2015 West Virginia Code
CHAPTER 19. AGRICULTURE
ARTICLE 2C. AUCTIONEERS.
§19-2C-1. Definitions.

For the purposes of this article:

(a) "Auctioneer" means a person who sells goods or real estate at public auction for another on commission or for other compensation. The term "auctioneer" does not include:

(1) Persons conducting sales at auctions conducted by or under the direction of any public authority or pursuant to any judicial order or direction or to any sale required by law to be at auction;

(2) The owner of any real or personal property when personally sold at auction by the owner and the owner has not personally conducted an auction within the previous twelve-month period;

(3) Persons conducting sales pursuant to a deed of trust;

(4) Fiduciaries of estates when selling real or personal property of the estate;

(5) Persons conducting sales on behalf of charitable, religious, fraternal or other nonprofit organizations; and

(6) Persons properly licensed pursuant to the provisions of article forty, chapter thirty of this code when conducting an auction, any portion of which contains any leasehold or any estate in land whether corporeal or incorporeal, freehold or nonfreehold, when the person is retained to conduct an auction by a receiver or trustee in bankruptcy, a fiduciary acting under the authority of a deed of trust or will, or a fiduciary of a decedent's estate: Provided, That nothing contained in this article exempts persons conducting sales at public markets from the provisions of article two-a of this chapter, where the sale is confined solely to livestock, poultry and other agriculture and horticulture products. (b) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Agriculture of West Virginia.

(c) "Department" means the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.

(d) "Escrow account" means a separate custodial or trust fund account maintained by the auctioneer.

(e)"Public auction" means any public sale of real or personal property when offers or bids are made by prospective purchasers and the property sold to the highest bidder.