1-1 By: Turner of Coleman (Senate Sponsor - Carona) H.B. No. 1610 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 9, 1997; 1-3 May 12, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by 1-5 the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to 1-6 printer.) 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to a requirement of filing of a release of a judgment lien 1-10 for ad valorem taxes on payment of the amount of the judgment. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Section 33.53, Tax Code, is amended to read as 1-13 follows: 1-14 Sec. 33.53. ORDER OF SALE; PAYMENT BEFORE SALE. (a) If 1-15 judgment in a suit to collect a delinquent tax is for foreclosure 1-16 of a tax lien, the court shall order the property sold in 1-17 satisfaction of the amount of the judgment. 1-18 (b) If the owner pays the amount of the judgment before the 1-19 property is sold, the taxing unit shall: 1-20 (1) release the tax lien held by the taxing unit on 1-21 the property; and 1-22 (2) file for record with the clerk of the court in 1-23 which the judgment was rendered a release of the lien. 1-24 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only 1-25 to a payment by a property owner on or after the effective date of 1-26 this Act. A payment by a property owner before the effective date 1-27 of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before 1-28 the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect 1-29 for that purpose. 1-30 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-31 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-32 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-33 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-34 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-35 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-36 * * * * *