Deeds that took six to eight weeks now take about seven months; the slowdown dates to a 2023 software shutdown

Recording a deed after a Philadelphia sheriff sale used to take around six to eight weeks. An Inquirer analysis of more than 130 deeds recorded between October 2023 and March 2024 found their auctions had been held, on average, just over 200 days earlier — about seven months, or more.

City records traced the change: the number of deeds received from the sheriff “plummeted almost immediately” after the office’s old records-management software went offline in April 2023, when the office jettisoned the Teleosoft records software in place since the Williams administration — the same software discontinuation FBI agents had asked staffers about that spring, according to Philadelphia Magazine. One buyer who purchased at auction in November 2023 said the deed was supposed to transfer within 60 to 90 days; it took seven months.

Spokesperson Teresa Lundy said: “Those individuals who have not received deeds should contact our office and we can further explain why their deeds were not processed in a timely fashion.” Bilal did not respond to requests for comment.