Rhode Island § 9-26-16 - Levy and Sale on Execution

§ 9-26-16. Advertisement and sale of real estate levied on — Disposition of proceeds.

(a) The officer shall give public notice of the levy and of the intended sale of the real estate or interest therein under the levy: first by mailing by certified mail return receipt requested to the record owner of the real estate as of the date sixty (60) days prior to the scheduled sale date, including the day of the mailing in the computation, without reference to any adjournment, continuation, or postponement of the sale, at the address of the real estate and, if different, at the owner’s address listed with the tax collector’s office of the city or town where the real estate is situated as of such date at least twenty (20) days prior to first publishing the notice, including the day of the mailing in the computation; second by causing an advertisement thereof to be published once a week for the space of three (3) weeks next before the time of the sale in some public newspaper published in the county where the real estate lies, and if no such public newspaper is published therein, then in some public newspaper published daily in the city of Providence; and third by mailing written notice of the time and place of the sale by certified mail return receipt requested to all persons who have recorded a mortgage, attachment, lien, or any other encumbrance relating to the real estate under the levy which is junior or subordinate to the levy at the address, if any, of the holder of the mortgage, attachment, lien, or other encumbrance as set forth in the recorded instrument or to the address of the holder’s attorney as set forth in the recorded mortgage, attachment, lien, or other encumbrance at least fourteen (14) days prior to the scheduled sale date, without regard to any adjournment, continuation, or postponement of the sale. If no such address shall be set forth in the mortgage, attachment, lien, or other encumbrance or if the instrument shall not have been recorded more than thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled sale date, without reference to any adjournment, continuation, or postponement of the sale, no such notice need be mailed to the holder of any such mortgage, attachment, lien, or other encumbrance. If any such notice is so mailed but is undeliverable to the owner or the holder, is refused by the owner or the holder, is unclaimed by the owner or the holder, or if the owner’s or holder’s forwarding notice shall have expired, or if the notice shall otherwise not be delivered by the United States Postal Service, the notice requirement shall be deemed satisfied. If a notice is not given prior to the sale to all persons who have recorded a mortgage, attachment, lien, or any other encumbrance relating to the levied premises, which is junior or subordinate to the execution, the encumbrance shall survive the sale for a period of one year from the date of sale unless a written notice of commencement of foreclosure proceedings of the mortgage or a written notice of intent to enforce the attachment, lien, or other encumbrance is recorded in the land evidence records in the city or town where the levied premises are located. Failure to record written notice within one year of the sale shall render the mortgage, attachment, lien, or other encumbrance, which is junior or subordinate to the execution, unenforceable. If no person redeem the real estate or interest therein before the real estate shall be exposed for sale, which sale shall not be earlier than three (3) months after levy, the officer shall sell the real estate, or so much thereof as shall be sufficient to satisfy the judgment obtained and the costs and charges, at public auction, and a deed thereof, by him or her given, shall vest in the purchaser all the estate, right, and interest which the debtor had therein at the time the estate was attached, or in case there was no attachment, all the estate, right, and interest which the debtor had at the time the levy was made, and the surplus of money that shall arise from the sale of the real estate or interest therein after satisfying the execution and the costs and charges shall be deposited with the general treasurer for the owner thereof, and shall be liable to be attached for his or her other debts.

(b) The officer shall include in the deed given an affidavit of compliance with the requirements of written notice of the sale as set forth in subsection (a).