Lands sold for delinquent special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees under this article shall be struck off to the district, or bid in for the district, in like manner and effect, including issuance of a deed therefor, as provided by law with respect to lands struck off to, or bid in for, counties, cities, or towns, as the case may be; but, when a certificate of purchase has been issued to the district with respect to any lands, no certificate of purchase for subsequent special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees shall be issued with respect to the same lands, except to the district, until all special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees represented by certificates of purchase held by the district have been redeemed or paid.
No holder of such certificate of purchase, other than the district, shall be entitled to atax deed thereon, except upon payment of all special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees subsequent to such certificate of purchase that are due and unpaid or unredeemed, at the time of issuance of the tax deed; and the tax deed so issued to such holder shall be subject to future unpaid special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees. Any such holder of a certificate of purchase may, at any time after three years after issuance thereof, present the same to the county treasurer, together with all subsequent certificates held by him or her, as evidence of subsequent payment of special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees, and request the county treasurer to issue one tax deed thereon; and one tax deed shall be issued accordingly in the same manner as other tax deeds.
The district may, at any time after three years after issuance of any such certificate ofpurchase held by the district, present the same to the county treasurer, together with all subsequent certificates of purchase held by it, as evidence of unpaid subsequent special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees, and request the county treasurer to issue one tax deed thereon, and one deed shall be issued accordingly in the same manner as other tax deeds; but such tax deeds shall not prejudice the parity of any existing lien for general taxes. Upon the delivery of the tax deed, the conservation district shall have and enjoy all the rights of an owner in fee simple to the lands described therein; but no sale of such land shall be made by the district, except one subject to the lien of special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees due and unpaid subsequent to the issuance of the tax deed to the district as well as to future unpaid special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees, nor shall the district convey such property by deed with covenants of warranty, nor shall any sale of such property be made for less than the principal amount of the original special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees thereon remaining due and unpaid, unless such sale is approved by an order of the district court in which the organization proceedings of the district are filed.
The district, by resolution of its board of directors, may sell, assign, and deliver anysuch certificates held by the district for such sum as the board of directors may determine and authorize; but no such sale or assignment shall be made that does not include all certificates held by the district with respect to the same land. Upon presentation and surrender of such certificates by the assignee thereof to the county treasurer, such officer shall accept the same in payment of the special improvement assessments, special assessments, service charges, or user fees represented thereby, unless such purchaser requests a tax deed thereon as provided in this section. No such assignment shall be made by the district for less than the principal sum represented by the certificate assigned, except upon order approving the assignment made by the district court wherein the organization proceedings of the district are pending.
Source: L. 75: Entire section added, p. 1385, § 7, effective July 18. L. 2007: Entire section amended, p. 1280, § 16, effective May 25.