By Henderson S.B. No. 1545 74R3285 SMH-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the seizure and sale for delinquent ad valorem taxes of 1-3 abandoned real property in a municipality. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 33, Tax Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Subchapter E to read as follows: 1-7 SUBCHAPTER E. SEIZURE OF REAL PROPERTY 1-8 Sec. 33.91. PROPERTY SUBJECT TO SEIZURE. A person's real 1-9 property is subject to seizure by a municipality for the payment of 1-10 delinquent ad valorem taxes, penalties, and interest the person 1-11 owes on the property and the amount secured by a municipal health 1-12 or safety lien on the property if: 1-13 (1) the property: 1-14 (A) is in a municipality; 1-15 (B) is less than one acre; and 1-16 (C) has been abandoned, unused, and vacant for 1-17 at least one year; 1-18 (2) the taxes on the property are delinquent for: 1-19 (A) each of the preceding five years; or 1-20 (B) each of the preceding three years if a lien 1-21 on the property has been created on the property in favor of the 1-22 municipality for the cost of remedying a health or safety hazard on 1-23 the property; and 1-24 (3) the tax collector of the municipality determines 2-1 that seizure of the property under this subchapter for the payment 2-2 of the delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest, and of a 2-3 municipal health and safety lien on the property, would be in the 2-4 best interest of the municipality and the other taxing units. 2-5 Sec. 33.92. INSTITUTION OF SEIZURE. (a) After property 2-6 becomes subject to seizure under Section 33.91, the collector for a 2-7 municipality may apply for a tax warrant to a district court in the 2-8 county in which the property is located. 2-9 (b) The court shall issue the tax warrant if by affidavit 2-10 the collector shows that the property is subject to seizure under 2-11 Section 33.91. 2-12 Sec. 33.93. TAX WARRANT. (a) A tax warrant shall direct 2-13 the sheriff or a constable in the county and the collector for the 2-14 municipality to seize the property described in the warrant, 2-15 subject to the right of redemption, for the payment of the ad 2-16 valorem taxes, penalties, and interest owing on the property 2-17 included in the application, the amount secured by a municipal 2-18 health or safety lien on the property included in the application, 2-19 and the costs of seizure and sale. The warrant shall direct the 2-20 person whose property is seized to disclose to a person executing 2-21 the warrant the name and address if known of any other person 2-22 having an interest in the property. 2-23 (b) A bond may not be required of a municipality for 2-24 issuance or delivery of a tax warrant, and a fee or court cost may 2-25 not be charged for issuance or delivery of the warrant. 2-26 (c) On issuance of a tax warrant, the collector shall take 2-27 possession of the property pending its sale. 3-1 Sec. 33.94. NOTICE OF TAX SALE. (a) After a seizure of 3-2 property, the collector for the municipality shall make a 3-3 reasonable inquiry to determine the identity and address of any 3-4 person, other than the person against whom the tax warrant is 3-5 issued, having an interest in the property. The collector shall 3-6 deliver as soon as possible a notice stating the time and place of 3-7 the sale and briefly describing the property seized to the person 3-8 against whom the warrant is issued and to any other person the 3-9 collector determines has an interest in the property if the 3-10 collector can ascertain the address of the other person. 3-11 (b) Failure to send or receive a notice required by this 3-12 section does not affect the validity of the sale of the seized 3-13 property or title to the property. 3-14 SECTION 2. Section 34.01, Tax Code, is amended by adding 3-15 Subsection (e) to read as follows: 3-16 (e) Notwithstanding Subsection (c), if a sufficient bid is 3-17 not received, the officer making the sale may bid property seized 3-18 under Subchapter E, Chapter 33, off to a person described by 3-19 Section 11.181 for less than the tax warrant amount or the market 3-20 value of the property. Consent to the sale by the taxing units 3-21 entitled to receive proceeds of the sale is not required. 3-22 SECTION 3. Section 16.002, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, 3-23 is amended to read as follows: 3-24 Sec. 16.002. One-Year Limitations Period. (a) A person 3-25 must bring suit for malicious prosecution, libel, slander, or 3-26 breach of promise of marriage not later than one year after the day 3-27 the cause of action accrues. 4-1 (b) A person must bring suit to set aside a sale of property 4-2 seized under Subchapter E, Chapter 33, Tax Code, not later than one 4-3 year after the date the property is sold. 4-4 SECTION 4. Section 342.007, Health and Safety Code, is 4-5 amended by adding Subsection (h) to read as follows: 4-6 (h) The governing body of a municipality may foreclose a 4-7 lien on property under this subchapter in a proceeding relating to 4-8 the property brought under Subchapter E, Chapter 33, Tax Code. 4-9 SECTION 5. Subchapter A, Chapter 214, Local Government Code, 4-10 is amended by adding Section 214.004 to read as follows: 4-11 Sec. 214.004. SEIZURE AND SALE OF PROPERTY TO RECOVER 4-12 EXPENSES. A Type A general-law municipality or home-rule 4-13 municipality may foreclose a lien on property under this subchapter 4-14 in a proceeding relating to the property brought under Subchapter 4-15 E, Chapter 33, Tax Code. 4-16 SECTION 6. Subchapter B, Chapter 214, Local Government 4-17 Code, is amended by adding Section 214.015 to read as follows: 4-18 Sec. 214.015. SEIZURE AND SALE OF PROPERTY TO RECOVER 4-19 EXPENSES. A home-rule municipality or Type A general-law 4-20 municipality may foreclose a lien on property under this subchapter 4-21 in a proceeding relating to the property brought under Subchapter 4-22 E, Chapter 33, Tax Code. 4-23 SECTION 7. Subchapter C, Chapter 214, Local Government Code, 4-24 is amended by adding Section 214.102 to read as follows: 4-25 Sec. 214.102. SEIZURE AND SALE OF PROPERTY TO RECOVER 4-26 EXPENSES. A municipality may foreclose a lien on property under 4-27 this subchapter in a proceeding relating to the property brought 5-1 under Subchapter E, Chapter 33, Tax Code. 5-2 SECTION 8. The importance of this legislation and the 5-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 5-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 5-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 5-7 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 5-8 passage, and it is so enacted.