The secretary may, with leave of court, pay off all mortgages, contracts of conditional sale, pledges, and liens of or upon any real or personal property which belongs to the institution. He may without leave of court, purchase, at a judicial sale or at any sale authorized by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, any real or personal property in order to protect any equity which such institution has in such real or personal property.
71 P.S. § 733-717