Indiana Code
Chapter 24. Sale of Real Property When Taxes or Special Assessments Become Delinquent
6-1.1-24-5.7. Signed Statement; Forfeiture

Sec. 5.7. (a) The county treasurer shall require each person who will be bidding at the tax sale to sign a statement in a form substantially similar to the following:
"Indiana law prohibits a person who owes delinquent taxes, special assessments, penalties, interest, or costs directly attributable to a prior tax sale of a tract or item of real property listed under IC 6-1.1-24-1 from bidding on or purchasing tracts or items of real property at a tax sale. I hereby affirm under the penalties for perjury that I do not owe delinquent taxes, special assessments, penalties, interest, costs directly attributable to a prior tax sale, amounts from a final adjudication in favor of a political subdivision, any civil penalties imposed for the violation of a building code or county ordinance, or any civil penalties imposed by a county health department. I also affirm that I am not purchasing tracts or items of real property on behalf of or as an agent for a person who is prohibited from purchasing at a tax sale. Further, I hereby acknowledge that any successful bid I make in violation of this statement is subject to forfeiture. In the event of forfeiture, the amount by which my bid exceeds the minimum bid on the tract or item or real property under IC 6-1.1-24-5(e), if any, shall be applied to the delinquent taxes, special assessments, penalties, interest, costs, judgments, or civil penalties I owe, and a certificate will be issued to the county executive. I further acknowledge that a person who knowingly or intentionally provides false information on this affidavit commits perjury, a Level 6 felony.".
(b) If a person purchases real property that the person was not eligible to purchase under section 5.1, 5.3, or 5.4 of this chapter, the sale of the real property is subject to forfeiture. If the county treasurer determines or is notified not more than forty-five (45) days after the date of the sale that the sale of the real property should be forfeited, the county treasurer shall:
(1) not more than five (5) days after the county treasurer is notified, notify the person in writing by first class mail that the sale is subject to forfeiture if the person does not pay the amounts the person owes within fifteen (15) days of the date the written notice is mailed;
(2) if the person does not meet the conditions described in subdivision (1) within fifteen (15) days after the written notice is mailed, apply the surplus amount of the person's bid, if any, to the delinquent taxes, special assessments, penalties, and interest on the real property;
(3) remit the amounts owed from a final adjudication or civil penalties in favor of a political subdivision to the political subdivision;
(4) notify the county auditor that the sale has been forfeited; and
(5) file with the county recorder a certification identifying the forfeited sale that includes:
(A) the date of the sale;
(B) the name of the buyer;
(C) the property identification number of the real property;
(D) the real property's legal description; and
(E) a statement that the sale has been forfeited and is null and void because the buyer was not eligible to purchase the real property.
Upon being notified that a sale has been forfeited, the county auditor shall issue a certificate to the county executive under section 6 of this chapter.
(c) A county treasurer may decline to forfeit a sale under this section because of inadvertence or mistake, lack of actual knowledge by the bidder, substantial harm to other parties with interests in the real property, or other substantial reasons. If the treasurer declines to forfeit a sale, the treasurer shall:
(1) prepare a written statement explaining the reasons for declining to forfeit the sale;
(2) retain the written statement as an official record; and
(3) file with the county recorder a certification that includes:
(A) the date of the sale;
(B) the name of the buyer;
(C) the property identification number of the real property;
(D) the real property's legal description; and
(E) a statement that the sale has not been forfeited and is valid.
(d) If a sale is forfeited under this section and the tract or item of real property is redeemed from the sale, the county auditor shall deposit the amount of the redemption into the county general fund and notify the county executive of the redemption. Upon being notified of the redemption, the county executive shall surrender the certificate to the county auditor.
(e) If a county treasurer does not take action under subsection (b) within forty-five (45) days of the date the county treasurer determines or is notified that a sale should be forfeited, the person is deemed to be an eligible purchaser for that sale of that real property.
(f) If a tax deed is issued for real property under IC 6-1.1-25-4, this section cannot be invoked to invalidate, rescind, or set aside the tax deed.
As added by P.L.66-2021, SEC.4.

Structure Indiana Code

Indiana Code

Title 6. Taxation

Article 1.1. Property Taxes

Chapter 24. Sale of Real Property When Taxes or Special Assessments Become Delinquent

6-1.1-24-1. Delinquency List; Certification

6-1.1-24-1.2. Removal of Property From Delinquency List; Arrangement for Payment of Delinquent Taxes

6-1.1-24-1.4. Orders for Necessary Repairs

6-1.1-24-1.5. Vacant or Abandoned Real Property List; Auction; Notice

6-1.1-24-1.7. Properties Not Suitable for Tax Sale; Notice

6-1.1-24-1.9. Repealed

6-1.1-24-2. Notice of Tax Sale; Information Required in Notice; County Recovery of Unpaid Costs; Combined Sale or Redemption

6-1.1-24-2.1. Repealed

6-1.1-24-2.2. Repealed

6-1.1-24-2.3. Notice of Sale of Vacant or Abandoned Property

6-1.1-24-3. Notice of Auction Sale

6-1.1-24-3.4. Requests for Information in an Alternative Form

6-1.1-24-3.5. Repealed

6-1.1-24-4. Notice of Sale to Owner; Other Notices; Listing of Properties on Tax Sale Record

6-1.1-24-4.1. Repealed

6-1.1-24-4.2. Repealed

6-1.1-24-4.5. Urban Homesteading Agency; List of Real Property With Delinquent Taxes

6-1.1-24-4.6. Corrected Delinquency List; County Auditor Affidavit; Application for Judgment and Order for Sale as Cause of Action; Defenses

6-1.1-24-4.7. Judgment and Order for Sale; Procedure

6-1.1-24-5. Conduct of Sale; Parcels Subject to Sale; Minimum Sale Price; Sale by Electronic Means

6-1.1-24-5.1. Ineligible Purchasers; Registration to Bid

6-1.1-24-5.2. Repealed

6-1.1-24-5.3. Persons Barred From Bidding on or Purchasing Tracts Offered for Sale

6-1.1-24-5.4. Foreign Business Associations

6-1.1-24-5.5. Repealed

6-1.1-24-5.6. Repealed

6-1.1-24-5.7. Signed Statement; Forfeiture

6-1.1-24-6. Lien by County; Tax Sale Certificate

6-1.1-24-6.1. Public Sale by County Executive of Certificates of Sale; Notice

6-1.1-24-6.2. Transfer of Property to the City or Town in Which the Property Is Located

6-1.1-24-6.3. Conditions of Sale of Certificates of Sale

6-1.1-24-6.4. Distribution of Proceeds of Sale of Certificates of Sale; Tax Sale Surplus Fund; County Auditor Duty on Assignment of Certificate

6-1.1-24-6.5. Repealed

6-1.1-24-6.6. Repealed

6-1.1-24-6.7. Transfer of Property to a Nonprofit Entity

6-1.1-24-6.8. Transfer of Parcels and Certificates of Sale to Adjacent Homeowners

6-1.1-24-6.9. Transfer of Property to a Person Able to Repair and Maintain the Property

6-1.1-24-7. Payment of Sale Price; Application of Payment; Tax Sale Surplus Fund; Claims Procedure; Fund Transfers; Invalidity of Sale

6-1.1-24-7.5. Limitations on Agreements for Recovery of Money Deposited in the Tax Sale Surplus Fund; Enforcement by Attorney General

6-1.1-24-8. Failure to Pay Bid; Effect

6-1.1-24-9. Certificate of Sale; Contents; Purchaser's Lien; Assignments

6-1.1-24-10. Guarantee by Treasurer

6-1.1-24-11. Certificate of Sale as Presumptive Evidence

6-1.1-24-12. Priority of Purchaser's Lien at Subsequent Sale

6-1.1-24-13. Placement of Costs on Tax Duplicate of Unsold Tract; Execution of Deed of Unsold Vacant and Abandoned Property to Municipal or County Executive

6-1.1-24-14. Duties Regarding Conduct of Tax Sale

6-1.1-24-15. Repealed

6-1.1-24-16. Paddle Fee

6-1.1-24-17. Assignment of a Certificate of Sale to a Nonprofit Entity

6-1.1-24-17.5. Sale of Real Property to Eligible Nonprofit Entities for Low or Moderate Income Housing Project