§ RULE 120. ORDERS AUTHORIZING SALES UNDER POWERS

RULE 120. ORDERS AUTHORIZING SALES UNDER POWERS

(a) Motion; Contents. Whenever an order of court is desired authorizing a sale under a power of sale contained in an instrument, any interested person or someone on such person's behalf may file a verified motion in a district court seeking such order. The motion shall be accompanied by a copy of the instrument containing the power of sale, shall describe the property to be sold, and shall specify the default or other facts claimed by the moving party to justify invocation of the power of sale. When the property to be sold is personal property, the motion shall state the names and last known addresses, as shown by the records of the moving party, of all persons known or believed by the moving party to have an interest in such property which may be materially affected by such sale. When the property to be sold is real property and the power of sale is contained in a deed of trust to a public trustee, the motion shall state the name and last known address, as shown by the records of the moving party, of the grantor of such deed of trust, of the current record owner of the property to be sold, and of any person known or believed by the moving party to be personally liable upon the indebtedness secured by the deed of trust, as well as the names and addresses of those persons who appear to have acquired a record interest in such real property, subsequent to the recording of such deed of trust and prior to the recording of the notice of election and demand for sale, whether by deed, mortgage, judgment or any other instrument of record. In giving notice to persons who appear to have acquired a record interest in real property, the address of each such person shall be the address which is given in the recorded instrument evidencing such person's interest, except that if such recorded instrument does not give an address or if only the county and state are given as the address of such person, no address need be stated for such person in the motion. The clerk shall fix a time not less than 20 nor more than 30 days after the filing of the motion, and a place for the hearing of such motion.

(b) Notice; Contents; Service. The moving party shall issue a notice describing the instrument containing the power of sale, the property sought to be sold thereunder, and the default or other facts upon which the power of sale is invoked. The notice shall also state the time and place set for the hearing and shall refer to the right to file and serve responses as provided in section (c), including a reference to the last day for filing such responses and the addresses at which such responses must be filed and served. The notice shall contain the following advisement: “If this case is not filed in the county where your property is located, you have the right to ask the court to move the case to that county. Your request may be made as a part of your response or any paper you file with the court at least five days before the hearing.” The notice shall contain the return address of the moving party. Such notice shall be served by the moving party not less than 15 days prior to the date set for the hearing, by: (1) mailing a true copy thereof to each person named in the motion (other than persons for whom no address is stated) at the address or addresses stated in the motion; (2) by filing a copy with the clerk and by delivering a second copy to the clerk for posting by the clerk; and (3) if a residential property as defined by statute, by posting a true copy in a conspicuous place on the subject property as required by statute. Such mailing, delivery to the clerk for posting, and property posting shall be evidenced by the certificate of the moving party or moving party's agent. For the purpose of this section, posting may be electronic on the court's public website so long as the electronic address for the posting is displayed conspicuously at the courthouse.

(c) Response; Contents; Filing and Service. Any interested person who disputes, on grounds within the scope of the hearing provided for in section (d), the moving party's entitlement to an order authorizing sale may file and serve a response to the motion, verified by the oath of such person, setting forth the facts upon which he relies and attaching copies of all documents which support his position. The response shall be filed and served not less than five days prior to the date set for the hearing, said interval including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, C.R.C.P. 6(a) notwithstanding, unless the last day of the period so computed is a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday, in which event the period runs until the end of the next succeeding day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday. Service of such response upon the moving party shall be made in accordance with C.R.C.P. 5(b). C.R.C.P. 6(e) shall not apply to computation of time periods under this section (c).

(d) Hearing; Scope of Issues; Order; Effect. At the time and place set for the hearing or to which the hearing may have been continued, the court shall examine the motion and the responses, if any. The scope of inquiry at such hearing shall not extend beyond the existence of a default or other circumstances authorizing, under the terms of the instrument described in the motion, exercise of a power of sale contained therein, and such other issues required by the Service Member Civil Relief Act (SCRA), 50 U.S.C. § 520, as amended. The court shall determine whether there is a reasonable probability that such default or other circumstance has occurred, and whether an order authorizing sale is otherwise proper under said Service Member Civil Relief Act, and shall summarily grant or deny the motion in accordance with such determination. Neither the granting nor the denial of a motion under this Rule shall constitute an appealable order or judgment. The granting of any such motion shall be without prejudice to the right of any person aggrieved to seek injunctive or other relief in any court of competent jurisdiction, and the denial of any such motion shall be without prejudice to any right or remedy of the moving party. The court shall not require the appointment of an attorney to represent any interested person as a condition of granting such motion, unless it appears from the motion or other papers filed with the court that there is a reasonable probability that the interested person is in the military service.

(e) Hearing Dispensed with if no Response Filed. If no response has been filed within the time permitted by section (c), the court shall examine the motion and, if satisfied that venue is proper and the moving party is entitled to an order authorizing sale upon the facts stated therein, the court shall dispense with the hearing and forthwith enter an order authorizing sale.

(f) Venue. For the purposes of this section, a consumer obligation is any obligation (i) as to which the obligor is a natural person, and (ii) is incurred primarily for a personal, family, or household purpose. Any proceeding under this Rule involving a consumer obligation shall be brought in and heard in the county in which such consumer signed the obligation or in which the property or a substantial part thereof is located. Any proceeding under this Rule which does not involve a consumer obligation or an instrument securing a consumer obligation may be brought and heard in any county. However, in any proceeding under this Rule, if a response is filed, and if in the response or in any other writing filed with the court, the responding party requests a change of venue to the county in which the encumbered property or a substantial part thereof is situated, the court shall order transfer of the proceeding to such county.

(g) Return of Sale. The court shall require a return of such sale to be made to the court, and if it appears therefrom that such sale was conducted in conformity with the order authorizing the sale, the court shall thereupon enter an order approving the sale.

(h) Docket Fee. A docket fee in the amount specified by law shall be paid by the person filing such motion. Unless the court shall otherwise order, any person filing a response to the motion shall pay, at the time of the filing of such response, a docket fee in the amount specified by law for a defendant or respondent in a civil action under section 13-32-101(1)(d), C.R.S.