WEST virginia legislature

2018 FIRST EXTRAORDINARY session

Introduced

House Bill 106

By Mr. Speaker (Mr. Armstead) and Delegate Miley
By Request of the Executive

[Introduced May 20, 2018]

A BILL to amend and reenact §11A-3-19, §11A-3-20, §11A-3-23, §11A-3-27, §11A-3-55, §11A-3-56 and §11A-3-59 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating generally to purchasers of liens securing a deed; amending dates and timeframes for securing deeds; allowing property to be redeemed prior to recording of deed; and amending the timeframe for notice to be provided or published.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 3. SALE OF TAX LIENS AND NONENTERED, ESCHEATED AND WASTE AND UNAPPROPRIATED LANDS.

§11A-3-19. What purchaser must do before the deed can be secured.

(a) At any time after October 31 August 31 of the year following the sheriff's sale, and on or before December 31 October 31 of the same year, the purchaser, his or her heirs or assigns, in order to secure a deed for the real estate subject to the tax lien or liens purchased, shall:

(1) Prepare a list of those to be served with notice to redeem and request the State Auditor to prepare and serve the notice as provided in §11A-3-21 and §11A-3-22 of this code;

(2) When the real property subject to the tax lien is classified as Class II property, provide the State Auditor with the physical mailing address of the property that is subject to the tax lien or liens purchased;

(3) Provide the State Auditor with a list of any additional expenses incurred after January 1 of the year following the sheriff's sale for the preparation of the list of those to be served with notice to redeem including proof of the additional expenses in the form of receipts or other evidence of reasonable legal expenses incurred for the services of any attorney who has performed an examination of the title to the real estate and rendered written documentation used in the preparation of the list of those to be served with the notice to redeem;

(4) Deposit with the State Auditor a sum sufficient to cover the costs of preparing and serving the notice; and

(5) Present the purchaser's certificate of sale, or order of the county commission where the certificate has been lost or wrongfully withheld from the owner, to the State Auditor.

If the purchaser fails to meet these requirements, he or she shall lose all the benefits of his or her purchase.

(b) If the person requesting preparation and service of the notice is an assignee of the purchaser, he or she shall, at the time of the request, file with the State Auditor a written assignment to him or her of the purchaser's rights, executed, acknowledged and certified in the manner required to make a valid deed.

(c) Whenever any certificate given by the sheriff for a tax lien on any land, or interest in the land sold for delinquent taxes, or any assignment of the lien is lost or wrongfully withheld from the rightful owner of the land and the land or interest has not been redeemed, the county commission may receive evidence of the loss or wrongful detention and, upon satisfactory proof of that fact, may cause a certificate of the proof and finding, properly attested by the State Auditor, to be delivered to the rightful claimant and a record of the certificate shall be duly made by the county clerk in the recorded proceedings of the commission.

§11A-3-20. Refund to purchaser of payment made at sheriff's sale where property is subject of an erroneous assessment or is otherwise nonexistent.

If, by December 31 October 31 of the year following payment of the amount bid at a sheriff's sale, the purchaser discovers that the lien purchased at that sale is the subject of an erroneous assessment or is otherwise nonexistent, the purchaser shall submit the abstract or certificate of an attorney at law that the property is the subject of an erroneous assessment or is otherwise nonexistent. Upon receipt of the abstract or certificate, the sheriff shall cause any money paid to be refunded. Upon refund, the sheriff shall inform the assessor and the State Auditor of the erroneous assessment for the purpose of having the assessor correct the error. For failure to meet this requirement, the purchaser shall lose all benefits of his or her purchase.

§11A-3-23. Redemption from purchase; receipt; list of redemptions; lien; lien of person redeeming interest of another; record.

(a) After the sale of any tax lien on any real estate pursuant to §11A-3-5 of this code, the owner of, or any other person who was entitled to pay the taxes on, any real estate for which a tax lien on the real estate was purchased by an individual may redeem at any time before a tax deed is issued recorded for the real estate. In order to redeem, he or she shall pay to the State Auditor the following amounts:

(1) An amount equal to the taxes, interest and charges due on the date of the sale, with interest at the rate of one percent per month from the date of sale;

(2) All other taxes which have since been paid by the purchaser, his or her heirs or assigns, with interest at the rate of one percent per month from the date of payment;

(3) Any additional expenses incurred from January 1 of the year following the sheriff's sale to the date of redemption for the preparation of the list of those to be served with notice to redeem and any written documentation used for the preparation of the list, with interest at the rate of one percent per month from the date of payment for reasonable legal expenses incurred for the services of an attorney who has performed an examination of the title to the real estate and rendered written documentation used for the preparation of the list: Provided, That the maximum amount the owner or other authorized person shall pay, excluding the interest, for the expenses incurred for the preparation of the list of those to be served required by §11A-3-19 of this code is $300: Provided however, That the attorney may only charge a fee for legal services actually performed and must certify that he or she conducted an examination to determine the list of those to be served required §11A-3-19 of this code; and

(4) All additional statutory costs paid by the purchaser.

(b) Where the State Auditor has not received from the purchaser satisfactory proof of the expenses incurred in preparing the notice to redeem, and any written documentation used for the preparation of the list of those to be served with notice to redeem, including the certification required in subdivision (3), subsection (a) of this section, incident thereto, in the form of receipts or other evidence of legal expenses, incurred as provided in §11A-3-19 of this code, the person redeeming shall pay the State Auditor the sum of $300 plus interest at the rate of one percent per month from January 1 of the year following the sheriff's sale for disposition by the sheriff pursuant to the provisions of §11A-3-10, §11A-3-24,  §11A-3-25, and §11A-3-32.

(c) The person redeeming shall be given a receipt for the payment and the written opinion or report used for the preparation of the list of those to be served with notice to redeem required by §11A-3-19 of this code.

(d) Any person who, by reason of the fact that no provision is made for partial redemption of the tax lien on real estate purchased by an individual, is compelled in order to protect himself or herself to redeem the tax lien on all of the real estate when it belongs, in whole or in part, to some other person, shall have a lien on the interest of that other person for the amount paid to redeem the interest. He or she shall lose his or her right to the lien, however, unless within 30 days after payment he or she files with the clerk of the county commission his or her claim in writing against the owner of the interest, together with the receipt provided in this section. The clerk shall docket the claim on the judgment lien docket in his or her office and properly index the claim. The lien may be enforced as other judgment liens are enforced.

(e) Before a tax deed is issued, the county clerk may accept, on behalf of the State Auditor, the payment necessary to redeem any real estate encumbered with a tax lien and write a receipt. The amount of the payment necessary to redeem any real estate encumbered with a tax lien shall be provided by the State Auditor and the State Auditor shall update the required payments plus interest at least monthly.

(f) On or before the tenth day of each month, the county clerk shall deliver to the State Auditor the redemption money paid and the name and address of the person who redeemed the property on a form prescribed by the State Auditor.

§11A-3-27. Deed to purchaser; record.

(a) If the real estate described in the notice is not redeemed within the time specified in the notice, then from April 1 of the second year following the sheriff's sale until the expiration of the lien evidenced by a tax certificate of sale as provided in §11A-3-18 of this code, the State Auditor or his or her deputy shall upon request of the purchaser make and deliver to the clerk of the county commission, a quitclaim deed for the real estate. The purchaser's right to a tax deed shall be forfeited if the deed is not requested within the 18-month period set forth in §11A-3-18 of this code. The deed shall provide in form or effect as follows:

This deed made this _______ day of _____________, 20 _____, by and between _________________, State Auditor, West Virginia, (or by and between _______________, a commissioner appointed by the circuit court of ______________ County, West Virginia) grantor, and _____________, purchaser, (or __________________, heir, devisee or assignee of _______________________, purchaser), grantee, witnesseth, that:

Whereas, In pursuance of the statutes in such case made and provided, _________________, Sheriff of ____________ County, (or ______________, deputy for ______________, Sheriff of ___________ County), (or ______________, collector of ______________ County), did, in the month of ____________, in the year 20 _____, sell the tax lien(s) on real estate, hereinafter mentioned and described, for the taxes delinquent thereon for the year (or years) 20 _____, and ______________, (here insert name of purchaser) for the sum of $___________, that being the amount of purchase money paid to the sheriff, did become the purchaser of the tax lien(s) on such real estate (or on ________ acres, part of the tract or land, or on an undivided _____________ interest in such real estate) which was returned delinquent in the name of ___________________; and

Whereas, The State Auditor has caused the notice to redeem to be served on all persons required by law to be served therewith; and

Whereas, The tax lien(s) on the real estate so purchased has not been redeemed in the manner provided by law and the time for redemption set in such notice has expired;

Now, therefore, the grantor, for and in consideration of the premises and in pursuance of the statutes, doth grant unto ______________, grantee, his or her heirs and assigns forever, the real estate on which the tax lien(s) so purchased existed, situate in the county of _____________________, bounded and described as follows: ______________________________.

Witness the following signature: __________________________

 State Auditor.

(b) The State Auditor may not shall execute and deliver a deed more than sixty within 120 days after the person entitled to the deed delivers the same and requests the execution of the deed, except when directed to do so otherwise under §11A-3-28 of this code.

(c) For the execution of the deed and for all the recording required by this section, a fee of $50 and the recording and transfer tax expenses shall be charged, to be paid by the grantee upon delivery of the deed. The deed, when duly acknowledged or proven, shall be recorded by the clerk of the county commission in the deed book in the clerk's office, together with any assignment from the purchaser, if one was made, the notice to redeem, the return of service of the notice, the affidavit of publication, if the notice was served by publication, and any return receipts for notices sent by certified mail.

(d) The State Auditor shall appoint employees of his or her office to act as his or her designee to effect the purposes of this section.

§11A-3-55. Service of notice.

As soon as the deputy commissioner has prepared the notice provided for in §11A-3-54 of this code, he shall cause it to be served upon all persons named on the list generated by the purchaser pursuant to the provisions of §11A-3-52 of this code. Such notice shall be mailed and, if necessary, published at least thirty 45 days prior to the first day a deed may be issued following the deputy commissioner's sale.

The notice shall be served upon all such persons residing or found in the state in the manner provided for serving process commencing a civil action or by certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice shall be served on or before the thirtieth day following the request for such notice.

If any person entitled to notice is a nonresident of this state, whose address is known to the purchaser, he shall be served at such address by certified mail, return receipt requested.

If the address of any person entitled to notice, whether a resident or nonresident of this state, is unknown to the purchaser and cannot be discovered by due diligence on the part of the purchaser, the notice shall be served by publication as a Class III-0 legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of §59-3-1 et seq. of this code and the publication area for such publication shall be the county in which such real estate is located. If service by publication is necessary, publication shall be commenced when personal service is required as set forth above, and a copy of the notice shall at the same time be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of the person to be served. The return of service of such notice, and the affidavit of publication, if any, shall be in the manner provided for process generally and shall be filed and preserved by the auditor in his office, together with any return receipts for notices sent by certified mail.

In addition to the other notice requirements set forth in this section, if the real property subject to the tax lien was classified as Class II property at the time of the assessment, at the same time the deputy commissioner issues the required notices by certified mail, the deputy commissioner shall forward a copy of the notice sent to the delinquent taxpayer by first class mail, addressed to "Occupant", to the physical mailing address for the subject property. The physical mailing address for the subject property shall be supplied by the purchaser of the property, pursuant to the provisions of §11A-3-52 of this code. Where the mail is not deliverable to an address at the physical location of the subject property, the copy of the notice shall be sent to any other mailing address that exists to which the notice would be delivered to an occupant of the subject property.

§11A-3-56. Redemption from purchase; receipt; list of redemptions; lien; lien of person redeeming interest of another; record.

(a) After the sale of any tax lien on any real estate pursuant to §11A-3-45 or §11A-3-48  of this code, the owner of, or any other person who was entitled to pay the taxes on, any real estate for which a tax lien thereon was purchased by an individual, may redeem at any time before a tax deed is issued recorded therefor. In order to redeem, he or she must pay to the deputy commissioner the following amounts: (1) An amount equal to the taxes, interest and charges due on the date of the sale, with interest thereon at the rate of one percent per month from the date of sale; (2) all other taxes thereon, which have since been paid by the purchaser, his or her heirs or assigns, with interest at the rate of one percent per month from the date of payment; (3) such additional expenses as may have been incurred in preparing the list of those to be served with notice to redeem, and any title examination incident thereto, with interest at the rate of one percent per month from the date of payment, but the amount he or she shall be required to pay, excluding said interest, for such expenses incurred for the preparation of the list of those to be served with notice to redeem required by §11A-3-52 of this code, and any title examination incident thereto, shall not exceed $200; (4) all additional statutory costs paid by the purchaser; and (5) the deputy commissioner's fee and commission as provided by §11A-3-66 of this code. Where the deputy commissioner has not received from the purchaser satisfactory proof of the expenses incurred in preparing the notice to redeem, and any examination of title incident thereto, in the form of receipts or other evidence thereof, the person redeeming shall pay the deputy commissioner the sum of $200 plus interest thereon at the rate of one percent per month from the date of the sale for disposition pursuant to the provisions of §11A-3-57, §11A-3-58, and §11A-3-64 of this code. Upon payment to the deputy commissioner of those and any other unpaid statutory charges required by this article, and of any unpaid expenses incurred by the sheriff, the Auditor and the deputy commissioner in the exercise of their duties pursuant to this article, the deputy commissioner shall prepare an original and five copies of the receipt for the payment and shall note on said receipts that the property has been redeemed. The original of such receipt shall be given to the person redeeming. The deputy commissioner shall retain a copy of the receipt and forward one copy each to the sheriff, assessor, the Auditor and the clerk of the county commission. The clerk shall endorse on the receipt the fact and time of such filing and note the fact of redemption on his or her record of delinquent lands.

(b) Any person who, by reason of the fact that no provision is made for partial redemption of the tax lien on real estate purchased by an individual, is compelled in order to protect himself or herself to redeem the tax lien on all of such real estate when it belongs, in whole or in part, to some other person, shall have a lien on the interest of such other person for the amount paid to redeem such interest. He or she shall lose his or her right to the lien, however, unless within 30 days after payment he or she shall file with the clerk of the county commission his or her claim in writing against the owner of such interest, together with the receipt provided for in this section. The clerk shall docket the claim on the judgment lien docket in his or her office and properly index the same. Such lien may be enforced as other judgment liens are enforced.

§11A-3-59. Deed to purchaser; record.

If the real estate described in the notice is not redeemed within the time specified therein, but in no event prior to 30 days after notices to redeem have been personally served, or an attempt of personal service has been made, or such notices have been mailed or, if necessary, published in accordance with the provisions of §11A-3-55 of this code, following the deputy commissioner's sale, the deputy commissioner shall, upon the request of the purchaser, make and deliver to the person entitled thereto a quitclaim deed for such real estate in form or effect as follows:

This deed, made this ______ day of _________________, 19 20____, by and between ___________, deputy commissioner of delinquent and nonentered lands of _____________ County, West Virginia, grantor, and __________________, purchaser (or ____________________ heir, devisee, assignee of _______________________, purchaser) grantee, witnesseth, that

Whereas, in pursuance of the statutes in such case made and provided, ____________________, deputy commissioner of delinquent and nonentered lands of ____________________ County, did, on the _______ day of ________________, 19 20_____, sell the real estate hereinafter mentioned and described for the taxes delinquent thereon for the year(s) 19 20______, (or as nonentered land for failure of the owner thereof to have the land entered on the land books for the years ___________, or as property escheated to the State of West Virginia, or as waste or unappropriated property) for the sum of $____________________, that being the amount of purchase money paid to the deputy commissioner, and ___________ (here insert name of purchaser) did become the purchaser of such real estate, which was returned delinquent in the name of _______________ (or nonentered in the name of, or escheated from the estate of, or which was discovered as waste or unappropriated property); and

Whereas, the deputy commissioner has caused the notice to redeem to be served on all persons required by law to be served therewith; and

Whereas, the real estate so purchased has not been redeemed in the manner provided by law and the time for redemption set forth in such notice has expired.

Now, therefore, the grantor for and in consideration of the premises recited herein, and pursuant to the provisions of Article 3, Chapter 11A of the West Virginia Code, doth grant unto ____________________, grantee, his or her heirs and assigns forever, the real estate so purchased, situate in the County of _____________, bounded and described as follows: _____________________________ (here insert description of property)

Witness the following signature:

________________________________________

 Deputy Commissioner of Delinquent and Nonentered Lands of _______________ County

Except when ordered to do so as provided in §11A-3-60 of this code, the deputy commissioner shall not execute and deliver a deed more than thirty within 120 days after the purchaser's right to the deed accrued.

For the preparation and execution of the deed and for all the recording required by this section, a fee of $50 and the recording expenses shall be charged, to be paid by the grantee upon delivery of the deed. The deed, when duly acknowledged or proven, shall be recorded by the clerk of the county commission in the deed book in his or her office, together with the assignment from the purchaser, if one was made, the notice to redeem, the return of service of such notice, the affidavit of publication, if the notice was served by publication, and any return receipts for notices sent by certified mail.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to amend and adjust certain deadlines and timeframes relating to securing a real estate deed by a purchaser of a tax lien.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.