Legalities regarding denial by debtor of partial payment towards outstanding debt?

I owed two months rent on a storage unit ($300.00) and was in constant communication with the manager of the place regarding my efforts to repay the debt. I told him I had half the money and wanted to pay it towards the balance but he refused it. He said he needed the whole amount due or he wouldn't take it. Little did I know, he was refusing my payment because he had been filing the paperwork and going through the motions to seize my property and auction it off (to the winning bidder - his friend!). If he accepted a payment from me, then it would have canceled his actions to seize my belongings. Is that legal?!?!?