What happens if you're the winning bidder - but can't come up with the money?

Today an auction was published for a unit I knew I had seen before: Elima Lani #1803.  I had always been told that if you bid on a unit and cannot complete the purchase, that your 10% bid would be returned, less the expenses for re-publishing the notices and holding the auction again.  However, I had never seen it happen.  

Apparently, after winning the bid and depositing his 10% with the commissioner, the bidder could not come up with the balance of the purchase price.  From the court minutes: 

Court: Orders the commissioner to re-auction as a NEW auction and to publish in a newspaper. Will GRANT plaintiffs motion and CANCEL the sale to the high bidder based on the representation that were unable to secure financing but will maintain possession of the 10% deposit until the costs to re-auction are sorted. 

Commissioner: Tenant moved out; inquires as to open houses and to rechecking out the property. 

Court: YES the commissioner shall treat this as a new auction and hold more open houses. 

Bidder: Pleads for the Court to release his deposit due to serious financial hardship; 

Court: The order states the deposit is to be held

I am interested to continue watching this one to see how much of his deposit the bidder is actually able to recover.  

Please remember: 

• Don't bid unless you have the full amount readily available to you. 
• Financing is very risky during a court foreclosure process.
• Just because this judge is willing to return some of this bidder's deposit, does not mean other judges would do the same under other circumstances.  Do not count on receiving any of your 10% deposit back if you cannot complete the purchase.  

Be sure to Subscribe to email alerts do you don't miss the updates as this case makes its way back through the new auction and the final accounting of bidder's deposit return is completed.  

Kyra Bronson R(B) 23930

LUVA Real Estate