Foreclosure of Mortgages and Power of Sale

Wyo. Stat. Ann. tit. 34, ch. 4

in effect

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-101 Application.

The provisions of this act shall apply to all mortgages containing a power of sale executed prior to the passage thereof, not having been foreclosed, and nothing in this act contained shall be construed as limiting the power of parties to a mortgage to provide therein as they may see fit as to the manner of foreclosure and sale, and when such provision is made, foreclosure and sale may be made in accordance therewith, or in accordance with the provisions of this act.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-102 Foreclosure by advertisement.

(a) Every mortgage of real estate, containing therein a power of sale upon default being made in any condition thereof, may be foreclosed by advertisement within ten (10) years after the maturing of such mortgage or the debt secured thereby, or after the recording thereof, in the cases and in the manner hereinafter specified. (b) The time within which such proceeding may be commenced under the power of sale shall begin to run: (i) As to any mortgage executed after May 21, 1945, from the date of such mortgage, unless the maturity of the debt or obligation secured by such mortgage be clearly stated in or is otherwise readily ascertainable from the provisions of such mortgage; (ii) (A) As to any mortgage executed prior to May 21, 1945, at the latest of the following dates: (I) The tenth anniversary of the maturity of the debt or obligation secured by such mortgage if clearly stated in or otherwise readily ascertainable from the provisions of the mortgage; (II) The tenth anniversary of the recording of the mortgage if no such maturity date is clearly stated in or readily ascertainable from the provisions of the mortgage; (III) The stated, renewed, or extended maturity date recorded on or before December 31, 1971, in the manner provided in subdivision (B)(II) of this paragraph. (B) The owner and holder of any debt or obligation secured by a mortgage executed prior to May 21, 1945, the maturity date of which either: (I) Is not clearly stated or otherwise readily ascertainable; or (II) Has been renewed or extended by agreement, payment, or other act of the debtor, may, on or before December 31, 1971, record in the office of the county clerk in the county in which such real estate is located either: (1) An agreement signed and acknowledged by the debtor as a conveyance of real estate, stating the agreed, renewed or extended maturity date of such debt or obligation; or (2) An affidavit of the owner and holder of such debt or obligation, stating such maturity date and the date, form or manner of the agreement, payment or other act of the debtor fixing such date. (c) No mortgage in which the maturity of the debt or obligation is not clearly stated or otherwise readily ascertainable, which was recorded on or before May 21, 1945, and for which no stated, renewed or extended maturity date is recorded on or before December 31, 1971, may be foreclosed by advertisement after December 31, 1971; and no such mortgage recorded after May 21, 1945, may be foreclosed by advertisement commenced more than ten (10) years after the date of such recording.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-103 Prerequisites to foreclosure.

(a) To entitle any party to give a notice as hereinafter prescribed and to make such foreclosure, it is requisite: (i) That some default in a condition of such mortgage has occurred by which the power to sell became operative; (ii) That no suit or proceeding has been instituted at law to recover the debt then remaining secured by such mortgage, or any part thereof, or if any suit or proceeding has been instituted, that the same has been discontinued, or that an execution upon the judgment rendered therein has been returned unsatisfied in whole or in part; (iii) That the mortgage containing the power of sale has been duly recorded; and if it has been assigned, that all assignments have been recorded; and (iv) That written notice of intent to foreclose the mortgage by advertisement and sale has been served upon the record owner, and the person in possession of the mortgaged premises if different than the record owner, by certified mail with return receipt, mailed to the last known address of the record owner and the person in possession at least ten (10) days before commencement of publication of notice of sale. Proof of compliance with this subsection shall be by affidavit.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-104 Publication and service of notices; generally.

(a) Notice that the mortgage will be foreclosed by a sale of the mortgaged premises, or some part of them, shall be given by publishing the notice for four (4) consecutive weeks, at least once in each week, in a newspaper printed in the county where the premises included in the mortgage and intended to be sold, or some part of them, are situated, if there be one; and if no newspaper be printed in the county, then notice shall be published in a paper printed in the state and of general circulation in the county. Prior to first date of publication, a copy of the notice shall be served by certified mail with return receipt requested upon the record owner, the person in possession of mortgaged premises, if different than the record owner, and all holders of recorded mortgages and liens subordinate to the mortgage being foreclosed, which appear of record at least twenty-five (25) days before the scheduled foreclosure sale. The notice shall be sent to the last known address for the addressee, which shall be the address set forth in the mortgage or lien filed of record unless another address has been recorded in the real estate records or has been provided to the foreclosing mortgagee or lienholder. Proof of compliance with this section shall be made by affidavit of an authorized representative of the foreclosing mortgagee or lienholder. A person or entity who acts in reliance upon the affidavit without knowledge that the representations contained therein are incorrect shall not be liable to any person for so acting and may assume without inquiry the existence of the facts contained in the affidavit. (b) If there are sale proceeds in excess of the amount necessary to pay the foreclosing mortgagee, judgment creditor or other lienor in full, then within ten (10) business days following the sale of real estate by foreclosure, the foreclosing mortgagee or lienholder shall serve a copy of the sale results to the record owner of the mortgaged premises and all holders of recorded mortgages and liens subordinate to the mortgage or lien being foreclosed. Sale results shall be sent by certified mail with return receipt requested to the last known address for the addressee, which shall be the address set forth in the mortgage or lien filed of record unless another address has been recorded in the real estate records or has been provided in writing to the foreclosing mortgagee or lienholder. The sale results shall include the amount due the foreclosing mortgagee or lienholder as of the date of sale, the name of the successful bidder and the amount of the successful bid. If the certificate of sale awarded to the successful bidder includes the required information, the foreclosing mortgagee or lienholder may comply with this section by serving a copy of the certificate of sale.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-105 Publication of notice; contents.

(a) Every such notice shall include: (i) The names of the mortgagor and of the mortgagee and the assignee of the mortgage if any; (ii) The date of the mortgage and when recorded; (iii) The amount claimed to be due thereon at the date of the notice; (iv) A description of the mortgaged premises, conforming substantially with that contained in the mortgage; (v) The time and place of sale; and (vi) A statement that "The property being foreclosed upon may be subject to other liens and encumbrances that will not be extinguished at the sale and any prospective purchaser should research the status of title before submitting a bid."

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-106 Time, place and manner of sale generally; mortgagee, judgment creditor or lienor shall be present or waive.

The sale shall be at public vendue, between the hour of ten (10:00) o'clock in the forenoon, and five (5:00) o'clock in the afternoon, at the front door of the courthouse, or the place of holding the district court of the county within the county in which the premises to be sold, or some part of them, are situated, and shall be made by the person appointed for that purpose in the mortgage or by the sheriff or deputy sheriff of the county, to the highest bidder. The sheriff or deputy sheriff shall not hold the sale unless the foreclosing mortgagee, judgment creditor, other foreclosing lienor or an authorized agent of the foreclosing party is present at the sale or has previously waived to the sheriff conducting the sale the right to appear and bid at the sale. The sheriff conducting the sale shall not be considered to be the authorized agent of the foreclosing party unless the foreclosing party has given the sheriff a specified opening bid to be presented by the sheriff on behalf of the foreclosing party and the sheriff actually presents the opening bid. Any foreclosure sale conducted without complying with the terms of this section is void, in which case the mortgage, power of sale, judgment or other lien which is the subject of the voided sale is not extinguished or exhausted, but may be properly foreclosed in a subsequent foreclosure sale in compliance with applicable law.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-107 Manner in which distinct tracts or lots sold.

If the mortgaged premises consist of distinct tracts or lots the foreclosing mortgagee may offer for sale separately sufficient tracts or lots as shall be necessary to satisfy the amount due on such mortgage at the date of the notice of sale, with interest and costs and expenses allowed by law, or the foreclosing mortgagee may offer all such distinct tracts or lots to be sold as a whole.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-108 Mortgagee may purchase; by whom sale made; mortgagee, judgment creditor or lienor shall be present or waive.

The mortgagee, his assigns, or his or their legal representatives may fairly and in good faith, purchase the premises sold upon foreclosure of any mortgage by advertisement under power of sale or any part thereof, at the sale; and whenever the mortgage shall provide for the mortgagee to sell the premises at the foreclosure sale, notwithstanding the provision, the sale may be made by the sheriff, or deputy sheriff, or by the mortgagee at the option of the latter. The sale shall be postponed, if the foreclosing mortgagee, judgment creditor or other foreclosing lienor, or an authorized agent of the foreclosing mortgagee, judgment creditor or other foreclosing lienor, is not present at the sale or has not previously waived in writing the right to appear and bid at the sale.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-109 Postponement of sale.

A foreclosure sale may be postponed from time to time by inserting a notice of the postponement as soon as practicable in the newspaper in which the original advertisement was published and continuing the publication until the time to which the sale shall be postponed, at the expense of the party requesting the postponement, provided that the original advertisement is published at least once a week, over four (4) consecutive weeks, and the notice of postponement is published at least once a week, over two (2) consecutive weeks.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-110 Successor to officer making sale may execute conveyance.

If the term of service of the officer who makes sale of any lands and tenements as provided in chapter 243 of the Wyoming Compiled Statutes of 1910 expires, or if such officer die, be absent or unable for any cause to make a deed of conveyance of the property sold, any successor of such officer may execute such conveyance.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-111 Costs and expenses; generally.

The costs and expenses of the foreclosure sale, which shall be paid out of the proceeds of the sale, shall include the costs of advertising, the fee of the officer or person making the sale and executing the deed, said fee not to exceed ten dollars ($10.00); and an attorney or solicitor's fee if there be a stipulation therefor in the mortgage.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-112 Costs and expenses; attorney's fees.

Whenever an attorney's fee is provided for in any real or chattel mortgage, or the note or notes secured thereby, such attorney's fee shall not be allowed or added to the mortgage debt in any foreclosure by public advertisement and sale, unless it shall appear by the affidavit of an attorney admitted generally to practice in this state representing the mortgagee or his assigns in such foreclosures, or the party instituting such foreclosure, which affidavit shall be filed with the sheriff or person who shall conduct the sale under such foreclosure, and said affidavit shall state therein that there has been and is no agreement, express or implied, between such attorney and his client, nor between him and any other person except a practicing attorney of this state engaged with him as an attorney in the foreclosure proceeding, for any sharing or division of said fee so to be allowed or added to the debt involved, and said fee when so allowed or added to the debt shall be only as compensation for services actually rendered in the foreclosure proceeding by an attorney admitted to practice in this state and residing therein. Provided, however, that in the foreclosure of real estate mortgages, this section shall in no wise affect the title to the real estate involved in such a foreclosure.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-4-113 Payment of proceeds.

(a) After any sale of real estate made as herein prescribed, proceeds from the sale shall be paid over by the officer or other person making the sale in the following order: (i) Payment of the reasonable expenses of collection and enforcement and, to the extent provided by law, reasonable attorney's fees and legal expenses incurred by the foreclosing mortgagee; (ii) The satisfaction of obligations secured by the mortgage being foreclosed; (iii) The satisfaction of obligations secured by any subordinate or junior mortgage or other lien on the real estate sold at the foreclosure sale; and (iv) Surplus proceeds on demand to the mortgagor, his legal representatives or assigns, and if no demand is made, then the foreclosing mortgagee, officer or other person making sale may retain the surplus proceeds for disposition to the mortgagor or may dispose of the surplus proceeds in accordance with W.S. 34-24-101 et seq. (b) If the foreclosing mortgagee receives a demand for the proceeds accompanied by the materials required by W.S. 1-18-104(c) and signed by the holder of a subordinate or junior mortgage or other lien within thirty (30) days after the results of the sale are served in accordance with W.S. 34-4-104, proceeds remaining after distribution under paragraphs (a)(i) and (ii) of this section shall be paid over by the officer or other person making the sale as agreed upon by all parties in interest, or by court order, to the subordinate mortgagees or lienholders in accordance with their priority and to the extent of their interest. (c) Subject to the other provisions of this section, a mortgagee shall account to and pay a mortgagor for any surplus, and the mortgagor is liable for any deficiency.

Source: Public.Resource.Org WY StatutesURL: https://unicourt.github.io/cic-code-wy/transforms/wy/ocwy/r78/gov.wy.code.title.34.htmlFetched: 6/28/2026