Court Opinions

State Laws

US Code

US Constitution

California Civil Code Section 2924h

Legal Research Home > California Lawyer > Civil Code > California Civil Code Section 2924h

(a) Each and every bid made by a bidder at a trustee's sale
under a power of sale contained in a deed of trust or mortgage shall
be deemed to be an irrevocable offer by that bidder to purchase the
property being sold by the trustee under the power of sale for the
amount of the bid.  Any second or subsequent bid by the same bidder
or any other bidder for a higher amount shall be a cancellation of
the prior bid.
   (b) At the trustee's sale the trustee shall have the right (1) to
require every bidder to show evidence of the bidder's ability to
deposit with the trustee the full amount of his or her final bid in
cash, a cashier's check drawn on a state or national bank, a check
drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state
or federal savings and loan association, savings association, or
savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and
authorized to do business in this state, or a cash equivalent which
has been designated in the notice of sale as acceptable to the
trustee prior to, and as a condition to, the recognizing of the bid,
and to conditionally accept and hold these amounts for the duration
of the sale, and (2) to require the last and highest bidder to
deposit, if not deposited previously, the full amount of the bidder's
final bid in cash, a cashier's check drawn on a state or national
bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check
drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings
association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the
Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state, or a cash
equivalent which has been designated in the notice of sale as
acceptable to the trustee, immediately prior to the completion of the
sale, the completion of the sale being so announced by the fall of
the hammer or in  another customary manner.  The present beneficiary
of the deed of trust under foreclosure shall have the right to offset
his or her bid or bids only to the extent of the total amount due
the beneficiary including the trustee's fees and expenses.
   (c) In the event the trustee accepts a check drawn by a credit
union or a savings and loan association pursuant to this subdivision
or a cash equivalent designated in the notice of sale, the trustee
may withhold the issuance of the trustee's deed to the successful
bidder submitting the check drawn by a state or federal credit union
or savings and loan association or the cash equivalent until funds
become available to the payee or endorsee as a matter of right.
   For the purposes of this subdivision, the trustee's sale shall be
deemed final upon the acceptance of the last and highest bid, and
shall be deemed perfected as of 8 a.m. on the actual date of sale if
the trustee's deed is recorded within 15 calendar days after the
sale, or the next business day following the 15th day if the county
recorder in which the property is located is closed on the 15th day.
However, the sale is subject to an automatic rescission for a
failure of consideration in the event the funds are not "available
for withdrawal" as defined in Section 12413.1 of the Insurance Code.
The trustee shall send a notice of rescission for a failure of
consideration to the last and highest bidder submitting the check or
alternative instrument, if the address of the last and highest bidder
is known to the trustee.
   If a sale results in an automatic right of rescission for failure
of consideration pursuant to this subdivision, the interest of any
lienholder shall be reinstated in the same priority as if the
previous sale had not occurred.
   (d) If the trustee has not required the last and highest bidder to
deposit the cash, a cashier's check drawn on a state or national
bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check
drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings
association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the
Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state, or a cash
equivalent which has been designated in the notice of sale as
acceptable to the trustee in the manner set forth in paragraph (2) of
subdivision (b), the trustee shall complete the sale.  If the last
and highest bidder then fails to deliver to the trustee, when
demanded, the amount of his or her final bid in cash, a cashier's
check drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or
federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings
and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified
in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business
in this state, or a cash equivalent which has been designated in the
notice of sale as acceptable to the trustee, that bidder shall be
liable to the trustee for all damages which the trustee may sustain
by the refusal to deliver to the trustee the amount of the final bid,
including any court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees.
   If the last and highest bidder willfully fails to deliver to the
trustee the amount of his or her final bid in cash, a cashier's check
drawn on a state or national bank, a check drawn by a state or
federal credit union, or a check drawn by a state or federal savings
and loan association, savings association, or savings bank specified
in Section 5102 of the Financial Code and authorized to do business
in this state, or a cash equivalent which has been designated in the
notice of sale as acceptable to the trustee, or if the last and
highest bidder cancels a cashiers check drawn on a state or national
bank, a check drawn by a state or federal credit union, or a check
drawn by a state or federal savings and loan association, savings
association, or savings bank specified in Section 5102 of the
Financial Code and authorized to do business in this state, or a cash
equivalent that has been designated in the notice of sale as
acceptable to the trustee, that bidder shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand five
hundred dollars ($2,500).
   In the event the last and highest bidder cancels an instrument
submitted to the trustee as a cash equivalent, the trustee shall
provide a new notice of sale in the manner set forth in Section 2924f
and shall be entitled to recover the costs of the new notice of sale
as provided in Section 2924c.
   (e) Any postponement or discontinuance of the sale proceedings
shall be a cancellation of the last bid.
   (f) In the event that this section conflicts with any other
statute, then this section shall prevail.
   (g) It shall be unlawful for any person, acting alone or in
concert with others, (1) to offer to accept or accept from another,
any consideration of any type not to bid, or (2) to fix or restrain
bidding in any manner, at a sale of property conducted pursuant to a
power of sale in a deed of trust or mortgage.  However, it shall not
be unlawful for any person, including a trustee, to state that a
property subject to a recorded notice of default or subject to a sale
conducted pursuant to this chapter is being sold in an "as-is"
condition.
   In addition to any other remedies, any person committing any act
declared unlawful by this subdivision or any act which would operate
as a fraud or deceit upon any beneficiary, trustor, or junior lienor
shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than ten thousand dollars
($10,000) or imprisoned in the county jail for not more than one
year, or be punished by both that fine and imprisonment.

Last modified: January 12, 2009