§38-4-20. Time and place for sale of personal property under distraint, levy or order of court; posting or publishing notice; conduct and terms of sale.

In any case where an officer shall distrain or levy upon personal property, otherwise than under an execution or order issued by a justice, or under an attachment, and in any case in which he may be directed to sell personal property by an order of a court or judge, unless such order prescribes a different course, he shall fix upon a time and place for the sale thereof, and publish notice of such sale at least ten days by posting the same at the door of the courthouse of his county and some other conspicuous place near the residence of the owner, if he resides in the county: Provided, That any sheriff or other officer proceeding to sell under a writ of fieri facias or venditioni exponas, if the property be of the value of $500 or more, shall advertise the sale as a Class II-0 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. If the property be perishable or expensive to keep, it may be sold by order of the court, or the judge thereof in vacation, upon such notice as the court or judge may direct.

At the time and place so appointed the officer shall sell to the highest bidder for cash, except as hereinafter provided in section twenty-three of this article, such personal property, or so much thereof as may be necessary.