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Glite Dictionary
sheriff's sale

sheriff's sale

1 8.4
A public event where a local officer called a sheriff sells property to pay a debt
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɛrɪfs seɪl/
  • Formal
translation icon : venta judicial
  • The March 4 sheriff's sale got the bank's attention, and the two sides have now settled the suit, if not their differences.

Examples

  • After missing several payments, the house was put up for sheriff's sale to recover the debt.

  • The local newspaper published a list of properties that will be available at the upcoming sheriff's sale.

  • "It felt like the sheriff's sale was a little taste of justice for me."

    Blog text (6)

  • But I'll wait for the sheriff's sale.

    Gone with the Wind (1939)

  • You wait until the sheriff's sale takes place to confirm it.

    Blog text (31)

  • It took until May of 2009 for them to send notice of the sheriff's sale, which was in November of 2009.

    Blog text (26)

  • Eventually, a final judgment went through, and a sheriff's sale date was set for Nov. 16th, 2010.

    Blog text (21)

  • He also used sheriff's sales to expand his holdings.

    Academic text (1991)

  • They are trying to say that the "FMV of the home is $176k when the real FMV of the home is only $45k; it sold after the sheriff's sale for $50k.

    Blog text (26)

  • Many bidders attended the sheriff's sale hoping to find a good deal on distressed properties.

Synonyms

sale
vssheriff's sale
∞ 1.0

An act of giving something to someone for money

is the court ordered public event that enforces unpaid obligations
to auction
vssheriff's sale
53 3.6

To sell something at a public sale where people bid and the highest bidder buys it

is the same public bidding but used to satisfy legal debt by enforcement
auction sale
vssheriff's sale
1 3.2

A public sale where items go to the person who offers the most money

is similar but is specifically enforced by a local law officer for debts
execution sale
vssheriff's sale
  • Formal
9.0

A public sale of a person's property ordered by a court to pay a debt

is done specifically by the county law officer acting under court order
judicial sale
vssheriff's sale
  • Formal
7.7

A sale of property that a court orders to pay a debt

is the sale run by a local law officer under that same court authority
forced sale
vssheriff's sale
  • Formal
5.6

A sale of a person's property ordered by a court or bank to pay a debt

is carried out by a local law officer to enforce unpaid obligations

Surface Forms

sheriff's sale singular
sheriffs' sales plural

Morphology

sheriff's + sale

Knowing 'sheriff' (a law-enforcement officer) and 'sale' (an event where goods are sold) gives a B1 learner a clear hint that this is a sale conducted by a sheriff, so the basic idea is derivable. However, the specific legal sense — a court-ordered public auction to satisfy unpaid debts — and the institutional practice behind it are specialized and culture-specific, so the full meaning is not predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Sheriff's sale comes from a simple scene: a local sheriff, who is a law officer, would hold a public sale, selling a person's things so the money could be used 'to pay a debt' after a court order. That's why today sheriff's sale means a public sale of property 'to satisfy an unpaid debt'.