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Title 43, Public LandsRelease 119-102

§626 Enforcement of Lien Against Entered but Un­patented Land

Title 43 › CHAPTER 13 — FEDERAL LANDS INCLUDED IN STATE IRRIGATION DISTRICTS › § 626

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

An irrigation district may enforce its lien on entered but unpatented land by selling the land the same way it sells privately owned land for unpaid assessments. If the land is under the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, any title the district gets by tax sale or tax deed is still subject to a prior lien the United States holds for unpaid charges under that Act. A person who gets a tax deed from the district gets the rights of an assignee under section 441. If they show the local U.S. land office proof of that tax title, the office will record their name as having those assignment rights. They can later apply for and receive a patent if they prove they completed the required reclamation and irrigation work and paid the sums the Reclamation Act requires.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §626

Public Lands, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The lien described in section 622 of this title upon land covered by unpatented entries may be enforced upon said unpatented lands by the sale thereof in the same manner and under the same proceeding whereby said assessments are enforced against lands held under private ownership: Provided, That in the case of entered unpatented lands the title or interest which such irrigation district may convey by tax sale, tax deed, or as a result of any tax proceeding shall be subject to the following conditions and limitations: If such unpatented land be withdrawn under the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388), known as the reclamation Act, or subject to the provisions of said Act, then the interest which the district may convey by such tax proceedings or tax deed shall be subject to a prior lien reserved to the United States for all the unpaid charges authorized by the said Act, but the holder of such tax deed or tax title resulting from such district tax shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges in the land included in such tax title or tax deed of an assignee under the provisions of section 441 of this title, and upon submission to the United States land office of the district in which the land is located of satisfactory proof of such tax title, the name of the holder thereof shall be indorsed upon the records of such land office as entitled to the rights of one holding a complete and valid assignment under section 441 of this title and such person may at any time thereafter receive patent upon submitting satisfactory proof of the reclamation and irrigation required by Act June 17, 1902, and Acts amendatory thereto, and making the payments required by said Acts.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Act of June 17, 1902, referred to in text, is popularly known as the Reclamation Act, which is classified generally to chapter 12 (§ 371 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 371 of this title and Tables.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out under section 1451 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 626

Title 43, Public Lands

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102