28 U.S.C. § 2001
Section 2001 · Sale of realty generally
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 102 court decisions — leading case Foster v. Center Township (1986)
Most recently applied in US Bank NA v. B R Penn Realty Owner LP (May 2025)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 26 U.S.C. § 7403 · 26 U.S.C. § 6321 · 21 U.S.C. § 853
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
(a) Any realty or interest therein sold under any order or decree of any court of the United States shall be sold as a whole or in separate parcels at public sale at the courthouse of the county, parish, or city in which the greater part of the property is located, or upon the premises or some parcel thereof located therein, as the court directs. Such sale shall be upon such terms and conditions as the court directs.
Property in the possession of a receiver or receivers appointed by one or more district courts shall be sold at public sale in the district wherein any such receiver was first appointed, at the courthouse of the county, parish, or city situated therein in which the greater part of the property in such district is located, or on the premises or some parcel thereof located in such county, parish, or city, as such court directs, unless the court orders the sale of the property or one or more parcels thereof in one or more ancillary districts.
(b) After a hearing, of which notice to all interested parties shall be given by publication or otherwise as the court directs, the court may order the sale of such realty or interest or any part thereof at private sale for cash or other consideration and upon such terms and conditions as the court approves, if it finds that the best interests of the estate will be conserved thereby. Before confirmation of any private sale, the court shall appoint three disinterested persons to appraise such property or different groups of three appraisers each to appraise properties of different classes or situated in different localities. No private sale shall be confirmed at a price less than two-thirds of the appraised value. Before confirmation of any private sale, the terms thereof shall be published in such newspaper or newspapers of general circulation as the court directs at least ten days before confirmation. The private sale shall not be confirmed if a bona fide offer is made, under conditions prescribed by the court, which guarantees at least a 10 per centum increase over the price offered in the private sale.
(c) This section shall not apply to sales and proceedings under Title 11 or by receivers or conservators of banks appointed by the Comptroller of the Currency.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
1948 Act
Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §847 (Mar. 3, 1893, ch. 225, §1, 27 Stat. 751; June 19, 1934, ch. 662, 48 Stat. 1119; Apr. 24, 1935, ch. 77, §1, 49 Stat. 159; June 19, 1935, ch. 276, 49 Stat. 390).
A provision making the section applicable to pending proceedings was deleted as obsolete.
The term “court of the United States” is defined in section 451 of this title.
Changes were made in phraseology.
1949 Act
This section corrects a typographical error in subsection (a) of section 2001 of title 28, U.S.C.
Amendments
1949—Subsec. (a). Act May 24, 1949, corrected spelling of “ancillary” in second par.
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
Execution, see rule 69, Appendix to this title.
Cross References
Sale of property in bankruptcy proceedings, see section 363 of Title 11, Bankruptcy.