WEST virginia legislature

2016 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 57

By Senator Yost

[Introduced January 13, 2016;
Referred to the Committee on Government Organization; and then to the Committee on the Judiciary.]

A BILL to amend and reenact §11A-1-9 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to co-owner of real property becoming sole owner when he or she pays all property taxes on real property for a minimum of five years.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §11A-1-9 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 1.  ACCRUAL AND COLLECTION OF TAXES.

§11A-1-9.  Payment of taxes by coowner or other interested party; lien.

(a) Any An owner of real estate whose interest is not subject to separate assessment or any a person having a lien on the land or on an undivided interest therein, or any other person having an interest in the land, or in an undivided interest therein which he or she desires to protect, shall be allowed to may pay the whole, but not a part, of the taxes assessed thereon assessed taxes.  Any A coowner of real estate whose interest is subject to separate assessment shall be allowed at his election to may pay the taxes either on his or her own interest alone or in addition thereto upon the interest of any or all of his or her coowners.  If his or her own or any other interest less than the whole on which he or she desires to pay the taxes was included in a group assessment, he or she must, before payment, have the group assessment split and must secure from the assessor and present to the sheriff a certificate setting forth the changes made in the assessment. The sheriff shall make the necessary changes in his or her records, prepare new tax bills to conform thereto and then and deliver the certificate to the clerk of the county court commission who shall note the changes on his or her records.

(b) One A person who pays taxes on the interest of any other person shall be is surrogate to the lien of the state upon such the interest.  He shall lose his or she loses the right to the lien however, unless, within thirty days after payment, he shall file he or she files with the clerk of the county court his commission, a claim in writing against the owner of such the interest together with the tax receipt or a duplicate thereof.  The clerk shall docket the claim on the judgment lien docket in his or her office and properly index the same. Such The lien may be enforced as other judgment liens are enforced.

(c) A coowner who pays all of the property taxes on real property for a minimum of five years becomes the sole owner of the real property.  All other persons whose names appear on the deed to the subject property shall, at the request of the coowner who has paid all of the taxes, transfer their interest by deed to the taxpaying coowner.  If a coowner who becomes sole owner of real property pursuant to this section is unable to secure a deed transferring all interest to the property, he or she may petition the circuit court of the county where the real property is situated for relief.

 

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to transfer all interest in real property to a coowner who has paid all taxes on the real property for a minimum of five years..

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