§ 68-231. Warrant for sale of property to pay delinquent taxes, interest and penalties - Recording and indexing - Lien status - Execution - Costs and expenses.

A.  If any tax, imposed or levied by any state tax law, or any portion of such tax, is not paid before the same becomes delinquent, the Oklahoma Tax Commission may immediately issue a warrant under its official seal.  A tax warrant directed to the sheriff of any county of the state shall command the sheriff to levy upon and sell without any appraisement or valuation any real or personal property of the taxpayer found within the county for the payment of the delinquent tax, interest and penalties, and the cost of executing the warrant, and to return such warrant to the Tax Commission, and to pay to it any monies collected by virtue thereof, by a time to be therein specified, not more than sixty (60) days from the date of the warrant.

B.  The Tax Commission shall, immediately upon issuance of the warrant, file with the county clerk of the county for which the warrant was issued a copy thereof, and thereupon the county clerk shall record and index such warrant in the same manner as judgments using the name of the taxpayer named in the warrant, a short name for the tax, the amount of the tax or portion thereof, and interest and penalties for which the warrant was issued, and the date and time when such copy was filed.  The Tax Commission may file the warrant in the appropriate office of the county clerk by electronic means.  The filing of the warrant in the office of the county clerk of the county, shall constitute and be evidence and notice of the state's lien upon any interest in any real property of the taxpayer against whom such warrant is issued, until such tax, penalty and interest accruing thereon is paid.  Such lien shall be in addition to any and all other liens existing in favor of the state to secure the payment of the unpaid tax, penalty, interest and costs, and such lien shall be paramount and superior to all other liens of whatsoever kind or character, attaching to any of said property subsequent to the date and time of such filing and shall be in addition to any lien provided by Section 234 of this title.  The Tax Commission shall, immediately upon issuance of the warrant, mail, by regular mail, a copy of the warrant to the last-known address of the delinquent taxpayer.  Such lien is hereby released and extinguished upon the payment of such tax, penalty, interest and costs, or, except as otherwise provided herein, upon the expiration of ten (10) years after the date upon which the warrant was filed with the county clerk; provided, the Tax Commission may, prior to the release and extinguishment of such lien, refile the warrant in the office of the county clerk.  A warrant so refiled shall continue the lien until payment of the tax, penalty, interest and costs, or upon the expiration of ten (10) years after the date upon which the warrant was refiled and indexed by the county clerk.  All active liens evidenced by a warrant filed with a county clerk’s office prior to November 1, 1989, shall be released and extinguished if the warrant is not refiled prior to November 1, 2001.

C.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection D of this section, the Tax Commission shall forward the filed warrant to the sheriff of the county in which the warrant was filed.  Upon receipt of the warrant, such sheriff shall thereupon proceed to execute the tax warrant in the same manner prescribed by law for executions against property upon judgment of a court of record; and such sheriff shall execute and deliver to the purchaser a bill of sale or deed, as the case may be.

D.  The Tax Commission shall not direct or forward to the sheriff of any county any tax warrant issued pursuant to collection by the Tax Commission.  The Tax Commission shall promulgate rules pertaining to tax warrants issued under this section.

E.  The Tax Commission may levy upon and sell without any appraisement or valuation any real or personal property of any taxpayer identified by a filed tax warrant.  The Tax Commission may execute the tax warrant in the same manner prescribed by law for executions against property upon judgment of a court of record and may execute and deliver to the purchaser a bill of sale or deed, as the case may be.

F.  Any purchaser, other than the State of Oklahoma, shall be entitled, upon application to the court having jurisdiction of the property, to have confirmation, the procedure for which shall be the same as is now provided for the confirmation of a sale of property under execution, of such sale prior to the issuance of a bill of sale or deed.  The State of Oklahoma shall be authorized to make bids at any such sale to the amount of tax, penalty and costs accrued.  In the event such bid is successful, the sheriff shall issue proper muniment of title to the Tax Commission which shall hold such title for the use and benefit of the State of Oklahoma; and any taxpayer, or transferee of such taxpayer, shall have the right, at any time within one (1) year from the date of such sale, to redeem such property, upon the payment of all taxes, penalties and costs accrued to the date of redemption.  Such applicant shall not be entitled to a credit upon such taxes, penalties and costs, by reason of revenue that might have accrued to the State of Oklahoma or other purchaser under sale, prior to such redemption.  After the expiration of the period of redemption herein provided, the Tax Commission acting for the State of Oklahoma may sell such property at public auction, upon giving thirty (30) days' notice, published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where such property is located, to the highest and best bidder for cash; and upon a sale had thereof, or when a redemption is made, the Tax Commission, for and on behalf of the State of Oklahoma, shall issue its bill of sale or quit claim deed, as the case may be, to the successful bidder or to the redemptioner.  Such muniment of title shall be executed by the Tax Commission, and attested by its secretary, with the seal of the Tax Commission affixed.  The sheriff shall be entitled to the same fee for services in executing the warrant, as the sheriff would be entitled to receive if he or she were executing an execution issued by the court clerk of the county upon a judgment of a court of record.

G.  If any sheriff shall refuse or neglect to levy upon and sell any real or personal property of any taxpayer as directed by any warrant issued by the Tax Commission, or shall refuse or neglect, on demand, to pay over to the Tax Commission, its agents or attorneys, all monies collected or received under any warrant issued by the Tax Commission, at any time after collecting or receiving the same, such sheriff or other officer shall, upon motion of the Tax Commission in court, and after thirty (30) days' notice thereof, in writing, be amerced in the amount for which any such warrant was issued by the Tax Commission, together with all penalties and costs and with an additional penalty of ten percent (10%) thereon, to and for the use of the State of Oklahoma.  Every surety of any sheriff or officer shall be made a party to the judgment rendered as aforesaid against the sheriff or other officer.

H.  The Tax Commission may expend funds from the Oklahoma Tax Commission Fund in the State Treasury to reimburse the sheriff for travel and administrative costs actually and necessarily incurred while performing duties required by this section.  Such costs shall be assessed against the delinquent taxpayer, shall be added to the amount necessary to satisfy the tax warrant, and upon collection thereof shall be deposited in the Oklahoma Tax Commission Fund.

I.  A tax warrant issued and filed under authority of this section shall:

1.  Constitute and be evidence and notice of the state's lien upon real property; and

2.  Not be subject to the provisions of any dormancy statute which would limit the enforceability, effect or operation of the lien, except as otherwise provided in this section.

J.  After July 1, 1993, the Tax Commission shall not issue any certificates of indebtedness pursuant to the provisions of Section 230 of this title.

K.  When a tax warrant has been issued and filed as provided in this section, the Tax Commission shall have all of the remedies and may take all of the proceedings thereon for the collection thereof which may be had or taken upon a judgment of the district court.

Added by Laws 1965, c. 414, § 2, emerg. eff. July 7, 1965.  Amended by Laws 1979, c. 148, § 3, eff. Oct. 1, 1979; Laws 1985, c. 356, § 4, emerg. eff. July 30, 1985; Laws 1986, c. 269, § 19, operative July 1, 1986; Laws 1990, c. 339, § 14, emerg. eff. May 31, 1990; Laws 1992, c. 66, § 2, eff. July 1, 1992; Laws 1993, c. 28, § 1, emerg. eff. March 30, 1993; Laws 1993, c. 146, § 12; Laws 1999, c. 407, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2001, c. 358, § 10, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2003, c. 472, § 6.

Note

NOTE:  Laws 1993, c. 14, § 1 repealed by Laws 1993, c. 146, § 29.