Title 31 › Subtitle SUBTITLE III— - FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT › Chapter CHAPTER 35— - ACCOUNTING AND COLLECTION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - COLLECTION › § 3542
A marshal must take an official's personal property and sell it after 10 days' notice posted in at least 2 public places in the town and county where it was taken or where the owner lives. If the sale doesn't pay the amount owed, the official may be jailed until the law releases them. The debt becomes a legal claim on the official's real property from the warrant date and must be recorded in the district court. If personal property is not enough, the marshal must advertise the real property for at least 3 weeks in 3 public places in the county or district and sell it. The buyer gets valid title. Any money left after paying the debt and reasonable sale costs goes to the official.
Full Legal Text
Money and Finance — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
31 U.S.C. § 3542
Title 31 — Money and Finance
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73