NOTE: §2154 eff. until Jan. 1, 2026, upon ratification of the const. amend. proposed by Acts 2024, No. 409.

§2154. Tax sales; time of sale; price

            A. The tax collector shall seize, advertise, and sell tax sale title to the property or an undivided interest therein upon which delinquent taxes are due, on or before May first of the year following the year in which the taxes were assessed, or as soon thereafter as possible.

            B. The tax sale shall be conducted on any weekday within the legal hours for judicial sales, with bidding opening not earlier than 8:00 a.m. and closing no later than 8:00 p.m. If a tax sale is conducted by using an online or electronic bidding process that is conducted over the course of multiple days, bids may be placed on any day at any time on any sale property upon which bidding has not closed, provided that all sales of property close on a weekday within the legal hours for sale as prescribed in this Subsection.

            C. The price shall be the amount of statutory impositions due on the property, costs, and interest.

            NOTE: §2154 eff. Jan. 1, 2026, upon ratification of the const. amend. proposed by Acts 2024, No. 409.

§2154. Tax lien auctions; time of auction; price

            A. The tax collector shall advertise for sale by public auction the tax lien evidencing delinquent obligations on or before May first of the year following the year in which the taxes were assessed, or as soon thereafter as possible.

            B. The tax lien auction shall be conducted on any weekday, with bidding opening not earlier than 8:00 a.m. and closing no later than 8:00 p.m. If a tax lien auction is conducted by using an online or electronic bidding process that is conducted over the course of multiple days, bids may be placed on any day at any time on any tax lien upon which bidding has not closed, provided that all bidding closes on a weekday within the hours prescribed in this Subsection. Any bid received prior to the opening of the auction shall be null and void.

            C. The opening bid shall be for the statutory impositions due on the property, together with any applicable costs and interest at the rate of one percent per month on a noncompounding basis from the day after the due date until the date of the auction. The bidders may submit bids reducing the amount of monthly interest to be assessed on the amount paid at the tax lien auction in increments not less than one-tenth of a percent. However, the lowest interest rate that can be bid is seven-tenths of one percent per month on a noncompounding basis. The winning bid shall be that which requires the assessment of the lowest interest to be assessed against the amount paid at the tax lien auction. If multiple bidders offer the same lowest interest, then the winner shall be the first to submit the bid.

            D. The tax collector shall file in the mortgage records of the parish in which the property is situated a tax lien certificate in favor of the winning bidder or, if no bidder, in favor of the political subdivision. The tax collector shall deliver a certified copy of the tax lien certificate to the winning bidder. The tax lien certificate shall be prima facie evidence of the validity of the lien and the assignment to the person named thereon.

            E. The amount owed to the tax lien certificate holder for the delinquent obligation shall be secured by a tax lien on the immovable property described in the tax lien certificate. This lien shall have priority over all mortgages, liens, and privileges encumbering the property, but all tax lien certificates issued by the tax collector or other tax collectors shall be ranked equally with each other.

            F. The tax lien certificate shall be filed no later than thirty days after the conclusion of the tax lien auction. The recording cost due to the clerk of court shall be included in the opening bid.

            Acts 2008, No. 819, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2012, No. 836, §1; Acts 2024, No. 774, §1, see Act.