State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > West-virginia > 38 > 38-13-9

§38-13-9. Sales by trustee; creditors may prescribe manner and terms; powers of fiduciary commissioner; compromising claims; continuing operation of business.
At the first meeting of creditors a majority in number and amount of the creditors present may prescribe in what manner and on what terms the property belonging to the estate shall be sold, and the trustee shall not sell, or otherwise dispose of, any property belonging to the estate prior to the first meeting of the creditors, unless expressly authorized to do so by the fiduciary commissioner after good cause therefor has been shown. The trustee shall not sell or otherwise dispose of, the property belonging to the estate for less than seventy-five percent of its appraised value without the approval of the fiduciary commissioner. The trustee may compromise or compound any claim or debt belonging to the estate with the approval of the fiduciary commissioner. All sales by the trustee shall be made at public auction, unless otherwise ordered by the fiduciary commissioner or authorized by the creditors. The trustees shall give at least ten days' notice by mail to all of the creditors of the time and place of sale of any property belonging to the estate of the value of five hundred dollars, or more, and shall advertise the sale as a Class II legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code, and the publication area for such publication shall be the county. Such notice and advertisement may be waived by the creditors at their first meeting. Upon application to the fiduciary commissioner, and for good cause shown, the trustee may be authorized to sell any portion of the estate at private sale, in which case he shall keep an accurate record of each article sold, the price received therefor and to whom sold, which account he shall file with the fiduciary commissioner. Upon application by the trustee or a creditor setting forth that a part or the whole of the estate is perishable, the nature and location of such perishable property, and that there will be loss if the same is not sold immediately, the fiduciary commissioner, if satisfied, of the facts stated and that the sale is required in the interests of the estate, may order the same to be sold without notice or with such notice as he may direct. Upon application by the trustee or a creditor setting forth that it is for the best interest of the estate that the trustee continue to operate the business, the fiduciary commissioner may authorize the trustee to operate the business until the first meeting of the creditors, at which meeting a majority in number and amount of the creditors present shall determine whether such operation is to be continued thereafter.