HB448 Summary

• Authorizes Class 5 municipalities to file expedited quiet title and foreclosure actions in circuit court for abandoned tax sale properties within municipal limits purchased by the municipality.

• Requires municipalities to record a notice of intent in probate court and make good faith efforts to identify interested parties through deed examination, tax records, voter registration, probate records, and Secretary of State records.

• Establishes mandatory notice procedures requiring certified and regular mail to interested parties at least 30 days before hearing, posting a 4-by-6-foot sign on the property for 30 days, and potential newspaper publication if parties cannot be identified.

• Provides circuit court hearing within 90 days where interested parties may redeem property by paying all taxes, interest, penalties, and fees; if no one redeems, court vests fee simple title absolutely in the municipality and extinguishes all liens and interests except easements and environmental restrictions.

• Allows appeal to Court of Civil Appeals within 42 days; appellants must post a redemption bond, and orders may only be reversed for defects in property identification or notice depriving due process, not technical noncompliance.