1. (A) The defaulting taxpayer, any grantee from the owner, or any mortgage or judgment creditor may within twelve months from the date of the delinquent tax sale redeem each item of real estate by paying to the person officially charged with the collection of delinquent taxes, assessments, penalties, and costs, together with interest as provided in subsection (B) of this section. If prior to the expiration of the redemption period, the purchaser assigns his interest in any real property purchased at a delinquent tax sale, the grantee from the successful bidder shall furnish the person officially charged with the collection of delinquent taxes a conveyance, witnessed and notarized. The person officially charged with the collection of delinquent taxes shall replace the successful bidder's name and address with the grantee's name and address in the delinquent tax sale book.

2. (B) The lump sum amount of interest due on the whole amount of the delinquent tax sale based on the month during the redemption period the property is redeemed and that rate relates back to the beginning of the redemption period according to the following schedule:

   Month of Redemption Period
   Amount of Interest Imposed
   Property Redeemed
   First three months
   three percent of the bid amount
   Months four, five, and six
   six percent of the bid amount
   Months seven, eight, and nine
   nine percent of the bid amount
   Last three months
   twelve percent of the bid amount

   However, in every redemption, the amount of interest due must not exceed the amount of the bid on the property submitted on behalf of the forfeited land commission pursuant to Section 12-51-55.

3. (C) If the defaulting taxpayer, grantee from the owner, or mortgage or judgment creditor fails to redeem the item of real estate sold at the delinquent tax sale within the twelve months provided in subsection (A) and after the passing of an additional twelve months, the tax deed issued is incontestable on procedural or other grounds.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 65-2815.8; 1971 (57) 499; 1985 Act No. 166, Section 9; 1996 Act No. 332, Section 1; 2000 Act No. 334, Section 1, eff June 6, 2000; 2001 Act No. 89, Section 48, eff July 20, 2001; 2006 Act No. 238, Section 3.A, eff March 15, 2006.

Editor's Note

2000 Act No. 334, Section 2, provides that the act applies to redemptions of property sold for delinquent taxes at sales held on or after the effective date of the act [June 6, 2000].

2020 Act No. 174, Sections 3.A., 3.B., provide as follows:

"SECTION 3. A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if real property was sold at a delinquent tax sale in 2019 and the twelve-month redemption period has not expired as of the effective date of this section, then the redemption period for the real property is extended for twelve additional months. If the property is redeemed during the twelve-month extension, additional interest shall accrue in the same manner and rate as interest accrues in the original redemption period, as set forth in Section 12-51-90(B). The provisions of Chapter 51, Title 12 of the 1976 Code, must be administered to account for the additional twelve months, mutatis mutandis including, but not limited to, the extension of affected deadlines.

"B. This SECTION takes effect upon approval by the Governor [September 30, 2020]."