Departments | Sheriff | In the News | It's a lonely job that must be done
Deputy Jay Thompson conducts sheriff's sales, often in front of nobody
Article written by Jan Horgen and used with permission from the Globe Gazette, published on Thursday, April 20, 2006.
MASON CITY - There are days Cerro Gordo Deputy Jay Thompson can be found talking to himself.
It's a job requirement.
Thompson is a civil deputy, serving court orders - summons and subpoenas, eviction notices, child endangerment removals, divorce papers and foreclosure notices.
And he conducts sheriff's sales in the small Cerro Gordo County courthouse lobby.
Some days, there are bidders, eager to get a good deal. Other days, there is only the echo of Thompson's voice.
"Believe me, I get some strange looks from people passing by who wonder why I'm talking to myself," he said.
People stop and stare.
Thompson just keeps reading.
After 20 years on the job, he's learned to shrug away those "that guy is crazy" whispers.
"I call the sale, start by saying 'buyer beware', then ask for questions," Thompson said.
So he stands and reads the general or special execution order - verbatim - alone or not.
He smiles, knowing it sounds a bit strange. "But that's the job. I have to go through with the sale, even when there's no one around."
Most sheriff's sales in Cerro Gordo County are real estate foreclosures, Thompson said, but there is the occasional court-ordered sale of personal property.
His first sheriff's sale was one of the more memorable. Personal property - the shell of a Jeep CJ7 and a Harley-Davidson softail motorcycle.
"I couldn't believe anyone would buy just the shell of a Jeep, but someone wanted it," Thompson said, shaking his head.
Real estate foreclosures have escalated the number of sheriff's sales in all of Iowa's 99 counties, especially in the past five years, Thompson said.
Though there are often "good deals" to be had at a sheriff's sale, he cautions perspective buyers to be knowledgeable about the parcels.
"Buyers need to beware, do some research. I don't necessarily know if there is another lien or claim to the property that must be satisfied," Thompson said. "And when the auction ends, the high bidder, you need to come up with cash, a certified check or a letter of credit for the amount due."
