(1) (a) The holder of the evidence of debt or the attorney for the holder shall submit a bid setting forth the holder's initial bid for the property that is received by the officer no later than 12 noon on the second business day prior to the date of sale as provided in this section. In addition, if the sale will be conducted electronically, the holder may also include a maximum bid for the property. The holder or the attorney for the holder need not personally attend the sale. If the sale will be conducted electronically and the holder has elected to include a maximum bid, the bid shall be increased electronically in increments incorporated in the electronic program used by the officer to conduct the electronic sale up to such maximum bid if one or more third parties submit competing bids for the property.

(b) If the bid is not received by the officer by the deadline, the officer shall continue the sale for one week and shall announce or post a notice of the continuance at the time and place designated for the sale.

(2) The holder of the evidence of debt shall submit a signed and acknowledged bid, or the attorney for the holder shall submit a signed bid, which must specify the following amounts, itemized in substantially the following categories and in substantially the following form:

Display Image

(3) Upon receipt of the initial bid from the holder of the evidence of debt or the attorney for the holder, the officer shall make such information available to the general public.

(4) The officer shall enter the bid by reading the bid amount set forth on the bid and the name of the person that submitted the bid or by posting or providing such bid information at the time and place designated for sale.

(5) Bids submitted pursuant to this section may be amended by the holder of the evidence of debt or the attorney for the holder in writing or electronically, as determined by the officer pursuant to section 38-38-112, no later than 12 noon the day prior to the sale, or orally at the time of sale if the person amending the bid is physically present at the sale or electronically during the sale if the sale is conducted by means of the internet or another electronic medium. A bid submitted pursuant to this section may be modified orally at the time of sale if the person making the modification modifies and reexecutes the bid at the sale.

(6) The holder of the evidence of debt or the attorney for the holder shall bid at least the holder's good faith estimate of the fair market value of the property being sold, less the amount of unpaid real property taxes and all amounts secured by liens against the property being sold that are senior to the deed of trust or other lien being foreclosed and less the estimated reasonable costs and expenses of holding, marketing, and selling the property, net of income received; except that the holder or the attorney for the holder need not bid more than the total amount due to the holder as specified in the bid pursuant to subsection (2) of this section. The failure of the holder to bid the amount required by this subsection (6) shall not affect the validity of the sale but may be raised as a defense by any person sued on a deficiency.

(7) (a) (I) Other than a bid by the holder of the evidence of debt not exceeding the total amount due shown on the bid pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, the payment of any bid amount at sale must be received by the officer no later than the date and time of the sale, or at an alternative time after the sale and on the day of the sale, as specified in writing by the officer. The payment must be in the form specified in section 38-37-108. If the officer has not received full payment of the bid amount from the highest bidder at the sale pursuant to this subsection (7), the next highest bidder who has timely tendered the full amount of the bid under this subsection (7) is deemed the successful bidder at the sale.

(II) If the holder of the evidence of debt is the highest bidder with a bid that exceeds the total amount due shown on the bid pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, the holder of the evidence of debt is only required to pay the excess of the amount bid over the amount due the holder of the evidence of debt, as shown on the bid submitted pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.

(b) The officer may establish written policies relating to all aspects of the foreclosure sale that are consistent with the provisions of this article. The written policies shall be made available to the general public.