It shall be the duty of the sheriff, upon receiving the amount of the bid at any sale, either before or after judgment, from the purchaser, or in case the purchaser is the plaintiff or an intervenor, upon receiving so much of the bid as the court directs by order, reference being had to the relative amount of the buyer's claim, to deliver such water craft and appurtenances to the purchaser, with a bill of sale thereof, and to return and to deliver to the clerk of court the amount received on such sale.
4-224.Proceedings on sale.
Article IV. Attachment · Part 2. Watercraft · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceSection 4-224 directs the sheriff, on receiving the bid (or the court-set portion of it if the buyer is the plaintiff or an intervenor), to deliver the craft and a bill of sale to the purchaser and turn the proceeds over to the clerk.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/4-224
Plain-English Summary
Once a purchaser pays the amount bid at a sale — whether the sale happens before or after judgment — the sheriff must deliver the water craft and its appurtenances to that purchaser, along with a bill of sale.
If the purchaser is the plaintiff or an intervenor rather than an outside buyer, the sheriff may instead receive only the portion of the bid the court directs by order, set with reference to how the buyer's own claim compares to the total. Either way, the sheriff must return and deliver the amount received on the sale to the clerk of the court.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must the sheriff do once payment is received from the buyer?
Deliver the water craft and its appurtenances to the purchaser, along with a bill of sale.
What if the purchaser is the plaintiff or an intervenor rather than an outside buyer?
The court may direct the sheriff to receive only the portion of the bid that reflects the buyer's own claim.
Where do the sale proceeds go after the sheriff collects them?
They are returned and delivered to the clerk of the court.
Does this section apply only to sales that happen after judgment?
No — it applies to sales made either before or after judgment.
What document proves the buyer's ownership after the sale?
The bill of sale, whose required contents and legal effect Section 4-225 describes.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: sheriff sale proceeds illinois boatbill of sale watercraft deliverypurchaser delivery vessel sale illinoisplaintiff buyer bid credit watercraft