Lending institutions are required by law to file a NOTICE OF TRUSTEE SALE with the recorder at the county auditor’s office when the lending institution has decided to auction the property. 

During 2002 and 2003, the average monthly filings of trustee sales were 272 per month for each year.  2004 saw the beginning of a downward trend in filings that reached a low point in October of 2005 when 145 trustee sales were filed.  The average monthly filings in 2004 were 243 per month.  The monthly average for 2005 was 188 filings per month. 

The monthly average for 2010 increased again over previous years to 700 per month, the highest single month in 2010 was in July when 872 were filed.  The average number of trustee sales filed between January and December 30th of 2008 was 488 per month, with the highest number being in October with 603 such filings.  For 2009, the average number of filings was 629 per month in Pierce County. 

In November 2011 there were 213 Notices of Trustee Sales filed in Pierce County, continuing the downward trend in trustee sales in the county.  The last time we sa numbers below this for a month were in early 2007.  This could be characterized as there being no more leaves to shake off the tree.    

Trustee sales filings for the third quarter of 2011 averaged 400 per month compared to a significantly higher 2010 third quarter average of 805.