Arizona Revised Statutes Title 42. Taxation § 42-18234. Sale by public auction; bidder requirements; postponement of sale

A. On the date and at the time and place designated in the notice of sale, the qualified entity shall offer to sell the property at public auction for cash to the highest bidder. The minimum bid shall be the total of the amounts described in § 42-18204, subsection B, paragraph 1. The qualified entity may schedule more than one sale for the same date, time and place.

B. Any person, including the qualified entity or the certificate of purchase holder, may bid at the sale. Only the certificate of purchase holder may make a credit bid in lieu of cash at the sale. The qualified entity shall require every bidder, except the certificate of purchase holder, to provide a nonrefundable deposit in an amount equal to ten percent of the opening bid or $2,500, whichever is greater, in any form that is satisfactory to the qualified entity as a condition of entering a bid.

C. The qualified entity or the qualified entity's auctioneer may control the means and manner of the auction, except the opening bid shall be an amount equal to the total of the amounts described in § 42-18204, subsection B, paragraph 1. Every bid shall be deemed an irrevocable offer until the sale is completed, except that a subsequent bid by the same bidder for a higher amount shall cancel that bidder's lower bid. The qualified entity shall return deposits to all but the bidder whose bid resulted in the highest bid price. The sale is deemed completed on payment by the purchaser of the price bid in a form satisfactory to the qualified entity.

D. The subsequent execution, delivery and recording of the qualified entity's deed as prescribed by § 42-18235 are ministerial acts. If the qualified entity's deed is recorded in the county in which the property is located within fifteen business days after the date of the sale, the sale is deemed perfected at the appointed date and time of the sale.

E. The qualified entity may postpone or continue the sale from time to time or change the place of the sale to any other location authorized pursuant to this chapter by giving notice of the new date, time and place by public declaration at the time and place last appointed for the sale. Any new sale date shall be a fixed date within sixty calendar days after the date of the declaration. After a sale has been postponed or continued, the qualified entity, on request, shall make available the date and time of the next scheduled sale and, if the location of the sale has been changed, the new location of the sale until the sale has been conducted or canceled and providing this information shall be without obligation or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the information. Other notice of the postponed, continued or relocated sale is not required.

F. A sale is postponed by operation of law to the next business day at the same scheduled time and place if an act of force majeure prevents access to the sale location for the conduct of the sale.

G. Except for the assessments provided in § 42-18204, subsection D and property tax liens on the property, a sale concluded under this article extinguishes any other liens and encumbrances held by this state on the property, whether satisfied or not from the proceeds of the sale. To the extent not satisfied from the proceeds of the sale, liens and encumbrances held by this state as to the taxpayer and the taxpayer's other property are not affected.