For example, suppose a creditor has a judgment for $50,000. The levying officer has seized a piece of the debtor's equipment pursuant to a writ of execution. The creditor may bid in $25,000 of its judgment (i.e. the value the creditor is paying to the levying officer is a reduction of its judgment in the amount of $25,000) and become the owner of the piece of equipment, free to deal with the equipment thereafter as the creditor sees fit. The judgment is thereby satisfied to the extent of $25,000 and the creditor may execute on other property of the debtor to satisfy the remaining $25,000 owed. If, after collecting the balance of the $25,000 judgment debt, the creditor sells the equipment for $40,000, the creditor keeps the $15,000 windfall because it was the successful bidder at the execution sale.