The officer to whom any execution shall be directed and the officer’s deputy holding any execution and conducting any sale in pursuance thereof shall not, directly or indirectly, purchase any property at such sale; and every purchase made by such officer or deputy, or to the officer’s or deputy’s use, shall be void.
815.37.Execution sale; officer not to purchase.
Ch. 815: Executions · Last amended 1993 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 815.37 bars the officer or deputy conducting an execution sale from purchasing the property, directly or indirectly, and makes any such purchase void.
Full Text of Section 815.37
Plain-English Summary
Section 815.37 keeps the officer running an execution sale out of the bidding. Neither the officer to whom the execution is directed, nor the officer’s deputy holding the execution and conducting the sale, may purchase any property at that sale, directly or indirectly.
The prohibition reaches more than a purchase made openly in the officer’s or deputy’s own name. Every purchase made by the officer or deputy, or to the officer’s or deputy’s use, is void, which covers a purchase made through someone else acting on the officer’s behalf as well as a direct one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the sheriff conducting an execution sale bid on and buy the property being sold?
No. Section 815.37 bars the officer to whom the execution is directed from purchasing, directly or indirectly, at that sale.
Does this restriction apply to the deputy who runs the sale, or just the officer named on the writ?
Both. It covers the officer to whom the execution is directed and the deputy holding the execution and conducting the sale.
What happens if the officer buys the property through someone else acting on their behalf?
That counts as an indirect purchase, which the section also covers. Any purchase made “to the officer’s or deputy’s use” is void, along with a direct purchase.
What is the consequence of the officer or deputy violating this rule?
The purchase is void.
Does this section apply to purchases at any execution sale, or only real estate sales?
Its text refers generally to “any property at such sale,” without limiting itself to real estate.
Amendment History
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 761 (1975); Stats. 1975 s. 815.37; 1993 a. 486.
Source & verification. Section text and official notes are
reproduced verbatim from the Wisconsin Statutes, published by the
Wisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau). Last verified July 15, 2026.
· Official source
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