Senate Bill 2721

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 29-1-21, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE MAY TAKE CERTAIN ACTION RELATING TO THE TRANSFER OF TAX-FORFEITED LAND TO STATE OR OTHER PUBLIC ENTITIES PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED AUCTION DATE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 29-1-21, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

29-1-21. The Secretary of State, on receiving from the chancery clerk the list of unredeemed lands sold to the state for taxes, shall enter the same in the register of tax lands by counties and in the regular order of townships, ranges and sections; and if the description of any of the lands be indefinite or defective and need to be made good by reference to the assessment roll under which it was sold, the Secretary of State may add to the description such alternative description as will clearly designate the land, prefacing the same with words "being as appears by the assessment roll of said county, for the year _____." The Secretary of State, with the approval of the Governor prior to the scheduled auction date, may sell the tax-forfeited lands in the manner provided in this chapter, at such prices and under such terms and conditions as the Secretary of State with the approval of the Governor may fix, subject to the limitations imposed in this chapter, or the Secretary of State * * *~~, with the approval of the Governor,~~ may transfer any of the tax-forfeited lands to any other state agency, county, municipality or political subdivision of the state. Such agency or subdivision then may retain or dispose of those lands as provided by law. If a state agency, county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state, has applied for transfer or purchase of the tax lands, it shall have priority over all other applicants except the original owner, his heirs or assigns prior to the scheduled auction date. Completed applications to purchase or requests for transfer by state agencies, counties, municipalities or political subdivisions shall be given priority in the order in which they are received by the Secretary of State. The courts shall not recognize claims by the original owner, his heirs or assigns after unredeemed lands are sold to the state for taxes and received by the Secretary of State's office or conveyed to a state agency, county, municipality or other political subdivision.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.