Civil law enforcement is the original function of a Sheriff’s office. In old England, the first sheriffs were selected by the King to collect taxes and that is still a substantial part of our duties today, even though the Sheriff is an elected official.
It has been said that the law is 90 percent civil and 10 percent criminal. This is, most likely, the origin of the saying, ‘possession is 9/10 of the law’ because civil law does indeed deal with people’s real and personal possessions.
In Louisiana, the Sheriff is responsible for collecting and dispersing property taxes within his parish. The UPSO Civil Office is responsible for these duties as well as service and execution of court-issued documents. The Civil Office also collects fines from citations issued within Union Parish by UPSO and Louisiana State Police.
The UPSO Civil Office is lead by Chief Civil Deputy Marla Calton, a 25 year veteran of UPSO. Her Assistant Chief Civil Deputy is Shetoshia Washington, who has been with UPSO for 10 years.
Civil Office Contact Information
Mailing Address:
710 Holder Rd.
Farmerville, LA 71241
Phone/Fax:
Phone: (318) 368-2510
Fax: (318) 368-7691
Chief Civil Deputy Marla Calton
Asst. Chief Civil Deputy Shetoshia Washington
Information about Civil Office Services
Cash payments are accepted during normal business hours only.
Payments sent by mail can be in the form of personal checks, money order, or cashiers check. Be sure and include the portion of your tax statement that is needed to credit your account. Put your assessment number on any form of payment. Property taxes may be paid online using the button above.
Citations issued within Union Parish by UPSO or Louisiana State Police can be paid during normal business hours and with cash only at UPSO. Payments remitted by mail must be in the form of money order or cashiers check. The original citation must accompany your payment. Personal Checks are not accepted. Citations may be paid online using the button above. For fine amounts, contact the Civil Office.
Cash payments are accepted during normal business hours only. Personal Checks are NOT accepted by mail or in person for payment of court costs. These fees may be paid by clicking the ‘Pay Docket Fees’ button above.
Sheriff’s Sales are conducted every Wednesday in the front lobby of UPSO at 10 a.m. Click the button below to view current items.
Some of the things we do. . .
- Serve and execute court issued documents within Union Parish
- Seizure and sale of movable and non-movable property
- Collect and process all property taxes for Union Parish
- Collect and process citation monies for UPSO and Louisiana State Police
- Collect and process court fines for 3rd District Court of Union Parish
Some of the things we do not do. . .
- Intervene in civil matters without a court order
- Intervene in child custody matters without a court order
- Conduct evictions without a court order
- Provide legal advice and/or act as an attorney
- Collect citation monies for Farmerville, Marion, Bernice, or Junction City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Property values and taxes are calculated annually by the Union Parish Assessor’s Office, not UPSO.
Ownership of property, either real estate or movables, can be jeopardized by a money judgment or by a delinquent payment on a loan. When the interests of a borrower and/or other defendants in a property are foreclosed, the property is sold to satisfy the debt at a sale called a public auction. The sheriff is the official auctioneer for court-ordered sales in Union Parish.
It is land with its improvements and the right to own and use it.
In the lobby of UPSO, at 710 Holder Road, Farmerville, LA.
Every Wednesday at 10 am. Each property and its auction date is advertised in the official newspaper of record, 43 days before the auction and again on the Friday before the auction. Upcoming lists of properties for sale are available in the Civil Office, at UPSO.
It takes a minimum of 45 days from receipt of the writ to advertisement for the auction. During this time the foreclosure may be stopped for reasons such as bankruptcy or payment of the balance owed.
Advertising, appraisals, mortgage, conveyance and tax certificates, curators fees, deeds, and a three percent sales commission on the sales price to the sheriff’s office. These costs and fees are not paid by a successful bidder. A successful bidder pays only the amount of his or her bid.
No access is allowed prior to the auction. The sale is not officially completed until the entire purchase price is paid in full. Therefore it is only then that access to the property is legally permissible. All property is sold “as is, where is” and the deeds are not warranted.
Upon successfully bidding on the property, the successful bidder must provide the sheriff with the full purchase price paid with a money order or cashier’s check (no personal checks are accepted), plus their name, address, phone number, marital status and social security number by 2 pm of the day of the sale. Failure to meet this deadline may result in the property being reset for a second auction. Should the second auction result in a lesser sales price, the first bidder may be responsible for the difference in the two amounts.
Typically the deed is mailed within about 10 days of the sale.
Under the law, both the plaintiff (the creditor) and the defendant (the debtor) have the right to appoint an appraiser to value the property which is being foreclosed upon if that right was not previously waived by the defendant. If the parties do not appoint an appraiser, the sheriff appoints the appraisers. UPSO does not guarantee or warrant the condition or the title to property auctioned.
Anything that is not real estate is considered a movable or chattel property. Examples include, but are not limited to, automobiles, airplanes, boats, furniture, jewelry, business inventories.
In the lobby of the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office at 710 Holder Road, Farmerville, LA.
There are two categories for the minimum opening bid:
1. When the sale is ‘with appraisal’ the bid must open at two thirds of the average of the plaintiff’s appraisal and the defendant’s appraisal. If there is a difference between the two appraisals of 10 percent or more, a third appraisal or “sheriff’s” appraisal is used in lieu of the average. If two thirds of the appraisal results in an opening bid insufficient to cover the costs and commission, then the opening bid will be raised to reflect those expenses. This amount must also be an amount sufficient to satisfy any superior claims. When the sale is “without” appraisal the bid must cover any superior claims.
2. When the sale is ‘without appraisal’, the bid must cover any superior claims plus the costs and commission.
The foreclosing creditor and the defendant both have the opportunity to provide appraisals to the sheriff. Those are averaged and the beginning bid is two-thirds of that figure. If the two appraisals are different by more than 10 percent the sheriff orders a third appraisal, (a “sheriff’s”) to be used in lieu of the average.
Advertising, appraisal (if required), certificates, towing and storage, and any superior liens. The Sheriff’s commission is six percent of either the sales price or the amount collected by the creditor if the sale is stopped.
No vehicle may be started prior to the auction. Each is sold “As Is, Where Is” and all sales are final, with no exchanges or refunds. Prospective bidders may check the mileage and lift the hood before the auction.
Yes. All sheriff sale bidders must have a Letter of Credit from their banking establishment.