Title X — TAXATION AND REVENUE

140.110. Collection of back taxes, payments applied, how, exceptions — removal of lien. — 1. The collectors of the respective counties shall collect the taxes contained in the back tax book. Any person interested in or the owner of any tract of land or lot contained in the back t…

140.115. Lien prohibited on property in back tax book, when. — Any person other than the owner or a mortgagee or other lienholder described in section 139.070 who pays the original taxes, as charged against the tract of land or town lot described in the back tax book, together wi…

140.120. May compromise back taxes. — If it appears to any county commission, that any tract of land or town lot contained in the back tax book is not worth the amount of taxes, interest and cost due thereon, as charged in the back tax book or that the same would not sell for the…

140.130. Examination of back tax books by board of equalization. — At every annual settlement made by a collector of the revenue after this chapter shall take effect, all delinquent real estate and delinquent personal tax lists and back tax bills for taxes on real estate and tang…

140.140. Collector — reports. — The collector shall make diligent endeavor to collect all taxes upon said back tax book, and whenever he finds that any taxes therein have been paid, he shall report that fact to the county commission, or other proper officer, giving the name of th…

140.150. Lands, lots, mineral rights, and royalty interests subject to sale, when. — 1. All lands, lots, mineral rights, and royalty interests on which taxes or special assessments are delinquent and unpaid are subject to sale to discharge the lien for the delinquent and unpaid t…

140.160. Limitation of actions, exceptions — county auditor to annually audit. — 1. No proceedings for the sale of land and lots for delinquent taxes pursuant to this chapter or unpaid special assessments, relating to the collection of delinquent and back taxes and unpaid special…

*140.170. County collector to publish delinquent land list — contents — site of sale — expenses — publisher's affidavit to be recorded — exception for certain property, contents of list. — 1. Except for lands described in subsection 7 of this section, the county collector shall c…

140.180. Lawful abbreviations. — 1. In all advertisements, notices, lists, records, certificates, deeds or other papers, required to be made by or under any of the provisions of this chapter, it shall be lawful to use letters, figures and characters, as follows: (1) Letters may b…

140.190. Period of sale — manner of bids — prohibited sales — sale to nonresidents — restrictions, City of St. Joseph. — 1. On the day mentioned in the notice, the county collector shall commence the sale of such lands, and shall continue the same from day to day until each parce…

140.195. Entry on property not trespass, when. — Any collector, agent of any collector, tax sale purchaser, or agent of any tax sale purchaser performing duties under this chapter shall have the lawful right to enter upon the land of another without being guilty of trespass, if h…

140.220. County clerk to act as clerk of sale — fee. — 1. The clerk of the county commission shall attend, either in person or by deputy, as the clerk of the sale of such delinquent land, and shall enter the same on a sufficient record book giving a description of the proper trac…

140.230. Foreclosure sale surplus — deposited in treasury — escheats, when — proof of claims. — 1. When real estate has been sold for taxes or other debt by the sheriff or collector of any county within the state of Missouri, and the same sells for a greater amount than the debt …

140.240. Second offering of delinquent lands and lots. — 1. If at the first offering of sale of any tract of land or lot under the provisions of this law, no person bids therefor a sum equal to the delinquent taxes thereon with interest, penalty and costs, then the clerk of the s…

140.250. Third offering of delinquent lands and lots, redemption — subsequent sale — collector's deed. — 1. Whenever any lands have been or shall hereafter be offered for sale for delinquent taxes, interest, penalty and costs by the collector of the proper county for any two succ…

140.260. Purchase by county or city, when — procedure. — 1. It shall be lawful for the county commission of any county, and the comptroller, mayor and president of the board of assessors of the city of St. Louis, to designate and appoint a suitable person or persons with discreti…

140.270. Appointment of substitute or successor trustee — when and by whom. — If any trustee, who is provided for in section 140.260, shall die, or has died, shall become, or has become mentally disabled from performing the duties of trustee, shall remove, or has removed out of t…

140.280. Payment of total amount by purchaser — penalty for failure. — 1. Where such sale is made, the purchaser at such sale shall immediately pay the amount of his bid to the collector, who shall pay the surplus, if any, into the county treasury to be held for the use and benef…

140.290. Certificate of purchase — contents — fee — nonresidents. — 1. After payment shall have been made the county collector shall give the purchaser a certificate in writing, to be designated as a certificate of purchase, which shall carry a numerical number and which shall de…

140.300. Collector, written guaranty — action on — damages. — 1. The county collector, at the time of the sale and after the purchaser has made payment of the amount of his bid shall endorse upon and annex to the certificate to be given to the purchaser his written guaranty, sign…

140.310. Possession by purchaser, when — rents — rights of occupant and purchaser. — 1. The purchaser of any tract or lot of land at sale for delinquent taxes, homesteads excepted, shall at any time after one year from the date of sale be entitled to the immediate possession of t…

140.320. Payment of taxes by purchaser — forfeiture. — Any purchaser at delinquent tax sale of any tract or lot of land, his heirs or assigns, who takes possession of any tract or lot of land within the redemption period shall be required to pay the taxes subsequently assessed on…

140.330. Suit to quiet title — duty of court where title invalid. — 1. Any person holding any deed of lands or lots executed by the county collector for the nonpayment of taxes, may commence a suit in the circuit court of the county where such lands lie, to quiet his title theret…

140.340. Redemption, when — manner. — 1. Upon paying the reasonable and customary costs of sale to the county collector for the use of the purchaser, his or her heirs, successors, or assigns; the owner; lienholder; or occupant of any land or lot sold for taxes, or any other perso…

140.350. Redemption by minors and incapacitated or disabled persons, when. — Minors and incapacitated and disabled persons as defined in chapter 475 may redeem any lands belonging to them sold for taxes, within five years of the date of the last payment of taxes encumbering the r…

140.360. Redemption — compensation for improvements — limitations. — 1. In case any lasting and valuable improvements shall have been made by the purchaser at a sale for taxes, or by any person claiming under him, and the land on which the same shall have been made shall be redee…

140.370. Redemption — record of sale. — 1. When lands sold for taxes shall be redeemed, the county collector shall insert a memorandum of such redemption on the record of the certificate of purchase applicable thereto, stating the land or lots redeemed, the date thereof, and by w…

140.380. Redemption by drainage, levee or improvement district — procedure. — 1. Any drainage, levee or any other special improvement district having a lien on any land or lot, upon which there has been issued a certificate of purchase, may, if authorized by the law creating such…

140.405. Purchaser of property at delinquent land tax auction, deed issued to, when — notice of right of redemption — redemption of property first, when — loss of interest, when — notice, authorized manner. — 1. Any person purchasing property at a delinquent land tax auction shal…

140.410. Execution and record of deed by purchaser — failure — assignment prohibited, when — recording fee required, when. — In all cases where lands have been or may hereafter be sold for delinquent taxes, penalty, interest and costs due thereon, and a certificate of purchase ha…

140.420. Deed to purchaser if unredeemed. — If no person shall redeem the lands sold for taxes prior to the expiration of the right to redeem, at the expiration thereof, and on production of the certificate of purchase and upon proof satisfactory to the collector that a purchaser…

140.430. Deed to heirs in case of purchaser's death. — In all cases of sale of lands for taxes, if the purchaser or his assigns shall die before a deed shall be executed on such sale, the deed may be executed by the collector, to his heirs at law or devisees; which deed shall ves…

140.440. Payment of taxes by holder of purchase certificate — subsequent certificate. — Every holder of a certificate of purchase shall before being entitled to apply for deed to any tract or lot of land described therein pay all taxes that have accrued thereon since the issuance…

140.450. Cancellation and filing of certificate — proof of loss. — When conveyances are delivered for lands sold for taxes the certificates therefor shall be cancelled and filed away by the collector; and in case of the loss of any certificate, on being fully satisfied thereof by…

140.460. Execution of conveyance — form. — 1. Such conveyance shall be executed by the county collector, under his hand and seal, and acknowledged before the county recorder or any other officer authorized to take acknowledgments and the same shall be recorded in the recorder's o…

140.470. Variations from form. — In case circumstances should exist requiring any variation from the foregoing form, in the recital part thereof, the necessary change shall be made by the county collector executing such deed, and the same shall not be vitiated by any such change,…

140.480. Record of land sold kept by collector. — A record shall be kept by the county collector in his office containing a brief description of the lands by him conveyed on sales for taxes, the name of the person charged therewith, the date of the sale, the name of the purchaser…

140.490. Action by damaged party against collector. — Whenever the owner of any tract, lot, parcel or piece of land is deprived of his title thereto, or to some portion thereof, or by reason of any suit in relation thereto is put to expense, damages, costs or charges, by reason o…

140.500. Mistake in name not to invalidate sale. — The sale of lands for taxes shall not be invalid on account of such lands having been listed or charged on the tax book in any other name than that of the rightful owner. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 11160)

140.510. Form not to affect validity — presumption of validity. — 1. No tax authorized by the laws of this state, and which shall be assessed on any property within this state by any officer authorized to make assessments shall be held to be illegal or invalid for want of any mat…

140.520. Irregularity and omissions not to invalidate proceedings. — No irregularity in the assessment roll, no omission from the same, nor mere irregularity of any kind in any of the proceedings, shall invalidate any such proceeding, or the title conveyed by the tax deed; nor sh…

140.530. Invalidity of sale, when. — No sale or conveyance of land for taxes shall be valid if at the time of being listed such land shall not have been liable to taxation, or, if liable, the taxes thereon shall have been paid before sale, or if the description is so imperfect as…

140.540. Invalidity of sale — refund of purchase money — tolling of statute. — 1. Whenever the county collector shall discover, prior to the conveyance of any lands sold for taxes, that the sale was for any cause whatever, invalid, he shall not convey such lands; but the purchase…

140.550. Transfer of lien in case of invalid deed. — If any conveyance for taxes shall prove to be invalid and ineffectual to convey title because the description is insufficient, or for any other cause than the first two enumerated in section 140.530, the lien which the state ha…

140.560. Release of lien by holder upon payment. — Every person holding a lien upon any real estate in this state by virtue of any illegal or invalid tax deed, shall, upon the payment or tender to him by the owner or any person having an interest in such real estate, of the full …

140.570. Lien in full force in certain cases when conveyance is invalid. — 1. If any conveyance made by the county collector, pursuant to a sale made for the nonpayment of taxes, under this or any former tax law, shall prove to be invalid and ineffectual to convey title for any o…

140.580. Action for the recovery of possession. — Any person hereafter putting a tax deed on record in the proper county shall be deemed to have set up such a title to the land described therein as shall enable the party claiming to own the same land to maintain an action for the…

140.590. Suits against purchaser of tax lands to be brought within three years. — Any suit or proceeding against the tax purchaser, his heirs or assigns, for the recovery of lands sold for taxes, or to defeat or avoid a sale or conveyance of lands for taxes, except in cases where…

140.600. Suit to set aside tax deeds — actual tender not necessary. — 1. No suit or action in any of the courts of this state, either at law or in equity, shall hereafter be maintained by any person or corporation, against any other person or corporation, for the determination of…

140.610. Proof by claimant of invalidity of sale. — In all suits and controversies involving the title of land claimed and held by virtue of the deed executed by the county collector for nonpayment of taxes thereon, under this tax law, the person claiming by adverse title to such…