Opinion ID: 2515364
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Redemption Period

Text: [¶ 19] Mr. Cook argues that the district court erred by granting a sheriff's deed to Mr. Swires because he was entitled to 12 months to redeem the property. Mr. Cook maintains that Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 1-18-102 and 103 (LexisNexis 2007) provided him a twelve month redemption period. Section 1-18-102 states, in pertinent part: When real property is sold by virtue of an execution, order of sale, decree of foreclosure or foreclosure by advertisement and sale, the sheriff or other officer, instead of executing a deed to the premises sold, shall give to the purchaser of the lands a certificate in writing describing the property purchased and the sum paid therefor, or if purchased by the plaintiff in execution or by the mortgagee, the amount of his bid. The certificate shall state that the purchaser is entitled to a deed for the property at the expiration of the period of redemption, unless the property is redeemed prior to that date as provided by law. Section 1-18-103 states: (a) Except as provided with respect to agricultural real estate, it is lawful for any person, his heirs, executors, administrators, assigns or guarantors whose real property has been sold by virtue of an execution, decree of foreclosure, or foreclosure by advertisement and sale within three (3) months from the date of sale, to redeem the real estate by paying to the purchaser, his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, or to the sheriff or other officer who sold the property, for the benefit of the purchaser, the amount of the purchase price or the amount given or bid if purchased by the execution creditor or by the mortgagee under a mortgage, together with interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) per annum from the date of sale plus the amount of any assessments or taxes and the amount due on any prior lien which the purchaser paid after the purchase, with interest. On payment of this amount the sale and certificate granted are void. (b) In the case of any mortgage upon one (1) or more parcels of real estate any or all of which were agricultural real estate on the date of execution of the mortgage as stated in the mortgage, the period within which the owner, his heirs, executors, administrators, assigns or guarantors may redeem the premises sold is twelve (12) months from the date of the sale. (c) The term agricultural real estate means any parcel of land in excess of twenty (20) acres lying outside the exterior boundaries of any incorporated city, town or recorded subdivision. If the mortgage recites that the real estate involved is agricultural real estate, it is presumed the parties to the mortgage, their heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, guarantors or successors in interest have agreed to and are bound by all the provisions of law relative to the right of redemption. [¶ 20] The district court ruled that Mr. Cook was entitled to a three month redemption period under subsection (a) instead of a 12 month redemption period under subsection (b). The court explained that, although the property arguably fell within subsection (c)'s definition of agricultural real estate, under subsection (b) the 12 month period only applies to mortgaged agricultural property. Because the execution sale in this case involved foreclosure of a judgment rather than a mortgage, subsection (a) applied and provided only a three month redemption period. [¶ 21] The right to redeem is purely statutory; therefore, redemption may only occur in strict compliance with the statutes that govern it. Jessen v. Jessen, 2002 WY 33, ¶ 12, 41 P.3d 543, 546 (Wyo. 2002). As we explained earlier in this decision, our goal in interpreting statutes is to effectuate the legislature's intent. We give effect to the clear and unambiguous language of the statute. Rules of statutory construction are applied only if the statutory language is ambiguous or subject to varying interpretations. Statutory interpretation is a question of law we review de novo. Chevron, ¶¶ 10, 13, 154 P.3d at 334-35; Powder River, ¶ 6, 38 P.3d at 426. [¶ 22] Subsection (a) states that [e]xcept as provided with respect to agricultural real estate, it is lawful for any person . . . whose real property has been sold by virtue of an execution, decree of foreclosure, or foreclosure by advertisement and sale within three (3) months from the date of sale, to redeem the real estate . . . Thus, the legislature clearly stated in subsection (a) that, with the exception of specific provisions for agricultural property, the redemption period is three months. [¶ 23] In delineating the 12 month redemption period in subsection (b), the legislature referenced only mortgaged agricultural property. We have said that omission of words from a statute is considered to be an intentional act by the legislature, and this court will not read words into a statute when the legislature has chosen not to include them. Stutzman v. Office of Wyo. State Eng'r, 2006 WY 30 ¶ 16, 130 P.3d 470, 475 (Wyo. 2006). By referring exclusively to mortgaged property, the legislature clearly intended to omit other agricultural property from the reach of subsection (b). We conclude, as did the district court, that, although Mr. Cook's property may fall within the definition of agricultural real estate set out in § 1-18-103(c), the 12 month redemption period in subsection (b) was limited to mortgaged agricultural property. Thus, the district court correctly ruled that the general three month redemption period in subsection (a) governed in this case.