Sheriff Norman R. Barlow 

Mission Statement:

It shall be the mission of the Kent County Sheriff’s Office to provide proficient professional services with a commitment to partnering with the State of Delaware and U.S District Courts through serving legal notices when prompted to do so by court order. This will be done in strict compliance and in accordance with the Delaware Code through Honest, Ethical and Professional Services to the Community it Serves. The Sheriff’s Office is devoted to our profession and strive to maintain the highest level of public trust while developing our organization to meet the present and future needs of our diverse community.

Biography

Sheriff Norman R. Barlow began working for the City of Harrington in 1991 with the Public Works Department. In October of 1992 he was appointed as the Public Works Supervisor. A Year later he was offered a position with the Harrington Police

Department and started the Delaware State Police Academy on November 15th, 1993, graduating in March of 1994. During his career with the Harrington Police Department, Norman worked his way through the ranks and was appointed Chief of Police on July 1st, 2009. Norman was named Police Officer of the Year four times during his career and has also received many other awards which include the Lifetime MADD Award and the Harrington Police Department DUI Award. The Chief Norman Barlow Pavilion was named in his honor in 2013 due to his successful efforts in combating drug crimes in the City of Harrington. In 2014 Norman was honored with the Municipal Police Chief of the Year Award by the Delaware League of Local Governments.

Norman retired as Chief of Police on December 31, 2021, and is currently serving as the City of Harrington’s City Manager. He is very community minded and focused on making Harrington a great place to live, work, and worship. Norman is the definition of “Service Over Self” and truly makes the City of Harrington a better place for its citizens and employees.

Norman currently resides in the Harrington area. He is married to Dana, and they have three daughters, Brooke, Rylee, and Delayna. Norman always says that without the love and support of his family he would not be able to do what he does here at the City of Harrington and for the residents of Kent County.

Norman’s hobbies include NASCAR racing, working in his yard, and camping with his family and friends.

Effective May 1st, 2025

All bidders must register prior to all Sheriff sales (foreclosure or monition) and bring a $4,000 non-refundable cashier's check, certified check or money order (per property intended to purchase) to be able to receive an assigned bidder number and be able to participate in the auction.

Current Sales List

The next foreclosure sale is on September 3rd, 2026, at 10 am  

The next monition sale is scheduled for October 27th, 2026, at 10 am 

All sales are held in the Kent County Levy Court, 555 Bay Road, Dover DE 19901, Chamber - Room 203

New Sheriff Sales Procedures Effective 5-1-2025(PDF, 279KB)

NEW   **Registration and Rules Form**   NEW(PDF, 605KB)

Please plan on arriving early. Registration will end promptly at 9:45 a.m. and office door will be closed! No Exceptions!

About Property Sales -There are two types of Sheriffs Sales:

County or Town Tax Sales:

Properties are being sold for non-payment of county or town taxes and/or county or town water and sewer fees. These sales are held approximately every three months.  These sales are done by verbal bidding, with the property going to the highest bidder. The property is sold to the highest bidder no matter what is owed in taxes or water/sewer. The full amount of the bid is due the day of the sale. A cashier’s check, certified check or money order, made payable to the Kent County Sheriff, are the only forms of payment that will be accepted for the $4,000.00 deposit. The balance may be paid in the forms of payment stated or a personal or business check and must be received in the Kent County Sheriff’s Office by 2:00 p.m. the day of the sale. The original owner of the property has approximately 90 days to redeem their property. If the original owner does redeem their property, the buyer will receive their money back plus 15% of their bid. Within this 90-day period, the buyer will only hear from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office if the property is redeemed or if the sale has been overturned by the court. If the buyer does not hear from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the buyer will proceed to their attorney’s office to have a deed prepared. The buyer’s deed will be sent to this office for the Sheriff’s signature. It is the buyer’s responsibility to make arrangements with their attorney regarding picking up the deed and transfer checks. Any transfer fee checks can be obtained from the Kent County Department of Finance located at the Kent County Administrative Complex Building, 555 Bay Rd., Dover, DE 19901, (302) 744-2386.

Mortgage Foreclosures:

Mortgage foreclosures are usually held the first Thursday of every month, unless a holiday falls on that day. Properties are being sold for non-payment of mortgage. These sales are done by verbal bidding with the property going to the highest bidder. The attorney for the mortgage company gives the opening bid and the bidding starts from there. Prior to the sale, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office has no knowledge where the bidding will start. There is not a redemption period for this type of sale. The highest bidder/buyer is required to pay 20% of the winning bid on the day of the sale; $4,000 at the time your winning bid is accepted, and the balance by 2:00 p.m. A cashier’s check, certified check or money order, made payable to the Kent County Sheriff, are the only forms of payment that will be accepted for the deposit. The balance of the bid is due in approximately 30 days (the 3rd Monday of the following calendar month), and can be paid by cashier’s check certified check, money order, personal check or business check. After the sale is confirmed by Superior Court, the buyer should report to their attorney to have a deed prepared. The deed is then sent to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office to be signed by the Sheriff. It is the buyer’s responsibility to make arrangements with their attorney regarding picking up the deed and transfer checks. If for some reason the sale is not confirmed by the court, the buyer will be notified. 

The Commission rate for Sheriff Sales is 4% with a minimum cap of $1000 and a maximum cap of $12,000.

ALL CHECKS MUST BE MADE PAYABLE TO: KENT COUNTY SHERIFF. 

KENT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE FEES

Fee Schedule(PDF, 396KB)