Title 40

Where real estate is erroneously sold for taxes and the state became the purchaser thereof, it shall be the duty of the tax collector of the county in which the real estate is situated to prepare and issue a certificate setting forth the following facts: (1) A correct description…

(a) On receiving such book, as speedily as practicable the judge of probate shall issue a notice addressed to each person against whom any unpaid taxes are assessed as shown by such book, substantially in the following form: “State of Alabama, (give name of county) county, to (gi…

When any assessment is made to an “owner unknown,” notice must be given by publication once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper published in the county, or if no newspaper is published therein, by posting the same at the courthouse of the county for three weeks, subs…

The publication of notices under Sections 40-10-4 and 40-10-5 is governed by the provisions of this title relating to the publication of notices of sale of land, so far as they may be applicable, and the tax collector may select the newspaper or newspapers in which any notice und…

The tax collectors of the several counties of the state are authorized and required to accept any moneys tendered to them in partial payment of ad valorem taxes collectible by them at any time before the decree of sale of the properties liable therefor; provided, that said paymen…

Such cause shall be triable at the term named in said notice; and, unless the cause is contested at the trial term, the judge of probate shall forthwith issue his decree for the sale of lands, but if the cause is contested, the court with the written consent of the taxpayer and t…

The tax collector shall attend the several terms of the probate court at which any of the causes are triable and to have with him or her his or her tax book and his or her record of tax lien sales kept pursuant to Acts 1995, No. 95-408, and the tax book and record of tax lien sal…

The Commissioner of Revenue shall be ex officio Land Commissioner. The Land Commissioner, subject to the provisions of the Merit System, shall appoint such agents or assistants as deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this title with respect to the duties of the Land Co…

The Land Commissioner shall have supervision and control of all real estate bought in by the state at tax sales, shall rent, lease or operate the same and make conveyances thereof when authorized by law and shall perform any and all duties with reference to such real estate as ma…

The Director of the Department of Revenue shall appoint subject to the provisions of the Merit System such agents as may be necessary to look after, protect against trespassers and rent any real estate bid in by the state at tax sales. Such agents under the direction of the Depar…

The Attorney General must furnish the Land Commissioner with suitable forms of certificates of purchase and deeds to purchasers at sales of real estate for taxes, from which the Land Commissioner shall cause to be printed a sufficient number of blank certificates and deeds and di…

It shall be the duty of the Land Commissioner to transmit to the tax assessor of each county by August 1 of each year a descriptive list of all the lands in the county reported to him as bid in for the state during the year and not redeemed, and it shall be the duty of said count…

When the sale of any land sold for the payment of taxes is, for any cause, ineffectual to pass the title to the purchaser, whether individual or the state, except in the case in which such sales are in this article expressly declared to be invalid, such sale shall operate as an a…

When lands are sold for taxes which are not liable therefor, the purchaser may recover from the officer by whose fault or neglect the assessment or sale was made, and the sureties on his official bond, the amount of the purchase money paid him therefor, with interest thereon from…

In case of the sale of any real estate, either for the collection of the taxes thereon or for the collection of other taxes due by the owner thereof, said real estate shall be described in all the proceedings incident to the condemnation and sale thereof, and in the certificate a…

When the lands are bid in for the state at tax sales, the state shall be entitled to possession of said lands immediately upon execution of the certificate of sale by the judge of probate. If possession is not surrendered within six months from the date of sale after demand there…

Any purchaser of lands at a tax sale other than the state or anyone claiming under him shall be entitled to possession of said lands immediately upon receipt of certificate of sale from the tax collector; and, if possession is not surrendered within six months after demand theref…

In any action brought related to taxes delinquent on or after January 1, 2020, the interest rate on any amounts awarded pursuant to this section shall be eight percent. In any other action brought for the possession of land sold for taxes delinquent before January 1, 2020, the ti…

Use the other codified version with the 2018 date in the history line. THIS SECTION WAS AMENDED BY ACT 2018-494 IN THE 2018 REGULAR SESSION, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2020. TO SEE THE AMENDED VERSION, SEE THE VERSION LABELED PENDING. If, in any action brought by the purchaser, or othe…

In any action brought related to taxes delinquent on or after January 1, 2020, the interest rate on any amounts awarded pursuant to this section shall be eight percent. In any other action brought against such purchaser or other person claiming under the purchaser to recover poss…

(a) In any action under the provisions of either Section 40-10-76 or 40-10-77, the party claiming adversely to the tax title may, at any time, tender the amounts required in such sections to be ascertained by the court, with interest as therein prescribed; and no costs accruing a…

When an action is brought to recover possession of lands by either the state, its assignee or by purchaser other than the state, or his assignee as provided by Sections 40-10-73 and 40-10-74, the complainant shall recite the fact of the tax sale and purchase, and the certificate …

If, in any action brought to recover the possession of lands sold for taxes by or against the purchaser or other person claiming under him, it is shown that the party claiming adversely to the tax title, being entitled to redeem, made within the time allowed for redemption the pa…

Unless otherwise provided, on the trial of any issue involving the sale of real estate for taxes, or the redemption thereof, the books and records belonging to the office of the judge of probate, tax collector or tax assessor and required by law to be kept or certified copies the…

No action for the recovery of real estate sold for the payment of taxes shall lie unless the same is brought within three years from the date when the purchaser became entitled to demand a deed therefor; but if the owner of such real estate was, at the time of such sale, under th…

In any action brought related to taxes delinquent on or after January 1, 2020, the interest rate on any amounts awarded pursuant to this section shall be eight percent. In any other action, when the action is against the person for whom the taxes were assessed or the owner of the…

When land which has been sold for taxes and purchased by the state has been sold by the state at private sale, and the purchase money has been paid into the state and county treasuries, and it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the Comptroller that such sale was inval…

When land has been sold for taxes and purchased by anyone other than the state, and the purchase money has been paid into the state and county treasuries, and it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the Comptroller that such sale was invalid by reason of the fact that t…

In order to procure the refunding under the provisions of Sections 40-10-100 and 40-10-101 of the amounts erroneously paid for the purchase of property, the purchaser, his heirs or assigns shall file in triplicate a petition directed to the chairman of the county commission of th…

The chairman of the county commission shall examine said petition and also the tax books of his county, and if the facts set forth in the petition are such as to entitle petitioner to the refunding of the money as prayed for, he shall so certify to the Comptroller, stating the am…

The chairman of the county commission shall likewise certify his findings on the triplicate petition stating the amount of money which the petitioner is entitled to receive from the county and from the county school and district school fund, and such petition with his certificate…

The Comptroller must also ascertain the amount of such purchase money which has been paid to the county in which the land is situated as fees, costs, taxes, penalty, and interest, or on other account, if any such payment has been made on account of such purchase, which amount he …

(a) Real estate which hereafter may be sold for taxes and purchased by the state may be redeemed at any time before the title passes out of the state or, if purchased by any other purchaser, may be redeemed at any time within three years from the date of the sale by the owner, hi…

(a) In order to obtain the redemption of land from tax sales where the same has been heretofore or hereafter sold to the state, the party desiring to make such redemption shall apply therefor as hereinafter provided and shall deposit with the judge of probate of the county in whi…

(a)(1) In order to obtain the redemption of land from tax sales where the same has been sold to one other than the state, the party desiring to make such redemption shall deposit with the judge of probate of the county in which the land is situated the amount of money for which t…

When distinct lots or parcels of land have been included in one assessment and sold for taxes under one decree, any person, including the owner, whose interest in one or more of such lots or parcels is such as to entitle him to redeem may redeem the lots or parcels in which he ha…

When any tracts, lots, or parcels of land have been included in one assessment and sold for taxes under one decree, the owner or any one entitled to redeem may redeem any lot or part of said property where the part to be redeemed can be ascertained by legal and usual subdivision.…

A person desiring to redeem any separate lot or parcel of land as authorized by Section 40-10-124 must file with the judge of probate an application in writing, under oath, setting forth the date of the decree, the name of the defaulting taxpayer against whom the same was rendere…

The judge of probate must, before allowing the redemption of a separate lot or parcel of land under Sections 40-10-124 and 40-10-125, submit the application, together with a copy of the statement of calculation ascertaining the amount to be paid on such redemption, to the Land Co…

Upon the payment of the amount required by law for the redemption of the lands sold for taxes by a person entitled to redeem, the judge of probate, or official who performs the same function, shall issue that person a certificate of redemption describing the lands, setting forth …

If the lands redeemed were bid in by any person other than the state, the redemption money must be deposited by the judge of probate in the county treasury and there kept separate and apart from the general funds of the county, and the judge of probate shall notify the purchaser …

When lands which have been bid in by the state are redeemed, the judge of probate must immediately pay over to the tax collector of the county the entire amount of money received by such judge of probate on such redemption. The tax collector shall pay over to the proper authoriti…

Within five days from the redemption of any real estate bid in by the state, the judge of probate shall notify the tax assessor and tax collector of his county thereof and shall, on demand, pay to them the costs and fees to which they are respectively entitled, and the assessor s…

Neither the purchaser, nor anyone claiming under him, who may have lawfully obtained possession of any real estate purchased at tax sales shall be liable upon the redemption of such real estate to account to the owner for any rents, issues, or profits during such possession, but …

(a) The Land Commissioner shall maintain a listing of all the lands that have been bid in for the state, which shall include the following: (1) A legal description of the property, as it appears on the certificate of purchase provided to the state as required by Section 40-10-20.…

When application is made to the Land Commissioner by any person to purchase lands in which such person had no interest, the Land Commissioner shall mail a notice in writing to the owner, or some person having an interest in such land, if his place of residence is known, or, if no…