Revised Code of Washington - RCW Title 61 Mortgages, Deeds Of Trust, And Real Estate Contracts - Section 61.24.030 Requisites to trustee's sale

§ 61.24.030. Requisites to trustee's sale

It shall be requisite to a trustee's sale:

(1) That the deed of trust contains a power of sale;

(2) That the deed of trust contains a statement that the real property conveyed is not used principally for agricultural purposes; provided, if the statement is false on the date the deed of trust was granted or amended to include that statement, and false on the date of the trustee's sale, then the deed of trust must be foreclosed judicially. Real property is used for agricultural purposes if it is used in an operation that produces crops, livestock, or aquatic goods;

(3) That a default has occurred in the obligation secured or a covenant of the grantor, which by the terms of the deed of trust makes operative the power to sell;

(4) That no action commenced by the beneficiary of the deed of trust is now pending to seek satisfaction of an obligation secured by the deed of trust in any court by reason of the grantor's default on the obligation secured: PROVIDED, That (a) the seeking of the appointment of a receiver shall not constitute an action for purposes of this chapter; and (b) if a receiver is appointed, the grantor shall be entitled to any rents or profits derived from property subject to a homestead as defined in RCW 6.13.010. If the deed of trust was granted to secure a commercial loan, this subsection shall not apply to actions brought to enforce any other lien or security interest granted to secure the obligation secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed;

(5) That the deed of trust has been recorded in each county in which the land or some part thereof is situated;

(6) That prior to the date of the notice of trustee's sale and continuing thereafter through the date of the trustee's sale, the trustee must maintain a street address in this state where personal service of process may be made, and the trustee must maintain a physical presence and have telephone service at such address; and

(7) That at least thirty days before notice of sale shall be recorded, transmitted or served, written notice of default shall be transmitted by the beneficiary or trustee to the borrower and grantor at their last known addresses by both first-class and either registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, and the beneficiary or trustee shall cause to be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises, a copy of the notice, or personally served on the borrower and grantor. This notice shall contain the following information:

(a) A description of the property which is then subject to the deed of trust;

(b) Each county in which the deed of trust is recorded and the document number given to the deed of trust upon recording by each county auditor or recording officer;

(c) That the beneficiary has declared the borrower or grantor to be in default, and a concise statement of the default alleged;

(d) An itemized account of the amount or amounts in arrears if the default alleged is failure to make payments;

(e) An itemized account of all other specific charges, costs, or fees that the borrower, grantor, or any guarantor is or may be obliged to pay to reinstate the deed of trust before the recording of the notice of sale;

(f) The total of (d) and (e) of this subsection, designated clearly and conspicuously as the amount necessary to reinstate the note and deed of trust before the recording of the notice of sale;

(g) That failure to cure the alleged default within thirty days of the date of mailing of the notice, or if personally served, within thirty days of the date of personal service thereof, may lead to recordation, transmittal, and publication of a notice of sale, and that the property described in (a) of this subsection may be sold at public auction at a date no less than one hundred twenty days in the future;

(h) That the effect of the recordation, transmittal, and publication of a notice of sale will be to (i) increase the costs and fees and (ii) publicize the default and advertise the grantor's property for sale;

(i) That the effect of the sale of the grantor's property by the trustee will be to deprive the grantor of all their interest in the property described in (a) of this subsection;

(j) That the borrower, grantor, and any guarantor has recourse to the courts pursuant to RCW 61.24.130 to contest the alleged default on any proper ground; and

(k) In the event the property secured by the deed of trust is owner-occupied residential property, a statement, prominently set out at the beginning of the notice, which shall state as follows:

"You should take care to protect your interest in your home. This notice of default (your failure to pay) is the first step in a process that could result in you losing your home. You should carefully review your options. For example:

Can you pay and stop the foreclosure process?

Do you dispute the failure to pay?

Can you sell your property to preserve your equity?

Are you able to refinance this loan with a new loan from another lender with payments, terms, and fees that are more affordable?

Do you qualify for any government or private homeowner assistance programs?

Do you know if filing for bankruptcy is an option? What are the pros and cons of doing so?

Do not ignore this notice; because if you do nothing, you could lose your home at a foreclosure sale. (No foreclosure sale can be held any sooner than ninety days after a notice of sale is issued and a notice of sale cannot be issued until thirty days after this notice.) Also, if you do nothing to pay what you owe, be careful of people who claim they can help you. There are many individuals and businesses that watch for the notices of sale in order to unfairly profit as a result of borrowers' distress.

You may feel you need help understanding what to do. There are a number of professional resources available, including home loan counselors and attorneys, who may assist you. Many legal services are lower-cost or even free, depending on your ability to pay. If you desire legal help in understanding your options or handling this default, you may obtain a referral (at no charge) by contacting the county bar association in the county where your home is located. These legal referral services also provide information about lower-cost or free legal services for those who qualify."

[2008 c 153 § 2; 2008 c 108 § 22; 1998 c 295 § 4; 1990 c 111 § 1; 1987 c 352 § 2; 1985 c 193 § 3; 1975 1st ex.s. c 129 § 3; 1965 c 74 § 3.]

Notes:
     Reviser's note: This section was amended by 2008 c 108 § 22 and by 2008 c 153 § 2, each without reference to the other. Both amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).

     Findings -- 2008 c 108: See RCW 19.144.005.

     Application -- 1985 c 193: See note following RCW 61.24.020.

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Last modified: April 7, 2009