paterson needed a public-facing GIS and municipal management tools to display parcels, attract investors, and catalyze property rehabilitation.

GovPilot created a public GIS map on Paterson’s website showing 33 bundled property groups in a “Special Tax Sale” layer and added a Property Market Analysis (Automated Valuation Model) so users can run comps with adjustable parameters; staff can generate reports and track property status. GovPilot also deployed 10 digital forms (including a “report a concern” workflow) to automate routing and aggregating maintenance data—making auction information accessible to buyers, streamlining city workflows, and supporting the planned sale of 90 liens.

City of Paterson, NJ

Joey Torres

Mayor