130th Ohio General Assembly
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Sub. S. B. No. 172  As Passed by the House
As Passed by the House

130th General Assembly
Regular Session
2013-2014
Sub. S. B. No. 172


Senator Patton 

Cosponsors: Senators Seitz, Hughes, Schiavoni, Skindell, LaRose, Bacon, Beagle, Eklund, Lehner, Manning, Tavares 

Representatives Brown, Adams, R., Anielski, Antonio, Beck, Bishoff, Blessing, Boyce, Budish, Celebrezze, Curtin, Damschroder, Driehaus, Foley, Hagan, R., Heard, Letson, Lundy, O'Brien, Patterson, Phillips, Pillich, Ramos, Reece, Stinziano, Strahorn, Williams, Winburn Speaker Batchelder 



A BILL
To amend sections 317.32, 319.203, 319.54, 321.261, 323.131, 323.25, 323.28, 323.47, 323.65, 323.69, 323.70, 323.71, 323.72, 323.73, 323.78, 323.79, 715.261, 743.04, 1724.02, 1724.10, 2744.01, 5709.12, 5721.01, 5721.03, 5721.14, 5721.18, 5721.19, 5721.36, 5722.01, 5722.03, 5722.04, 5722.07, 5722.10, 5722.11, 5723.01, 5723.04, 5723.12, and 6119.06 and to enact sections 323.691 and 5722.031 of the Revised Code to modify the laws governing land reutilization programs and property tax foreclosures and to make changes to the county auditor's review of real property conveyances.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 317.32, 319.203, 319.54, 321.261, 323.131, 323.25, 323.28, 323.47, 323.65, 323.69, 323.70, 323.71, 323.72, 323.73, 323.78, 323.79, 715.261, 743.04, 1724.02, 1724.10, 2744.01, 5709.12, 5721.01, 5721.03, 5721.14, 5721.18, 5721.19, 5721.36, 5722.01, 5722.03, 5722.04, 5722.07, 5722.10, 5722.11, 5723.01, 5723.04, 5723.12, and 6119.06 be amended and sections 323.691 and 5722.031 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 317.32.  The county recorder shall charge and collect the following fees, to include, except as otherwise provided in division (A)(2) of this section, base fees for the recorder's services and housing trust fund fees collected pursuant to section 317.36 of the Revised Code:
(A)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(2) of this section, for recording and indexing an instrument if the photocopy or any similar process is employed, a base fee of fourteen dollars for the first two pages and a housing trust fund fee of fourteen dollars, and a base fee of four dollars and a housing trust fund fee of four dollars for each subsequent page, size eight and one-half inches by fourteen inches, or fraction of a page, including the caption page, of such instrument;
(2) For recording and indexing an instrument described in division (D) of section 317.08 of the Revised Code if the photocopy or any similar process is employed, a fee of twenty-eight dollars for the first two pages to be deposited as specified elsewhere in this division, and a fee of eight dollars to be deposited in the same manner for each subsequent page, size eight and one-half inches by fourteen inches, or fraction of a page, including the caption page, of that instrument. If the county recorder's technology fund has been established under section 317.321 of the Revised Code, of the twenty-eight dollars, fourteen dollars shall be deposited into the county treasury to the credit of the county recorder's technology fund and fourteen dollars shall be deposited into the county treasury to the credit of the county general fund. If the county recorder's technology fund has not been established, the twenty-eight dollars shall be deposited into the county treasury to the credit of the county general fund.
(B) For certifying a photocopy from the record previously recorded, a base fee of one dollar and a housing trust fund fee of one dollar per page, size eight and one-half inches by fourteen inches, or fraction of a page; for each certification if the recorder's seal is required, except as to instruments issued by the armed forces of the United States, a base fee of fifty cents and a housing trust fund fee of fifty cents;
(C) For entering any marginal reference by separate recorded instrument, a base fee of two dollars and a housing trust fund fee of two dollars for each marginal reference set out in that instrument, in addition to the fees set forth in division (A)(1) of this section;
(D) For indexing in the real estate mortgage records, pursuant to section 1309.519 of the Revised Code, financing statements covering crops growing or to be grown, timber to be cut, minerals or the like, including oil and gas, accounts subject to section 1309.301 of the Revised Code, or fixture filings made pursuant to section 1309.334 of the Revised Code, a base fee of two dollars and a housing trust fund fee of two dollars for each name indexed;
(E) For filing zoning resolutions, including text and maps, in the office of the recorder as required under sections 303.11 and 519.11 of the Revised Code, a base fee of twenty-five dollars and a housing trust fund fee of twenty-five dollars, regardless of the size or length of the resolutions;
(F) For filing zoning amendments, including text and maps, in the office of the recorder as required under sections 303.12 and 519.12 of the Revised Code, a base fee of ten dollars and a housing trust fund fee of ten dollars regardless of the size or length of the amendments;
(G) For photocopying a document, other than at the time of recording and indexing as provided for in division (A)(1) or (2) of this section, a base fee of one dollar and a housing trust fund fee of one dollar per page, size eight and one-half inches by fourteen inches, or fraction thereof;
(H) For local facsimile transmission of a document, a base fee of one dollar and a housing trust fund fee of one dollar per page, size eight and one-half inches by fourteen inches, or fraction thereof; for long distance facsimile transmission of a document, a base fee of two dollars and a housing trust fund fee of two dollars per page, size eight and one-half inches by fourteen inches, or fraction thereof;
(I) For recording a declaration executed pursuant to section 2133.02 of the Revised Code or a durable power of attorney for health care executed pursuant to section 1337.12 of the Revised Code, or both a declaration and a durable power of attorney for health care, a base fee of at least fourteen dollars but not more than twenty dollars and a housing trust fund fee of at least fourteen dollars but not more than twenty dollars.
In any county in which the recorder employs the photostatic or any similar process for recording maps, plats, or prints the recorder shall determine, charge, and collect for the recording or rerecording of any map, plat, or print, a base fee of five cents and a housing trust fund fee of five cents per square inch, for each square inch of the map, plat, or print filed for that recording or rerecording, with a minimum base fee of twenty dollars and a minimum housing trust fund fee of twenty dollars; for certifying a copy from the record, a base fee of two cents and a housing trust fund fee of two cents per square inch of the record, with a minimum base fee of two dollars and a minimum housing trust fund fee of two dollars.
The fees provided in this section shall be paid upon the presentation of the instruments for record or upon the application for any certified copy of the record, except that the payment of fees for providing copies of instruments conveying or extinguishing agricultural easements to the office of farmland preservation in the department of agriculture under division (H) of section 5301.691 of the Revised Code shall be governed by that division.
The fees provided for in this section shall not apply to the recording, indexing, or making of a certified copy or to the filing of any instrument by a county land reutilization corporation, its wholly owned subsidiary, or any other electing subdivision as defined in section 5722.01 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 319.203.  Subject to division (B) of section 315.251 of the Revised Code, the county auditor and the county engineer of each county, by written agreement, shall adopt standards governing conveyances of real property in the county. These standards may include the requirements specified in section 315.251 of the Revised Code. The county auditor and county engineer may modify those standards from time to time as they consider necessary or desirable. The standards shall be adopted or modified only after the county auditor and county engineer have held two public hearings, not less than ten days apart, concerning adoption or modification of the standards. The standards shall be available for public inspection during normal business hours at the offices of the county auditor and county engineer.
Before the county auditor transfers any conveyance of real property presented to the auditor under section 319.20 or 315.251 of the Revised Code, the county auditor shall review the conveyance to determine whether it complies with the standards adopted under this section, Chapter 317. of the Revised Code, and local county recorder requirements. The county auditor shall not transfer, and the county recorder shall not record, any conveyance that does not comply with the those standards adopted under this section, Chapter 317. of the Revised Code, and local county recorder requirements.
Sec. 319.54.  (A) On all moneys collected by the county treasurer on any tax duplicate of the county, other than estate tax duplicates, and on all moneys received as advance payments of personal property and classified property taxes, the county auditor, on settlement with the treasurer and tax commissioner, on or before the date prescribed by law for such settlement or any lawful extension of such date, shall be allowed as compensation for the county auditor's services the following percentages:
(1) On the first one hundred thousand dollars, two and one-half per cent;
(2) On the next two million dollars, eight thousand three hundred eighteen ten-thousandths of one per cent;
(3) On the next two million dollars, six thousand six hundred fifty-five ten-thousandths of one per cent;
(4) On all further sums, one thousand six hundred sixty-three ten-thousandths of one per cent.
If any settlement is not made on or before the date prescribed by law for such settlement or any lawful extension of such date, the aggregate compensation allowed to the auditor shall be reduced one per cent for each day such settlement is delayed after the prescribed date. No penalty shall apply if the auditor and treasurer grant all requests for advances up to ninety per cent of the settlement pursuant to section 321.34 of the Revised Code. The compensation allowed in accordance with this section on settlements made before the dates prescribed by law, or the reduced compensation allowed in accordance with this section on settlements made after the date prescribed by law or any lawful extension of such date, shall be apportioned ratably by the auditor and deducted from the shares or portions of the revenue payable to the state as well as to the county, townships, municipal corporations, and school districts.
(B) For the purpose of reimbursing county auditors for the expenses associated with the increased number of applications for reductions in real property taxes under sections 323.152 and 4503.065 of the Revised Code that result from the amendment of those sections by Am. Sub. H.B. 119 of the 127th general assembly, there shall be paid from the state's general revenue fund to the county treasury, to the credit of the real estate assessment fund created by section 325.31 of the Revised Code, an amount equal to one per cent of the total annual amount of property tax relief reimbursement paid to that county under sections 323.156 and 4503.068 of the Revised Code for the preceding tax year. Payments made under this division shall be made at the same times and in the same manner as payments made under section 323.156 of the Revised Code.
(C) From all moneys collected by the county treasurer on any tax duplicate of the county, other than estate tax duplicates, and on all moneys received as advance payments of personal property and classified property taxes, there shall be paid into the county treasury to the credit of the real estate assessment fund created by section 325.31 of the Revised Code, an amount to be determined by the county auditor, which shall not exceed the percentages prescribed in divisions (C)(1) and (2) of this section.
(1) For payments made after June 30, 2007, and before 2011, the following percentages:
(a) On the first five hundred thousand dollars, four per cent;
(b) On the next five million dollars, two per cent;
(c) On the next five million dollars, one per cent;
(d) On all further sums not exceeding one hundred fifty million dollars, three-quarters of one per cent;
(e) On amounts exceeding one hundred fifty million dollars, five hundred eighty-five thousandths of one per cent.
(2) For payments made in or after 2011, the following percentages:
(a) On the first five hundred thousand dollars, four per cent;
(b) On the next ten million dollars, two per cent;
(c) On amounts exceeding ten million five hundred thousand dollars, three-fourths of one per cent.
Such compensation shall be apportioned ratably by the auditor and deducted from the shares or portions of the revenue payable to the state as well as to the county, townships, municipal corporations, and school districts.
(D) Each county auditor shall receive four per cent of the amount of tax collected and paid into the county treasury, on property omitted and placed by the county auditor on the tax duplicate.
(E) On all estate tax moneys collected by the county treasurer, the county auditor, on settlement semiannually with the tax commissioner, shall be allowed, as compensation for the auditor's services under Chapter 5731. of the Revised Code, the following percentages:
(1) Four per cent on the first one hundred thousand dollars;
(2) One-half of one per cent on all additional sums.
Such percentages shall be computed upon the amount collected and reported at each semiannual settlement, and shall be for the use of the general fund of the county.
(F) On all cigarette license moneys collected by the county treasurer, the county auditor, on settlement semiannually with the treasurer, shall be allowed as compensation for the auditor's services in the issuing of such licenses one-half of one per cent of such moneys, to be apportioned ratably and deducted from the shares of the revenue payable to the county and subdivisions, for the use of the general fund of the county.
(G) The county auditor shall charge and receive fees as follows:
(1) For deeds of land sold for taxes to be paid by the purchaser, five dollars;
(2) For the transfer or entry of land, lot, or part of lot, or the transfer or entry on or after January 1, 2000, of a used manufactured home or mobile home as defined in section 5739.0210 of the Revised Code, fifty cents for each transfer or entry, to be paid by the person requiring it;
(3) For receiving statements of value and administering section 319.202 of the Revised Code, one dollar, or ten cents for each one hundred dollars or fraction of one hundred dollars, whichever is greater, of the value of the real property transferred or, for sales occurring on or after January 1, 2000, the value of the used manufactured home or used mobile home, as defined in section 5739.0210 of the Revised Code, transferred, except no fee shall be charged when the transfer is made:
(a) To or from the United States, this state, or any instrumentality, agency, or political subdivision of the United States or this state;
(b) Solely in order to provide or release security for a debt or obligation;
(c) To confirm or correct a deed previously executed and recorded or when a current owner on any record made available to the general public on the internet or a publicly accessible database and the general tax list of real and public utility property and the general duplicate of real and public utility property is a peace officer, parole officer, prosecuting attorney, assistant prosecuting attorney, correctional employee, youth services employee, firefighter, EMT, or investigator of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation and is changing the current owner name listed on any record made available to the general public on the internet or a publicly accessible database and the general tax list of real and public utility property and the general duplicate of real and public utility property to the initials of the current owner as prescribed in division (B)(1) of section 319.28 of the Revised Code;
(d) To evidence a gift, in trust or otherwise and whether revocable or irrevocable, between husband and wife, or parent and child or the spouse of either;
(e) On sale for delinquent taxes or assessments;
(f) Pursuant to court order, to the extent that such transfer is not the result of a sale effected or completed pursuant to such order;
(g) Pursuant to a reorganization of corporations or unincorporated associations or pursuant to the dissolution of a corporation, to the extent that the corporation conveys the property to a stockholder as a distribution in kind of the corporation's assets in exchange for the stockholder's shares in the dissolved corporation;
(h) By a subsidiary corporation to its parent corporation for no consideration, nominal consideration, or in sole consideration of the cancellation or surrender of the subsidiary's stock;
(i) By lease, whether or not it extends to mineral or mineral rights, unless the lease is for a term of years renewable forever;
(j) When the value of the real property or the manufactured or mobile home or the value of the interest that is conveyed does not exceed one hundred dollars;
(k) Of an occupied residential property, including a manufactured or mobile home, being transferred to the builder of a new residence or to the dealer of a new manufactured or mobile home when the former residence is traded as part of the consideration for the new residence or new manufactured or mobile home;
(l) To a grantee other than a dealer in real property or in manufactured or mobile homes, solely for the purpose of, and as a step in, the prompt sale of the real property or manufactured or mobile home to others;
(m) To or from a person when no money or other valuable and tangible consideration readily convertible into money is paid or to be paid for the real estate or manufactured or mobile home and the transaction is not a gift;
(n) Pursuant to division (B) of section 317.22 of the Revised Code, or section 2113.61 of the Revised Code, between spouses or to a surviving spouse pursuant to section 5302.17 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to April 4, 1985, between persons pursuant to section 5302.17 or 5302.18 of the Revised Code on or after April 4, 1985, to a person who is a surviving, survivorship tenant pursuant to section 5302.17 of the Revised Code on or after April 4, 1985, or pursuant to section 5309.45 of the Revised Code;
(o) To a trustee acting on behalf of minor children of the deceased;
(p) Of an easement or right-of-way when the value of the interest conveyed does not exceed one thousand dollars;
(q) Of property sold to a surviving spouse pursuant to section 2106.16 of the Revised Code;
(r) To or from an organization exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986," 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 1, as amended, provided such transfer is without consideration and is in furtherance of the charitable or public purposes of such organization;
(s) Among the heirs at law or devisees, including a surviving spouse, of a common decedent, when no consideration in money is paid or to be paid for the real property or manufactured or mobile home;
(t) To a trustee of a trust, when the grantor of the trust has reserved an unlimited power to revoke the trust;
(u) To the grantor of a trust by a trustee of the trust, when the transfer is made to the grantor pursuant to the exercise of the grantor's power to revoke the trust or to withdraw trust assets;
(v) To the beneficiaries of a trust if the fee was paid on the transfer from the grantor of the trust to the trustee or if the transfer is made pursuant to trust provisions which became irrevocable at the death of the grantor;
(w) To a corporation for incorporation into a sports facility constructed pursuant to section 307.696 of the Revised Code;
(x) Between persons pursuant to section 5302.18 of the Revised Code;
(y) From a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code, or its wholly owned subsidiary, to a third party.
(4) For the cost of publishing the delinquent manufactured home tax list, the delinquent tax list, and the delinquent vacant land tax list, a flat fee, as determined by the county auditor, to be charged to the owner of a home on the delinquent manufactured home tax list or the property owner of land on the delinquent tax list or the delinquent vacant land tax list.
The auditor shall compute and collect the fee. The auditor shall maintain a numbered receipt system, as prescribed by the tax commissioner, and use such receipt system to provide a receipt to each person paying a fee. The auditor shall deposit the receipts of the fees on conveyances in the county treasury daily to the credit of the general fund of the county, except that fees charged and received under division (G)(3) of this section for a transfer of real property to a county land reutilization corporation shall be credited to the county land reutilization corporation fund established under section 321.263 of the Revised Code.
The real property transfer fee provided for in division (G)(3) of this section shall be applicable to any conveyance of real property presented to the auditor on or after January 1, 1968, regardless of its time of execution or delivery.
The transfer fee for a used manufactured home or used mobile home shall be computed by and paid to the county auditor of the county in which the home is located immediately prior to the transfer.
Sec. 321.261.  (A) In each county treasury there shall be created the treasurer's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund and the prosecuting attorney's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund. Except as otherwise provided in this division, two and one-half per cent of all delinquent real property, personal property, and manufactured and mobile home taxes and assessments collected by the county treasurer shall be deposited in the treasurer's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund, and two and one-half per cent of such delinquent taxes and assessments shall be deposited in the prosecuting attorney's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund. The board of county commissioners shall appropriate to the county treasurer from the treasurer's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund, and shall appropriate to the prosecuting attorney from the prosecuting attorney's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund, money to the credit of the respective fund, and except as provided in division (D) of this section, the appropriation shall be used only for the following purposes:
(1) By the county treasurer or the county prosecuting attorney in connection with the collection of delinquent real property, personal property, and manufactured and mobile home taxes and assessments, including proceedings related to foreclosure of the state's lien for such taxes against such property;
(2) With respect to any portion of the amount appropriated from the treasurer's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund for the benefit of a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code, the county land reutilization corporation. Upon the deposit of amounts in the treasurer's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund, any amounts allocated at the direction of the treasurer to the support of the county land reutilization corporation shall be paid out of such fund to the corporation upon a warrant of the county auditor.
If the balance in the treasurer's or prosecuting attorney's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund exceeds three times the amount deposited into the fund in the preceding year, the treasurer or prosecuting attorney, on or before the twentieth day of October of the current year, may direct the county auditor to forgo the allocation of delinquent taxes and assessments to that officer's respective fund in the ensuing year. If the county auditor receives such direction, the auditor shall cause the portion of taxes and assessments that otherwise would be credited to the fund under this section in that ensuing year to be allocated and distributed among taxing units' funds as otherwise provided in this chapter and other applicable law.
(B) During the period of time that a county land reutilization corporation is functioning as such on behalf of a county, the board of county commissioners, upon the request of the county treasurer, may designate by resolution that an additional amount, not exceeding five per cent of all collections of delinquent real property, personal property, and manufactured and mobile home taxes and assessments, shall be deposited in the treasurer's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund and be available for appropriation by the board for the use of the corporation. Any such amounts so deposited and appropriated under this division shall be paid out of the treasurer's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund to the corporation upon a warrant of the county auditor.
(C) Annually by the first day of December, the county treasurer and the prosecuting attorney each shall submit a report to the board of county commissioners regarding the use of the moneys appropriated from their respective delinquent tax and assessment collection funds. Each report shall specify the amount appropriated from the fund during the current calendar year, an estimate of the amount so appropriated that will be expended by the end of the year, a summary of how the amount appropriated has been expended in connection with delinquent tax collection activities or land reutilization, and an estimate of the amount that will be credited to the fund during the ensuing calendar year.
The annual report of a county land reutilization corporation required by section 1724.05 of the Revised Code shall include information regarding the amount and use of the moneys that the corporation received from the treasurer's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund.
(D)(1) In any county, if the county treasurer or prosecuting attorney determines that the balance to the credit of that officer's corresponding delinquent tax and assessment collection fund exceeds the amount required to be used as prescribed by division (A) of this section, the county treasurer or prosecuting attorney may expend the excess to prevent residential mortgage foreclosures in the county and to address problems associated with other foreclosed real property. The amount used for that purpose in any year may not exceed the amount that would cause the fund to have a reserve of less than twenty per cent of the amount expended in the preceding year for the purposes of division (A) of this section. The county treasurer or prosecuting attorney may not expend any money from the officer's fund for the purpose of land reutilization unless the county treasurer or prosecuting attorney obtains the approval of the county investment advisory committee established under section 135.341 of the Revised Code.
Money authorized to be expended under division (D)(1) of this section shall be used to provide financial assistance in the form of loans to borrowers in default on their home mortgages, including for the payment of late fees, to clear arrearage balances, and to augment moneys used in the county's foreclosure prevention program. The money also may be used to assist county land reutilization corporations, municipal corporations, or townships in the county, upon their application to the county treasurer, prosecuting attorney, or the county department of development, in the nuisance abatement of deteriorated residential buildings in foreclosure, or vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent, or blighted real property, including paying the costs of boarding up such buildings, lot maintenance, and demolition.
(2) In a county having a population of more than one hundred thousand according to the department of development's 2006 census estimate, if the county treasurer or prosecuting attorney determines that the balance to the credit of that officer's corresponding delinquent tax and assessment collection fund exceeds the amount required to be used as prescribed by division (A) of this section, the county treasurer or prosecuting attorney may expend the excess to assist county land reutilization corporations, townships, or municipal corporations located in the county as provided in division (D)(2) of this section, provided that the combined amount so expended each year in a county shall not exceed three five million dollars. Upon application for the funds by a county land reutilization corporation, township, or municipal corporation, the county treasurer or prosecuting attorney may assist the county land reutilization corporation, township, or municipal corporation in abating foreclosed residential nuisances, including paying the costs of securing such buildings, lot maintenance, and demolition. At the prosecuting attorney's discretion, the prosecuting attorney also may apply the funds to costs of prosecuting alleged violations of criminal and civil laws governing real estate and related transactions, including fraud and abuse.
Sec. 323.131. (A) Each tax bill prepared and mailed or delivered under section 323.13 of the Revised Code shall be in the form and contain the information required by the tax commissioner. The commissioner may prescribe different forms for each county and may authorize the county auditor to make up tax bills and tax receipts to be used by the county treasurer. For any county in which the board of county commissioners has granted a partial property tax exemption on homesteads under section 323.158 of the Revised Code, the commissioner shall require that the tax bills for those homesteads include a notice of the amount of the tax reduction that results from the partial exemption. In addition to the information required by the commissioner, each tax bill shall contain the following information:
(1) The taxes levied and the taxes charged and payable against the property;
(2) The effective tax rate. The words "effective tax rate" shall appear in boldface type.
(3) The following notices:
(a) "Notice: If the taxes are not paid within one year sixty days from the date they are due certified delinquent, the property is subject to foreclosure for tax delinquency." Failure to provide such notice has no effect upon the validity of any tax foreclosure to which a property is subjected.
(b) "Notice: If the taxes charged against this parcel have been reduced by the 2-1/2 per cent tax reduction for residences occupied by the owner but the property is not a residence occupied by the owner, the owner must notify the county auditor's office not later than March 31 of the year following the year for which the taxes are due. Failure to do so may result in the owner being convicted of a fourth degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by imprisonment up to 30 days, a fine up to $250, or both, and in the owner having to repay the amount by which the taxes were erroneously or illegally reduced, plus any interest that may apply.
If the taxes charged against this parcel have not been reduced by the 2-1/2 per cent tax reduction and the parcel includes a residence occupied by the owner, the parcel may qualify for the tax reduction. To obtain an application for the tax reduction or further information, the owner may contact the county auditor's office at .......... (insert the address and telephone number of the county auditor's office)."
(4) For a tract or lot on the real property tax suspension list under section 319.48 of the Revised Code, the following notice: "Notice: The taxes shown due on this bill are for the current year only. Delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest also are due on this property. Contact the county treasurer to learn the total amount due."
The tax bill shall not contain or be mailed or delivered with any information or material that is not required by this section or that is not authorized by section 321.45 of the Revised Code or by the tax commissioner.
(B) If the property is residential rental property, the tax bill shall contain a statement that the owner of the residential rental property shall file with the county auditor the information required under division (A) or (C) of section 5323.02 of the Revised Code.
(C) As used in this section, "residential rental property" has the same meaning as in section 5323.01 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 323.25.  When taxes charged against an entry on the tax duplicate, or any part of those taxes, are not paid within sixty days after delivery of the delinquent land duplicate to the county treasurer as prescribed by section 5721.011 of the Revised Code, the county treasurer shall enforce the lien for the taxes by civil action in the treasurer's official capacity as treasurer, for the sale of such premises in the same way mortgage liens are enforced or for the transfer of such premises to an electing subdivision pursuant to section 323.28 or 323.78 of the Revised Code, in the court of common pleas of the county, in a municipal court with jurisdiction, or in the county board of revision with jurisdiction pursuant to section 323.66 of the Revised Code. After Nothing in this section prohibits the treasurer from instituting such an action before the delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list that includes the premises has been published pursuant to division (B) of section 5721.03 of the Revised Code if the list is not published within the time prescribed by that division.
After the civil action has been instituted, but before the expiration of the applicable redemption period, any person entitled to redeem the land may do so by tendering to the county treasurer an amount sufficient, as determined by the court or board of revision, to pay the taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and charges then due and unpaid, and the costs incurred in the civil action, and by demonstrating that the property is in compliance with all applicable zoning regulations, land use restrictions, and building, health, and safety codes.
If the delinquent land duplicate lists minerals or rights to minerals listed pursuant to sections 5713.04, 5713.05, and 5713.06 of the Revised Code, the county treasurer may enforce the lien for taxes against such minerals or rights to minerals by civil action, in the treasurer's official capacity as treasurer, in the manner prescribed by this section, or proceed as provided under section 5721.46 of the Revised Code.
If service by publication is necessary, such publication shall be made once a week for three consecutive weeks instead of as provided by the Rules of Civil Procedure, and the service shall be complete at the expiration of three weeks after the date of the first publication. If the prosecuting attorney determines that service upon a defendant may be obtained ultimately only by publication, the prosecuting attorney may cause service to be made simultaneously by certified mail, return receipt requested, ordinary mail, and publication. The county treasurer shall not enforce the lien for taxes against real property to which any of the following applies:
(A) The real property is the subject of an application for exemption from taxation under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code and does not appear on the delinquent land duplicate;
(B) The real property is the subject of a valid delinquent tax contract under section 323.31 of the Revised Code for which the county treasurer has not made certification to the county auditor that the delinquent tax contract has become void in accordance with that section;
(C) A tax certificate respecting that property has been sold under section 5721.32 or 5721.33 of the Revised Code; provided, however, that nothing in this division shall prohibit the county treasurer or the county prosecuting attorney from enforcing the lien of the state and its political subdivisions for taxes against a certificate parcel with respect to any or all of such taxes that at the time of enforcement of such lien are not the subject of a tax certificate.
Upon application of the plaintiff, the court shall advance such cause on the docket, so that it may be first heard.
The court may order that the proceeding be transferred to the county board of revision if so authorized under section 323.691 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 323.28.  (A) A finding shall be entered in a proceeding under section 323.25 of the Revised Code for taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and charges due and payable at the time the deed of real property sold or transferred under this section is transferred to the purchaser or transferee, plus the cost of the proceeding. For purposes of determining such amount, the county treasurer may estimate the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, penalties, charges, and costs that will be payable at the time the deed of the property is transferred to the purchaser or transferee.
The court of common pleas, a municipal court with jurisdiction, or the county board of revision with jurisdiction pursuant to section 323.66 of the Revised Code shall order such premises to be transferred pursuant to division (E) of this section or shall order such premises to be sold for payment of the finding, but for not less than either of the following, unless the county treasurer applies for an appraisal:
(1) The total amount of such finding;
(2) The fair market value of the premises, as determined by the county auditor, plus the cost of the proceeding.
If the county treasurer applies for an appraisal, the premises shall be appraised in the manner provided by section 2329.17 of the Revised Code, and shall be sold for at least two-thirds of the appraised value.
Notwithstanding the minimum sales price provisions of divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section to the contrary, a parcel sold pursuant to this section shall not be sold for less than the amount described in division (A)(1) of this section if the highest bidder is the owner of record of the parcel immediately prior to the judgment of foreclosure or a member of the following class of parties connected to that owner: a member of that owner's immediate family, a person with a power of attorney appointed by that owner who subsequently transfers the parcel to the owner, a sole proprietorship owned by that owner or a member of the owner's immediate family, or partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, or association in which the owner or a member of the owner's immediate family owns or controls directly or indirectly more than fifty per cent. If a parcel sells for less than the amount described in division (A)(1) of this section, the officer conducting the sale shall require the buyer to complete an affidavit stating that the buyer is not the owner of record immediately prior to the judgment of foreclosure or a member of the specified class of parties connected to that owner, and the affidavit shall become part of the court records of the proceeding. If the county auditor discovers within three years after the date of the sale that a parcel was sold to that owner or a member of the specified class of parties connected to that owner for a price less than the amount so described, and if the parcel is still owned by that owner or a member of the specified class of parties connected to that owner, the auditor within thirty days after such discovery shall add the difference between that amount and the sale price to the amount of taxes that then stand charged against the parcel and is payable at the next succeeding date for payment of real property taxes. As used in this paragraph, "immediate family" means a spouse who resides in the same household and children.
(B) From the proceeds of the sale the costs shall be first paid, next the amount found due for taxes, then the amount of any taxes accruing after the entry of the finding and before the deed of the property is transferred to the purchaser following the sale, all of which taxes shall be deemed satisfied, though the amount applicable to them is deficient, and any balance shall be distributed according to section 5721.20 of the Revised Code. No statute of limitations shall apply to such action. Upon sale, all liens for taxes due at the time the deed of the property is transferred to the purchaser following the sale, and liens subordinate to liens for taxes, shall be deemed satisfied and discharged unless otherwise provided by the order of sale.
(C) If the county treasurer's estimate of the amount of the finding under division (A) of this section exceeds the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, penalties, and costs actually payable when the deed is transferred to the purchaser, the officer who conducted the sale shall refund to the purchaser the difference between the estimate and the amount actually payable. If the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, penalties, and costs actually payable when the deed is transferred to the purchaser exceeds the county treasurer's estimate, the officer shall certify the amount of the excess to the treasurer, who shall enter that amount on the real and public utility property tax duplicate opposite the property; the amount of the excess shall be payable at the next succeeding date prescribed for payment of taxes in section 323.12 of the Revised Code, and shall not be deemed satisfied and discharged pursuant to division (B) of this section.
(D) Premises ordered to be sold under this section but remaining unsold for want of bidders after being offered for sale on two separate occasions, not less than two weeks apart, or after being offered for sale on one occasion in the case of abandoned land as defined in section 323.65 of the Revised Code, shall be forfeited to the state or to a political subdivision, school district, or county land reutilization corporation pursuant to Chapter 5722. or section 5723.01 of the Revised Code, and shall be disposed of pursuant to Chapter 5722. or 5723. of the Revised Code.
(E) Notwithstanding section 5722.03 of the Revised Code, if the complaint alleges that the property is delinquent vacant land as defined in section 5721.01 of the Revised Code, abandoned lands as defined in section 323.65 of the Revised Code, or lands described in division (E)(F) of section 5722.01 of the Revised Code, and the value of the taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and all other charges and costs of the action exceed the auditor's fair market value of the parcel, then the court or board of revision having jurisdiction over the matter on motion of the plaintiff, or on the court's or board's own motion, shall, upon any adjudication of foreclosure, order, without appraisal and without sale, the fee simple title of the property to be transferred to and vested in an electing subdivision as defined in division (A) of section 5722.01 of the Revised Code. For purposes of determining whether the taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and all other charges and costs of the action exceed the actual fair market value of the parcel, the auditor's most current valuation shall be rebuttably presumed to be, and constitute prima-facie evidence of, the fair market value of the parcel. In such case, the filing for journalization of a decree of foreclosure ordering that direct transfer without appraisal or sale shall constitute confirmation of the transfer and thereby terminate any further statutory or common law right of redemption.
(F) Whenever the officer charged to conduct the sale offers any parcel for sale, the officer first shall read aloud a complete legal description of the parcel, or in the alternative, may read aloud only a summary description and a parcel number if the county has adopted a permanent parcel number system and if the advertising notice published prior to the sale includes a complete legal description or indicates where the complete legal description may be obtained.
Sec. 323.47. (A) If land held by tenants in common is sold upon proceedings in partition, or taken by the election of any of the parties to such proceedings, or real estate is sold by administrators, executors, guardians, or trustees, the court shall order that the taxes, penalties, and assessments then due and payable, and interest on those taxes, penalties, and assessments, that are or will be a lien on such land or real estate at the time the deed is transferred following the sale, be discharged out of the proceeds of such sale or election. For purposes of determining such amount, the county treasurer shall estimate the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties that will be payable at the time the deed of the property is transferred to the purchaser. If the county treasurer's estimate exceeds the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties actually payable when the deed is transferred to the purchaser, the officer who conducted the sale shall refund to the purchaser the difference between the estimate and the amount actually payable. If the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties actually payable when the deed is transferred to the purchaser exceeds the county treasurer's estimate, the officer shall certify the amount of the excess to the treasurer, who shall enter that amount on the real and public utility property tax duplicate opposite the property; the amount of the excess shall be payable at the next succeeding date prescribed for payment of taxes in section 323.12 of the Revised Code.
(B)(1) If Except as provided in division (B)(3) of this section, if real estate is sold at judicial sale, the court shall order that the total of the following amounts shall be discharged out of the proceeds of the sale but only to the extent of such proceeds:
(a) Taxes and assessments the lien for which attaches before the confirmation of sale but that are not yet determined, assessed, and levied for the year in which confirmation occurs, apportioned pro rata to the part of that year that precedes confirmation, and any penalties and interest on those taxes and assessments;
(b) All other taxes, assessments, penalties, and interest the lien for which attached for a prior tax year but that have not been paid on or before the date of confirmation.
(2) Upon the request of the officer who conducted the sale, the county treasurer shall estimate the amount in division (B)(1)(a) of this section. If the county treasurer's estimate exceeds that amount, the officer who conducted the sale shall refund to the purchaser the difference between the estimate and the actual amount. If the actual amount exceeds the county treasurer's estimate, the officer shall certify the amount of the excess to the treasurer, who shall enter that amount on the real and public utility property tax duplicate opposite the property; the amount of the excess shall be payable at the next succeeding date prescribed for payment of taxes in section 323.12 of the Revised Code.
(3) The amounts described in division (B)(1) of this section shall not be discharged out of the proceeds of a judicial sale, but shall instead be deemed to be satisfied and extinguished upon confirmation of sale, if both of the following conditions apply:
(a) The real estate is sold pursuant to a foreclosure proceeding other than a tax foreclosure proceeding initiated by the county treasurer under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or Chapter 5721. of the Revised Code.
(b) A county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code is both the purchaser of the real estate and the judgment creditor or assignee of all rights, title, and interest in the judgment arising from the foreclosure proceeding.
Sec. 323.65.  As used in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code:
(A) "Abandoned land" means delinquent lands or delinquent vacant lands, including any improvements on the lands, that are unoccupied and that first appeared on the list compiled under division (C) of section 323.67 of the Revised Code, or the delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list compiled under section 5721.03 of the Revised Code, at whichever of the following times is applicable:
(1) In the case of lands other than agricultural lands, at any time after the county auditor makes the certification of the delinquent land list under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code;
(2) In the case of agricultural lands, at any time after two years after the county auditor makes the certification of the delinquent land list under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code.
(B) "Agricultural land" means lands on the agricultural land tax list maintained under section 5713.33 of the Revised Code.
(C) "Clerk of court" means the clerk of the court of common pleas of the county in which specified abandoned land is located.
(D) "Delinquent lands" has and "delinquent vacant lands" have the same meaning meanings as in section 5721.01 of the Revised Code.
(E) "Delinquent vacant lands" means all lands that are delinquent lands and that are unimproved by any structure.
(F) "Impositions" means delinquent taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, costs, reasonable attorney's fees of a certificate holder, applicable and permissible costs of the prosecuting attorney of a county, and other permissible charges against abandoned land.
(G)(F)(1) "Unoccupied," with respect to a parcel of abandoned land, means any of the following:
(a) No building, structure, land, or other improvement that is subject to taxation and that is located on the parcel is physically inhabited as a dwelling;
(b) No trade or business is actively being conducted on the parcel by the owner, a tenant, or another party occupying the parcel pursuant to a lease or other legal authority, or in a building, structure, or other improvement that is subject to taxation and that is located on the parcel;
(c) The parcel is uninhabited and there are no signs that it is undergoing a change in tenancy and remains legally habitable, or that it is undergoing improvements, as indicated by an application for a building permit or other facts indicating that the parcel is experiencing ongoing improvements;
(d) In the case of delinquent vacant land, there is no permanent structure or improvement affixed on the land.
(2) For purposes of division (G)(F)(1) of this section, it is prima-facie evidence and a rebuttable presumption that may be rebutted to the county board of revision that abandoned a parcel of land is unoccupied if, at the time the county auditor makes the certification under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code, the abandoned land parcel is not agricultural land, and two or more of the following apply:
(a) At the time of the inspection of the abandoned land parcel by a county, municipal corporation, or township in which the abandoned land parcel is located, no person, trade, or business inhabits, or is visibly present from an exterior inspection of, the abandoned land parcel.
(b) No utility connections, including, but not limited to, water, sewer, natural gas, or electric connections, service the abandoned land parcel, or no such utility connections are actively being billed by any utility provider regarding the abandoned land parcel.
(c) The abandoned land parcel or any improvement thereon is boarded up or otherwise sealed because, immediately prior to being boarded up or sealed, it was deemed by a political subdivision pursuant to its municipal, county, state, or federal authority to be open, vacant, or vandalized.
(d) The parcel or any improvement thereon is, upon visible inspection, insecure, vacant, or vandalized.
(H)(G) "Community development organization" means a nonprofit corporation that is formed or organized under Chapter 1702. or 1724. of the Revised Code and to which both of the following apply:
(1) The organization is in good standing under law at the time the county auditor makes the certification under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code and has remained in good standing uninterrupted for at least the two years immediately preceding the time of that certification or, in the case of a county land reutilization corporation, has remained so from the date of organization if less than two years.
(2) As of the time the county auditor makes the certification under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code, the organization has received from the county, municipal corporation, or township in which abandoned land is located official authority or agreement by a duly authorized officer of that county, municipal corporation, or township to accept the owner's fee simple interest in the abandoned land and to the abandoned land being foreclosed, and that official authority or agreement had been delivered to the county treasurer or county board of revision in a form that will reasonably confirm the county's, municipal corporation's, or township's assent to transfer the land to that community development organization under section 323.74 of the Revised Code. No such official authority or agreement by a duly authorized officer of a county, municipal corporation, or township must be received if a county land reutilization corporation is authorized to receive tax-foreclosed property under its articles of incorporation, regulations, or Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code.
(I)(H) "Certificate holder" has the same meaning as in section 5721.30 of the Revised Code.
(J)(I) "Abandoned land list" means the list of abandoned lands compiled under division (A) of section 323.67 of the Revised Code.
(K)(J) "Alternative redemption period," in any action to foreclose the state's lien for unpaid delinquent taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest, and costs on a parcel of real property pursuant to section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, means forty-five twenty-eight days after an adjudication of foreclosure of the parcel is journalized by a court or county board of revision having jurisdiction over the foreclosure proceedings. Upon the expiration of the alternative redemption period, the right and equity of redemption of any owner or party shall terminate without further order of the court or board of revision. As used in any section of the Revised Code and for any proceeding under this chapter or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, for purposes of determining the alternative redemption period, the period commences on the day immediately following the journalization of the adjudication of foreclosure and ends on and includes the forty-fifth twenty-eighth day thereafter.
(L)(K) "County land reutilization corporation" means a corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code.
Sec. 323.69. (A) Upon the completion of the title search required by section 323.68 of the Revised Code, the prosecuting attorney, representing the county treasurer, the county land reutilization corporation, or the certificate holder may file with the clerk of court a complaint for the foreclosure of each parcel of abandoned land appearing on the abandoned land list, and for the equity of redemption on each parcel. The complaint shall name all parties having any interest of record in the abandoned land that was discovered in the title search. The prosecuting attorney, county land reutilization corporation, or certificate holder may file such a complaint regardless of whether the parcel has appeared on a delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list published pursuant to division (B) of section 5721.03 of the Revised Code.
(B)(1) In accordance with Civil Rule 4, the clerk of court promptly shall serve notice of the summons and the complaint filed under division (A) of this section to the last known address of the record owner of the abandoned land and to the last known address of each lienholder or other person having a legal or equitable ownership interest or security interest of record identified by the title search. The notice shall inform the addressee that delinquent taxes stand charged against the abandoned land; that the land will be sold at public auction or otherwise disposed of if not redeemed by the owner or other addressee; that the sale or transfer will occur at a date, time, and place, and in the manner prescribed in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code; that the owner or other addressee may redeem the land by paying the total of the impositions against the land at any time before confirmation of sale or transfer of the parcel as prescribed in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code or before the expiration of the alternative redemption period, as may be applicable to the proceeding; that the case is being prosecuted by the prosecuting attorney of the county in the name of the county treasurer for the county in which the abandoned land is located or by a certificate holder, whichever is applicable; of the name, address, and telephone number of the county board of revision before which the action is pending; of the board case number for the action, which shall be maintained in the official file and docket of the clerk of court; and that all subsequent pleadings, petitions, and papers associated with the case and filed by any interested party must be filed with the clerk of court and will become part of the case file for the board of revision.
(2) The notice required by division (B)(1) of this section also shall inform the addressee that any owner of record may, at any time on or before the twentieth fourteenth day after service of process is perfected, file a pleading with the clerk of court requesting that the board dismiss the complaint and order that the abandoned land identified in the notice be removed from the abandoned land list. The notice shall further inform the addressee that, upon filing such a pleading to remove the abandoned land from that list , the abandoned land will be removed from the list and cannot thereafter be disposed of under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, until the record owner of the abandoned land who is provided notice under division (B)(1) of this section sells or otherwise conveys the owner's ownership interest, and that any future attempts to collect delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and charges owed with respect to that land and appearing on the delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list, whichever transfer the case may be, will to a court of competent jurisdiction to be conducted in accordance with the judicial foreclosure proceedings and other remedies and procedures prescribed under sections 323.25 to 323.28 or under Chapters 5721., 5722., and 5723. of the Revised Code until the record owner sells or otherwise conveys the owner's ownership interest applicable laws.
(C) Subsequent Subject to division (D) of this section, subsequent pleadings, motions, or papers associated with the case and filed with the clerk of court shall be served upon all parties of record in accordance with Civil Rules 4 and 5, except that service by publication in any case requiring such service shall require that any such publication shall be advertised in the manner, and for the time periods and frequency, prescribed in section 5721.18 of the Revised Code. A party that fails to appear after being served with notice of a final or interim hearing, by publication or otherwise, shall be deemed to be in default, and no further service as to any subsequent proceedings is required on such a party. Any inadvertent noncompliance with those rules does not serve to defeat or terminate the case, or subject the case to dismissal, as long as actual notice or service of filed papers is shown by a preponderance of the evidence or is acknowledged by the party charged with notice or service, including by having made an appearance or filing in relation to the case. The county board of revision may conduct evidentiary hearings on the sufficiency of process, service of process, or sufficiency of service of papers in any proceeding arising from a complaint filed under this section. Other than the notice and service provisions contained in Civil Rules 4 and 5, the Rules of Civil Procedure shall not be applicable to the proceedings of the board. The board of revision may utilize procedures contained in the Rules of Civil Procedure to the extent that such use facilitates the needs of the proceedings, such as vacating orders, correcting clerical mistakes, and providing notice to parties. To the extent not otherwise provided in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, the board may apply the procedures prescribed by sections 323.25 to 323.28 or Chapters 5721., 5722., and 5723. of the Revised Code. Board practice shall be in accordance with the practice and rules, if any, of the board that are promulgated by the board under section 323.66 of the Revised Code and are not inconsistent with sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.
(D)(1) A party shall be deemed to be in default of the proceedings in an action brought under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code if either of the following occurs:
(a) The party fails to appear at any hearing after being served with notice of the summons and complaint by certified or ordinary mail.
(b) For a party upon whom notice of summons and complaint is required by publication as provided under section 5721.18 of the Revised Code and has been considered served pursuant to that section, the party fails to appear, move, or plead to the complaint within twenty-eight days after service by publication is completed.
(2) If a party is deemed to be in default pursuant to division (D)(1) of this section, no further service of any subsequent pleadings, papers, or proceedings is required on the party by the court or any other party.
(E) At any time after a foreclosure action is filed under this section, the county board of revision may, upon its own motion, dismiss the case without prejudice transfer the case to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code if it determines that, given the complexity of the case or other circumstances, a court would be a more appropriate forum for the action.
Sec. 323.691. (A)(1) A county board of revision may order that a proceeding arising from a complaint filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code be transferred to the court of common pleas or to a municipal court with jurisdiction. The board may order such a transfer upon the motion of the record owner of the parcel or the county prosecuting attorney, representing the county treasurer, or upon its own motion.
(2) A court of common pleas or municipal court may order that a proceeding arising from a complaint filed under sections 323.25 to 323.28 or Chapter 5721. of the Revised Code be transferred to a county board of revision if the court determines that the real property that is the subject of the complaint is abandoned land, provided that the appropriate board of revision has adopted a resolution under section 323.66 of the Revised Code to adjudicate cases as provided under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. There is a rebuttable presumption that a parcel of land is unoccupied if any of the factors described in division (F)(2) of section 323.65 of the Revised Code apply to the parcel. The court may order a transfer under this division upon the motion of the record owner of the parcel or the county prosecuting attorney, representing the county treasurer, or upon its own motion.
(B) On or before the twenty-eighth day after the journalization of an order of transfer issued pursuant to division (A) of this section, the county prosecuting attorney shall file a copy of the journalized order of transfer and a notice of transfer and dismissal with the clerk of court and with the court or board to which the case was transferred. In any action transferred to a county board of revision, the prosecuting attorney shall serve the notice of transfer upon all parties to the action except any party that previously failed to answer, plea, or appear in the proceeding as required in Civil Rule 12. In any action transferred to a court, the prosecuting attorney shall serve the notice of transfer upon all parties to the action except those parties deemed to be in default under division (D) of section 323.69 of the Revised Code.
(C) Upon journalization of the order of transfer, the clerk of court shall proceed as if the transferred complaint had been filed with the court or board to which the proceeding was transferred, except that the clerk is not required to perfect a notice of summons and complaint to any party that had already been served such notice. When the prosecuting attorney files the notice of transfer as prescribed in division (B) of this section, the clerk shall stamp or otherwise indicate on the notice a new case number for the proceeding. The clerk shall assign the entire case file to the court or board to which the proceeding was transferred, including any preliminary or final reports, documents, or other evidence made available to the transferring court or board. All such reports, documents, and other evidence shall be received by the court or board to which the proceeding was transferred as competent evidence for the purposes of adjudicating the proceeding. That court or board shall accept all such reports, documents, and evidence in the case file unless otherwise required by law or unless the court or board determines that doing so would not be in the interests of justice.
The court or board to which the proceeding is transferred shall serve notice of the summons and the complaint as required in Civil Rule 4 or section 323.69 of the Revised Code, as applicable, upon any parties not yet served such notice in the proceeding.
(D) If a county prosecuting attorney does not file a notice of transfer as required under division (B) of this section on or before the twenty-eighth day after the journalization of an order of transfer issued under division (A) of this section, or upon the motion of the prosecuting attorney, court, or board before that date, the complaint that is the subject of the order of transfer shall be deemed to have been dismissed without prejudice by both the court and the board of revision.
(E) Upon the journalization of an order of transfer issued under division (A) of this section, the case shall be deemed to have been dismissed without prejudice by the transferring court or board.
Sec. 323.70. (A) Subject to this section and to sections 323.71 and 323.72 of the Revised Code, a county board of revision shall conduct a final hearing on the merits of a complaint filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code, including the validity or amount of any impositions alleged in the complaint, not sooner than thirty days after the service of notice of summons and complaint has been perfected. If, after a hearing, the board finds that the validity or amount of all or a portion of the impositions is not supported by a preponderance of the evidence, the board may order the county auditor to remove from the tax list and duplicate amounts the board finds invalid or not supported by a preponderance of the evidence. The auditor shall remove all such amounts from the tax list and duplicate as ordered by the board of revision, including any impositions asserted under sections 715.26 and 715.261 of the Revised Code.
(B) If, on or before the twentieth fourteenth day after service of process is perfected under division (B) of section 323.69 of the Revised Code, a record owner or the United States government files with the clerk of court a motion requesting that the county board of revision order the complaint case to be dismissed and the abandoned land removed from the abandoned land list transferred to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code, the board shall, without conducting a hearing on the matter, promptly dismiss transfer the complaint case for foreclosure of that land and order the land to be removed from the list. Thereafter, until the record owner sells or otherwise conveys the owner's ownership interest, any attempts to collect delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and charges owed with respect to that land and appearing on the delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list, whichever the case may be, shall to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code to be conducted in accordance with the judicial foreclosure proceedings and other remedies and procedures prescribed under sections 323.25 to 323.28 or under Chapters 5721., 5722., and 5723. of the Revised Code applicable laws.
(C) A county board of revision, in accordance with the Rules of Civil Procedure, may issue subpoenas compelling the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers, books, accounts, and testimony as necessary to conduct a hearing under this section or to otherwise adjudicate a case under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 323.71. (A)(1) If the county board of revision, upon its own motion or pursuant to a hearing under division (A)(2) of this section, determines that the impositions against a parcel of abandoned land that is the subject of a complaint filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code exceed the fair market value of that parcel as currently shown by the latest valuation by the auditor of the county in which the land is located, then the board may proceed to hear and adjudicate the case as provided under sections 323.70 and 323.72 of the Revised Code. Upon entry of an order of foreclosure, the parcel may be disposed of as prescribed by division (G) of section 323.73 of the Revised Code.
If the board of revision, upon its own motion or pursuant to a hearing under division (A)(2) of this section, determines that the impositions against a parcel do not exceed the fair market value of the parcel as shown by the county auditor's then-current valuation of the parcel, the parcel shall not be disposed of as prescribed by division (G) of section 323.73 of the Revised Code, but may be disposed of as otherwise provided in section 323.73, 323.74, 323.75, 323.77, or 323.78 of the Revised Code.
(2) By a motion filed not later than seven days before a final hearing on a complaint is held under section 323.70 of the Revised Code, an owner or lienholder may file with the county board of revision a good faith appraisal of the parcel from a licensed professional appraiser and request a hearing to determine whether the impositions against the parcel of abandoned land exceed or do not exceed the fair market value of that parcel as shown by the auditor's then-current valuation of that parcel. If the motion is timely filed, the board of revision shall conduct a hearing and shall make a factual finding as to whether the impositions against the parcel exceed or do not exceed the fair market value of that parcel as shown by the auditor's then-current valuation of that parcel. An owner or lienholder must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the impositions against the parcel do not exceed the auditor's then-current valuation of the parcel in order to preclude the application of division (G) of section 323.73 of the Revised Code.
(B) Any parcel of abandoned land for which the complaint is not dismissed and that is not removed from the abandoned land list in accordance with division (A) of this section or pursuant to a dismissal petition filed under division (B) of section 323.70 of the Revised Code shall be disposed of as prescribed in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.
(C) Notwithstanding sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code to the contrary, for purposes of determining in any proceeding under those sections whether the total of the impositions against the abandoned land exceed the fair market value of the abandoned land, it is prima-facie evidence and a rebuttable presumption that may be rebutted to the county board of revision that the auditor's then-current valuation of that abandoned land is the fair market value of the land, regardless of whether an independent appraisal has been performed.
Sec. 323.72. (A)(1) At any time after a complaint is filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code, and before a decree of foreclosure is entered, the record owner or another person having a legal or equitable ownership interest in the abandoned land may plead only that the impositions shown by the notice to be due and outstanding have been paid in full or are invalid or inapplicable in whole or in part, and may raise issues pertaining to service of process and the parcel's status as abandoned land.
(2) At any time before confirmation of sale or transfer of abandoned land or before the expiration of the alternative redemption period a decree of foreclosure is filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code, a lienholder or another person having a security interest of record in the abandoned land may plead that either of the following:
(a) That the impositions shown by the notice to be due and outstanding have been paid in full or, subject;
(b) Subject to division (C) of this section, that in order to preserve the lienholder's or other person's security interest of record in the land, the complaint should be dismissed and the abandoned land should be removed from the abandoned land list and not be disposed of as provided in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code and the case should be transferred to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code.
(B) If the record owner or another person having a legal or equitable ownership interest in a parcel of abandoned land files a pleading with the county board of revision under division (A)(1) of this section, or if a lienholder or another person having a security interest of record in the abandoned land files a pleading with the board under division (A)(2) of this section that asserts that the impositions have been paid in full, the board shall schedule a hearing for a date not sooner than thirty days, and not later than ninety days, after the board receives the pleading. Upon scheduling the hearing, the board shall notify the person that filed the pleading and all interested parties, other than parties in default, of the date, time, and place of the hearing, and shall conduct the hearing. The only questions to be considered at the hearing are the amount and validity of all or a portion of the impositions, whether those impositions have in fact been paid in full, and, under division (A)(1) of this section, whether valid issues pertaining to service of process and the parcel's status as abandoned land have been raised. If the record owner, lienholder, or other person shows by a preponderance of the evidence that all impositions against the parcel have been paid, the board shall dismiss the complaint and remove the parcel of abandoned land from the abandoned land list, and that land shall not be offered for sale or otherwise conveyed under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. If the record owner, lienholder, or other person fails to appear, or appears and fails to show by a preponderance of the evidence that all impositions against the parcel have been paid, the board shall proceed in the manner prescribed in section 323.73 of the Revised Code. A hearing under this division may be consolidated with any final hearing on the matter under section 323.70 of the Revised Code.
If the board determines that the impositions have been paid, then the board, on its own motion, may dismiss the case without a hearing.
(C) If a lienholder or another person having a security interest of record in the abandoned land, other than the owner, timely files a pleading under division (A)(2)(b) of this section requesting that the complaint be dismissed and the parcel of land be removed from the abandoned land list and not be disposed of as provided in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code and the complaint be transferred to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code in order to preserve the lienholder's or other person's security interest, the county board of revision may approve the request if the board finds that the sale or other conveyance of the parcel of land under those sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code would unreasonably jeopardize the lienholder's or other person's ability to enforce the security interest or to otherwise preserve the lienholder's or other person's security interest. The board may conduct a hearing on the request and make a ruling based on the available and submitted evidence of the parties. If the board approves the request without a hearing, the board shall file the decision with the clerk of court, and the clerk shall send a notice of the decision to the lienholder or other person by ordinary mail. In order for a lienholder or other person having a security interest to show for purposes of this division that the parcel of abandoned land should not be removed from the list disposed of pursuant to sections 323.65 to 323.78 of the Revised Code and the complaint should be transferred to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code in order "to preserve the lienholder's or other person's security interest," the lienholder or other person must first make a minimum showing by a preponderance of the evidence pursuant to section 323.71 of the Revised Code that the impositions against the parcel of abandoned land do not exceed the fair market value of the abandoned land as determined by the auditor's then-current valuation of that parcel, which valuation is presumed, subject to rebuttal, to be the fair market value of the land. If the lienholder or other person having a security interest makes the minimum showing, the board of revision may consider the request and make a ruling based on the available and submitted evidence of the parties. If the lienholder or other person having a security interest fails to make the minimum showing, the board of revision shall deny the request.
(D) If a pleading as described in division (B) or (C) of this section is filed and the county board of revision approves a request made under those divisions, regardless of whether a hearing is conducted under division (C) of this section, the board shall dismiss the complaint in the case of pleadings described in division (B) of this section or transfer the complaint to a court in the case of pleadings described in division (C) of this section.
If the county board of revision does not dismiss the complaint in the case of pleadings described in division (B) of this section or does not approve a request to transfer to a court as described in division (B) or (C) of this section after conducting a hearing, the board shall proceed with the final hearing prescribed in section 323.70 of the Revised Code and file its decision on the complaint for foreclosure with the clerk of court. The clerk shall send written notice of the decision to the parties by ordinary mail or by certified mail, return receipt requested. If the board renders a decision ordering the foreclosure and forfeiture of the parcel of abandoned land, the parcel shall be disposed of under section 323.73 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 323.73.  (A) Except as provided in division (G) of this section or section 323.78 of the Revised Code, a parcel of abandoned land that is to be disposed of under this section shall be disposed of at a public auction scheduled and conducted as described in this section. At least twenty-one days prior to the date of the public auction, the clerk of court or sheriff of the county shall advertise the public auction in a newspaper of general circulation that meets the requirements of section 7.12 of the Revised Code in the county in which the land is located. The advertisement shall include the date, time, and place of the auction, the permanent parcel number of the land if a permanent parcel number system is in effect in the county as provided in section 319.28 of the Revised Code or, if a permanent parcel number system is not in effect, any other means of identifying the parcel, and a notice stating that the abandoned land is to be sold subject to the terms of sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.
(B) The sheriff of the county or a designee of the sheriff shall conduct the public auction at which the abandoned land will be offered for sale. To qualify as a bidder, a person shall file with the sheriff on a form provided by the sheriff a written acknowledgment that the abandoned land being offered for sale is to be conveyed in fee simple to the successful bidder. At the auction, the sheriff of the county or a designee of the sheriff shall begin the bidding at an amount equal to the total of the impositions against the abandoned land, plus the costs apportioned to the land under section 323.75 of the Revised Code. The abandoned land shall be sold to the highest bidder. The county sheriff or designee may reject any and all bids not meeting the minimum bid requirements specified in this division.
(C) Except as otherwise permitted under section 323.74 of the Revised Code, the successful bidder at a public auction conducted under this section shall pay the sheriff of the county or a designee of the sheriff a deposit of at least ten per cent of the purchase price in cash, or by bank draft or official bank check, at the time of the public auction, and shall pay the balance of the purchase price within thirty days after the day on which the auction was held. Notwithstanding At the time of the public auction and before the successful bidder pays the deposit, the sheriff or a designee of the sheriff may provide notice to the successful bidder that failure to pay the balance of the purchase price within the prescribed period shall be considered a default under the terms of the sale and shall result in retention of the deposit as payment for the costs associated with advertising and offering the abandoned land for sale at a future public auction. If such a notice is provided to the successful bidder and the bidder fails to pay the balance of the purchase price within the prescribed period, the sale shall be deemed rejected by the county board of revision due to default, and the sheriff shall retain the full amount of the deposit. In such a case, rejection of the sale shall occur automatically without any action necessary on the part of the sheriff, county prosecuting attorney, or board. If the amount retained by the sheriff is less than the total costs of advertising and offering the abandoned land for sale at a future public auction, the sheriff or county prosecuting attorney may initiate an action to recover the amount of any deficiency from the bidder in the court of common pleas of the county or in a municipal court with jurisdiction.
Following a default and rejection of sale under this division, the abandoned land involved in the rejected sale shall be disposed of in accordance with sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code or as otherwise prescribed by law. The defaulting bidder, any member of the bidder's immediate family, any person with a power of attorney granted by the bidder, and any pass-through entity, trust, corporation, association, or other entity directly or indirectly owned or controlled by the bidder or a member of the defaulting bidder's immediate family shall be prohibited from bidding on the abandoned land at any future public auction for five years from the date of the bidder's default.
Notwithstanding section 321.261 of the Revised Code, with respect to any proceedings initiated pursuant to sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, from the total proceeds arising from the sale, transfer, or redemption of abandoned land, twenty per cent of such proceeds shall be deposited to the credit of the county treasurer's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund to reimburse the fund for costs paid from the fund for the transfer, redemption, or sale of abandoned land at public auction. Not more than one-half of the twenty per cent may be used by the treasurer for community development, nuisance abatement, foreclosure prevention, demolition, and related services or distributed by the treasurer to a land reutilization corporation. The balance of the proceeds, if any, shall be distributed to the appropriate political subdivisions and other taxing units in proportion to their respective claims for taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties on the land. Upon the sale of foreclosed lands, the clerk of court shall hold any surplus proceeds in excess of the impositions until the clerk receives an order of priority and amount of distribution of the surplus that are adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction or receives a certified copy of an agreement between the parties entitled to a share of the surplus providing for the priority and distribution of the surplus. Any party to the action claiming a right to distribution of surplus shall have a separate cause of action in the county or municipal court of the jurisdiction in which the land reposes, provided the board confirms the transfer or regularity of the sale. Any dispute over the distribution of the surplus shall not affect or revive the equity of redemption after the board confirms the transfer or sale.
(D) Upon the confirmation of sale or transfer of abandoned land pursuant to this section, the owner's fee simple interest in the land shall be conveyed to the purchaser. A conveyance under this division is free and clear of any liens and encumbrances of the parties named in the complaint for foreclosure attaching before the sale or transfer, and free and clear of any liens for taxes, except for federal tax liens and covenants and easements of record attaching before the sale.
(E) The county board of revision shall reject the sale of abandoned land to any person if it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the person is delinquent in the payment of taxes levied by or pursuant to Chapter 307., 322., 324., 5737., 5739., 5741., or 5743. of the Revised Code or any real property taxing provision of the Revised Code. The board also shall reject the sale of abandoned land to any person if it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the person is delinquent in the payment of property taxes on any parcel in the county, or to a member of any of the following classes of parties connected to that person:
(1) A member of that person's immediate family;
(2) Any other person with a power of attorney appointed by that person;
(3) A sole proprietorship owned by that person or a member of that person's immediate family;
(4) A partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, association, or other entity in which that person or a member of that person's immediate family owns or controls directly or indirectly any beneficial or legal interest.
(F) If the purchase of abandoned land sold pursuant to this section or section 323.74 of the Revised Code is for less than the sum of the impositions against the abandoned land and the costs apportioned to the land under division (A) of section 323.75 of the Revised Code, then, upon the sale or transfer, all liens for taxes due at the time the deed of the property is conveyed to the purchaser following the sale or transfer, and liens subordinate to liens for taxes, shall be deemed satisfied and discharged.
(G) If the county board of revision finds that the total of the impositions against the abandoned land are greater than the fair market value of the abandoned land as determined by the auditor's then-current valuation of that land, the board, at any final hearing under section 323.70 of the Revised Code, may order the property foreclosed and, without an appraisal or public auction, order the sheriff to execute a deed to the certificate holder or county land reutilization corporation that filed a complaint under section 323.69 of the Revised Code, or to a community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township, whichever is applicable, as provided in section 323.74 of the Revised Code. Upon a transfer under this division, all liens for taxes due at the time the deed of the property is transferred to the certificate holder, community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township following the conveyance, and liens subordinate to liens for taxes, shall be deemed satisfied and discharged.
Sec. 323.78.  (A) Notwithstanding anything in Chapters 323., 5721., and 5723. of the Revised Code, if the a county treasurer of a county in which a county land reutilization operates, in any petition for foreclosure of abandoned lands, elects to invoke the alternative redemption period, then upon any adjudication of foreclosure by any court or the board of revision in any proceeding under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, the following apply:
(A) Unless otherwise ordered by a motion of the court or board of revision, the petition shall assert, and any notice of final hearing shall include, that upon foreclosure of the parcel, the equity of redemption in any parcel by its owner shall be forever terminated after the expiration of the alternative redemption period, that the parcel thereafter may be sold at sheriff's sale either by itself or together with other parcels as permitted by law; or that the parcel may, by order of the court or board of revision, be transferred directly to a municipal corporation, township, county, school district, or county land reutilization corporation without appraisal and without a sale, free and clear of all impositions and any other liens on the property, which shall be deemed forever satisfied and discharged.
(B) After the expiration of the alternative redemption period following an adjudication of foreclosure, by order of the court or board of revision, any equity of redemption is forever extinguished, and the parcel may be transferred individually or in lots with other tax-foreclosed properties to a municipal corporation, township, county, school district, or county land reutilization corporation without appraisal and without a sale, upon which all impositions and any other liens subordinate to liens for impositions due at the time the deed to the property is conveyed to a purchaser or transferred to a community development organization, county land reutilization corporation, municipal corporation, county, township, or school district, shall be deemed satisfied and discharged. Other than the order of the court or board of revision so ordering the transfer of the parcel, no further act of confirmation or other order shall be required for such a transfer, or for the extinguishment of any right of redemption.
(C) Upon the expiration of the alternative redemption period in cases to which the alternative redemption period has been ordered, may elect to invoke the alternative redemption period in any petition for foreclosure of abandoned lands under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code.
(B) If a county treasurer invokes the alternative redemption period pursuant to this section, and if a municipal corporation, township, county, school district, community development organization, or county land reutilization corporation has requested title to the parcel, then upon adjudication of foreclosure of the parcel, the court or board of revision shall order, in the decree of foreclosure or by separate order, that the equity of redemption and any statutory or common law right of redemption in the parcel by its owner shall be forever terminated after the expiration of the alternative redemption period and that the parcel shall be transferred by deed directly to the requesting municipal corporation, township, county, school district, community development corporation, or county land reutilization corporation without appraisal and without a sale, free and clear of all impositions and any other liens on the property, which shall be deemed forever satisfied and discharged. The court or board of revision shall order such a transfer regardless of whether the value of the taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and other charges due on the parcel, and the costs of the action, exceed the fair market value of the parcel. No further act of confirmation or other order shall be required for such a transfer, or for the extinguishment of any statutory or common law right of redemption.
(C) If a county treasurer invokes the alternative redemption period pursuant to this section and if no community development organization, county land reutilization corporation, municipal corporation, county, township, or school district has requested title to the parcel, then upon adjudication of foreclosure of the parcel, the court or board of revision may shall order the property sold as otherwise provided in Chapters 323. and 5721. of the Revised Code, and, failing any bid at any such sale, the parcel shall be forfeited to the state and otherwise disposed of pursuant to Chapter 5723. of the Revised Code.
Sec. 323.79.  Any party to any proceeding instituted pursuant to sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code who is aggrieved in any of the proceedings of the county board of revision under those sections may file an appeal in the court of common pleas pursuant to Chapters 2505. and 2506. of the Revised Code upon a final order of foreclosure and forfeiture by the board. A final order of foreclosure and forfeiture occurs upon confirmation of any sale or upon confirmation of any conveyance or transfer to a certificate holder, community development organization, county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code, municipal corporation, county, or township pursuant to sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. An appeal as provided in this section shall proceed as an appeal de novo and may include issues raised or adjudicated in the proceedings before the county board of revision, as well as other issues that are raised for the first time on appeal and that are pertinent to the abandoned land that is the subject of those proceedings.
An appeal shall be filed not later than fourteen days after one of the date following dates:
(A) The date on which the order of confirmation of the sale or of the conveyance or transfer to a certificate holder, community development organization, county land reutilization corporation, municipal corporation, county, or township is filed with and journalized by the clerk of court;
(B) In the case of a direct transfer to a certificate holder, community development organization, county land reutilization corporation, municipal corporation, county, or township under section 323.78 or division (G) of section 323.73 of the Revised Code, the date on which an order of transfer or conveyance, whether included in the decree of foreclosure or a separate order, is first filed with and journalized by the clerk of court. The
The court does not have jurisdiction to hear any appeal filed after the expiration of that the applicable fourteen-day period. If the fourteenth day after the date on which the confirmation order is filed with the clerk of court falls upon a weekend or official holiday during which the court is closed, then the filing shall be made on the next day the court is open for business.
The expiration of the fourteen-day period in which an appeal may be filed with respect to an abandoned parcel under this section shall not extinguish or otherwise affect the right of a party to redeem the parcel as otherwise provided in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 715.261.  (A) As used in this section, "total:
(1) "Total cost" means any costs incurred due to the use of employees, materials, or equipment of the municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section, any costs arising out of contracts for labor, materials, or equipment, and costs of service of notice or publication required under this section.
(2) "Abatement activity" means each instance of any of the following:
(a) Removing, repairing, or securing insecure, unsafe, structurally defective, abandoned, deserted, or open and vacant buildings or other structures;
(b) Making emergency corrections of hazardous conditions;
(c) Abatement of any nuisance by a municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section.
(B) A municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section may collect the total cost of removing, repairing, or securing insecure, unsafe, structurally defective, abandoned, deserted, or open and vacant buildings or other structures, of making emergency corrections of hazardous conditions, or of abating any nuisance abatement activities by any of the following methods: prescribed in division (B)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.
(1) The For each abatement activity in which costs are incurred, the clerk of the legislative authority of the municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section may certify the total costs of each abatement activity, together with a the parcel number or another proper description of the lands on which the abatement activity occurred, the date the costs were incurred for each abatement activity, and the name of the owner of record at the time the costs were incurred for each abatement activity, to the county auditor who shall place the costs as a charge upon the tax list and duplicate. The costs are a lien upon such lands from and after the date the costs were incurred. The costs shall be collected as other taxes and returned to the municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section, as directed by the clerk of the legislative authority in the certification of the total costs or in an affidavit from the agent delivered to the county auditor or county treasurer. The placement of the costs on the tax list and duplicate relates back to, and is effective in priority, as of the date the costs were incurred, provided that the municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section certifies the total costs within one year from the date the costs were incurred.
If a lien placed on a parcel of land pursuant to this division is extinguished as provided in division (H) of this section, a municipal corporation may pursue the remedy available under division (B)(2) of this section to recoup the costs incurred with respect to that parcel from any person that held title to the parcel at the time the costs were incurred.
(2) The municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section may commence a civil action to recover the total costs from the owner person that held title to the parcel at the time the costs were incurred.
(3) A municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section may file a lien on a parcel of land for the total costs incurred under this section with respect to the parcel by filing a written affidavit with the county recorder of the county in which the parcel is located that states the parcel number, the total costs incurred with respect to the parcel, and the date such costs were incurred. The municipal corporation or its agent may pursue a foreclosure action to enforce the lien in a court of competent jurisdiction or, pursuant to sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, with the board of revision. The municipal corporation or its agent may elect to acquire the parcel by indicating such an election in the complaint for foreclosure or in an amended complaint. Upon the entry of a decree of foreclosure, the county sheriff shall advertise and offer the property for sale on at least one occasion. The minimum bid with regard to the sale of the foreclosed property shall equal the sum of the taxes, penalties, interest, costs, and assessments due and payable on the property, the total costs incurred by the municipal corporation or its agent with respect to the property, and any associated court costs and interest as authorized by law. An owner of the property may redeem the property by paying the minimum bid within ten days after the entry of the decree of foreclosure. If an owner fails to so redeem the property, and if the parcel is not sold for want of a minimum bid, the property shall be disposed of as follows:
(a) If the municipal corporation or its agent elects to acquire the property, the parcel shall be transferred to the municipal corporation or its agent as if the property were transferred by all owners in title to the municipal corporation or its agent in lieu of foreclosure as provided in section 5722.10 of the Revised Code;
(b) If the municipal corporation or its agent does not elect to acquire the property, the parcel shall be forfeited to the state or to a political subdivision or school district as provided in Chapter 5723. of the Revised Code.
When a municipal corporation or its agent acquires property as provided in this division, the property shall not be subject to foreclosure or forfeiture under section 323.25 or Chapter 5721. or 5723. of the Revised Code, and any lien on the property for costs incurred under this section or for any unpaid taxes, penalties, interest, charges, or assessments shall be extinguished.
(C) This section applies to any action taken by a municipal corporation, or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section, pursuant to section 715.26 of the Revised Code or pursuant to Section 3 of Article XVIII, Ohio Constitution.
(D)(1) A municipal corporation or its agent pursuant to division (E) of this section shall not certify to the county auditor for placement upon the tax list and duplicate and the cost county auditor shall not place upon the tax list and duplicate as a charge against the land the costs of any action that it takes abatement activity undertaken under division (B) of this section if the action any of the following apply:
(a) The abatement activity occurred on land that has been transferred or sold to an electing subdivision as defined in section 5722.01 of the Revised Code, regardless of whether the electing subdivision is still the owner of the land, and the abatement activity occurred on a date prior to the transfer or confirmation of sale to the electing subdivision.
(b) The abatement activity occurred on land that has been sold to a purchaser at sheriff's sale or auditor's sale, the abatement activity occurred on a date prior to the confirmation of sale, and the purchaser is not the owner of record of the land immediately prior to the judgment of foreclosure nor any of the following:
(i) A member of that owner's immediate family;
(ii) A person with a power of attorney appointed by that owner who subsequently transfers the land to the owner;
(iii) A sole proprietorship owned by that owner or a member of that owner's immediate family;
(iv) A partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, or association of which the owner or a member of the owner's immediate family owns or controls directly or indirectly more than fifty per cent.
(c) The abatement activity is taken on land that has been forfeited to this state for delinquent taxes, unless the owner of record redeems the land.
(2) Upon valid written notice to the county auditor by any owner possessing an ownership interest of record of the land or by an electing subdivision previously in the chain of title of the land that the costs of an abatement activity undertaken under division (B) of this section was certified for placement or placed upon the tax list and duplicate as a charge against the land in violation of this division, the county auditor shall promptly remove such charge from the tax duplicate. This written notice to the county auditor shall include all of the following:
(a) The parcel number of the land;
(b) The common address of the land;
(c) The date of the recording of the transfer of the land to the owner or electing subdivision;
(d) The charge allegedly placed in violation of this division.
(E) A municipal corporation may enter into an agreement with a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code wherein the county land reutilization corporation agrees to act as the agent of the municipal corporation in connection with removing, repairing, or securing insecure, unsafe, structurally defective, abandoned, deserted, or open and vacant buildings or other structures, making emergency corrections of hazardous conditions, or abating any nuisance, including high weeds, overgrown brush, and trash and debris from vacant lots. The total costs of such actions may be collected by the corporation pursuant to division (B) of this section, and shall be paid to the corporation if it paid or incurred such costs and has not been reimbursed by the owner of record at the time of the action or any other party with a recorded interest in the land.
(F) In the case of the lien of a county land reutilization corporation that is the agent of a municipal corporation, a notation shall be placed on the tax list and duplicate showing the amount of the lien ascribed specifically to the agent's total costs. The agent has standing to pursue a separate cause of action for money damages to satisfy the lien or pursue a foreclosure action in a court of competent jurisdiction or with the board of revision to enforce the lien without regard to occupancy. For purposes of a foreclosure proceeding by the county treasurer for delinquent taxes, this division does not affect the lien priority as between a county land reutilization corporation and the county treasurer, but the corporation's lien is superior to the lien of any other lienholder of the property. As to a direct action by a county land reutilization corporation, the lien for the taxes, assessment, charges, costs, penalties, and interest on the tax list and duplicate is in all cases superior to the lien of a county land reutilization corporation, whose lien for total costs shall be next in priority as against all other interests, except as provided in division (G) of this section.
(G) A county land reutilization corporation acting as an agent of a municipal corporation under an agreement under this section may, with the county treasurer's consent, petition the court or board of revision with jurisdiction over an action undertaken under division (F) of this section pleading that the lien of the corporation, as agent, for the total costs shall be superior to the lien for the taxes, assessments, charges, costs, penalties, and interest. If the court or board of revision determines that the lien is for total costs paid or incurred by the corporation as such an agent, and that subordinating the lien for such taxes and other impositions to the lien of the corporation promotes the expeditious abatement of public nuisances, the court or board may order the lien for the taxes and other impositions to be subordinate to the corporation's lien. The court or board may not subordinate the lien for taxes and other such impositions to any other liens.
(H) When a parcel of land upon which a lien has been placed under division (B)(1) or (3) of this section is transferred to a county land reutilization corporation, the lien on the parcel shall be extinguished if the lien is for costs or charges that were incurred before the date of the transfer to the corporation and if the corporation did not incur the costs or charges, regardless of whether the lien was attached or the costs or charges were certified before the date of transfer. In such a case, the county land reutilization corporation and its successors in title shall take title to the property free and clear of any such lien and shall be immune from liability in any action to collect such costs or charges.
If a county land reutilization corporation takes title to property before any costs or charges have been certified or any lien has been placed with respect to the property under division (B)(1) or (3) of this section, the corporation shall be deemed a bona fide purchaser for value without knowledge of such costs or lien, regardless of whether the corporation had actual or constructive knowledge of the costs or lien, and any such lien shall be void and unenforceable against the corporation and its successors in title.
(I) A municipal corporation or county land reutilization corporation may file an affidavit with the county recorder under section 5301.252 of the Revised Code stating the nature and extent of any proceedings undertaken under this section. Such an affidavit may include a legal description of a parcel or, in lieu thereof, the common address of the parcel and the permanent parcel number to which such address applies.
Sec. 743.04.  (A) For the purpose of paying the expenses of conducting and managing the waterworks of a municipal corporation, including operating expenses and the costs of permanent improvements, the director of public service or any other city official or body authorized by charter may assess and collect a water rent or charge of sufficient amount and in such manner as he the director, other official, or it body determines to be most equitable from all tenements and premises supplied with water. When
(1) When water rents or charges are not paid when due, the director or other official or body may do either or both of the following:
(A)(a) Certify them, together with any penalties, to the county auditor. The county auditor shall place the certified amount on the real property tax list and duplicate against the property served by the connection if he the auditor also receives from the director or other official or body additional certification that the unpaid rents or charges have arisen pursuant to a service contract made directly with an owner who occupies the property served.
The amount placed on the tax list and duplicate shall be a lien on the property served from the date placed on the list and duplicate and shall be collected in the same manner as other taxes, except that, notwithstanding section 323.15 of the Revised Code, a county treasurer shall accept a payment in such amount when separately tendered as payment for the full amount of such unpaid water rents or charges and associated penalties. The lien shall be released immediately upon payment in full of the certified amount. Any amounts collected by the county treasurer under this division shall be immediately placed in the distinct fund established by section 743.06 of the Revised Code.
(B)(b) Collect them by actions at law, in the name of the city from an owner, tenant, or other person who is liable to pay the rents or charges.
(2) The director or other official body shall not certify to the county auditor for placement upon the tax list and duplicate and the county auditor shall not place upon the tax list and duplicate as a charge against the property the amount of any unpaid water rents or charges together with any penalties as described in division (A)(1)(a) of this section if any of the following apply:
(a) The property served by the connection has been transferred or sold to an electing subdivision as defined in section 5722.01 of the Revised Code, regardless of whether the electing subdivision is still the owner of the property, and the unpaid water rents or charges together with any penalties have arisen from a period of time prior to the transfer or confirmation of sale to the electing subdivision;
(b) The property served by the connection has been sold to a purchaser at sheriff's sale or auditor's sale, the unpaid water rents or charges together with any penalties have arisen from a period of time prior to the confirmation of sale, and the purchaser is not the owner of record of the property immediately prior to the judgment of foreclosure nor any of the following:
(i) A member of that owner's immediate family;
(ii) A person with a power of attorney appointed by that owner who subsequently transfers the land to the owner;
(iii) A sole proprietorship owned by that owner or a member of that owner's immediate family;
(iv) A partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, or association of which the owner or a member of the owner's immediate family owns or controls directly or indirectly more than fifty per cent.
(c) The property served by the connection has been forfeited to this state for delinquent taxes, unless the owner of record redeems the property.
(3) Upon valid written notice to the county auditor by any owner possessing an ownership interest of record of the property or by an electing subdivision previously in the chain of title of the property that the unpaid water rents or charges together with any penalties have been certified for placement or placed upon the tax list and duplicate as a charge against the property in violation of division (A)(2) of this section, the county auditor shall promptly remove such charge from the tax duplicate. This written notice to the county auditor shall include all of the following:
(a) The parcel number of the property;
(b) The common address of the property;
(c) The date of the recording of the transfer of the property to the owner or electing subdivision;
(d) The charge allegedly placed in violation of division (A)(2) of this section.
(4) Each director or other official or body that assesses water rents or charges shall determine the actual amount of rents due based upon an actual reading of each customer's meter at least once in each three-month period, and at least quarterly the director or other official or body shall render a bill for the actual amount shown by the meter reading to be due, except estimated bills may be rendered if access to a customer's meter was unobtainable for a timely reading. Each director or other official or body that assesses water rents or charges shall establish procedures providing fair and reasonable opportunity for resolution of billing disputes.
(5) When property to which water service is provided is about to be sold, any party to the sale or his the agent of any such party may request the director or other official or body to read the meter at that property and to render within ten days following the date on which the request is made, a final bill for all outstanding rents and charges for water service. Such a request shall be made at least fourteen days prior to the transfer of the title of such property.
(6) At any time prior to a certification under division (A)(1)(a) of this section, the director or other official or body shall accept any partial payment of unpaid water rents or charges, in the amount of ten dollars or more.
(B)(1) When title to a parcel of land that is subject to any of the actions described in division (A)(1) of this section is transferred to a county land reutilization corporation, any lien placed on the parcel under division (A)(1)(a) of this section shall be extinguished, and the corporation shall not be held liable for unpaid rents or charges in any collection action brought under division (A)(1)(b) of this section, if the rents or charges certified under division (A)(1)(a) of this section or subject to collection under division (A)(1)(b) of this section were incurred before the date of the transfer to the corporation and if the corporation did not incur the rents or charges, regardless of whether the rents or charges were certified, the lien was attached, or the action was brought before the date of transfer. In such a case, the corporation and its successors in title shall take title to the property free and clear of any such lien and shall be immune from liability in any such collection action.
If a county land reutilization corporation takes title to property before any rents or charges have been certified or any lien has been placed with respect to the property under division (A)(1) of this section, the corporation shall be deemed a bona fide purchaser for value without knowledge of such rents, charges, or lien, regardless of whether the corporation had actual or constructive knowledge of the rents, charges, or lien, and any such lien shall be void and unenforceable against the corporation and its successors in title.
(2) If a lien placed on a parcel is extinguished as provided in division (B)(1) of this section, the municipal corporation may pursue the remedy available under division (A)(1)(b) of this section to recoup the rents and charges incurred with respect to the parcel from any owner, tenant, or other person liable to pay such rents and charges.
Sec. 1724.02.  In furtherance of the purposes set forth in section 1724.01 of the Revised Code, a community improvement corporation shall have the following powers:
(A)(1) To borrow money for any of the purposes of the community improvement corporation by means of loans, lines of credit, or any other financial instruments or securities, including the issuance of its bonds, debentures, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness, whether secured or unsecured, and to secure the same by mortgage, pledge, deed of trust, or other lien on its property, franchises, rights, and privileges of every kind and nature or any part thereof or interest therein; and
(2) If the community improvement corporation is a county land reutilization corporation, the corporation may request, by resolution:
(a) That the board of county commissioners of the county served by the corporation pledge a specifically identified source or sources of revenue pursuant to division (C) of section 307.78 of the Revised Code as security for such borrowing by the corporation; and
(b)(i) If the land subject to reutilization is located within an unincorporated area of the county, that the board of county commissioners issue notes under section 307.082 of the Revised Code for the purpose of constructing public infrastructure improvements and take other actions as the board determines are in the interest of the county and are authorized under sections 5709.78 to 5709.81 of the Revised Code or bonds or notes under section 5709.81 of the Revised Code for the refunding purposes set forth in that section; or
(ii) If the land subject to reutilization is located within the corporate boundaries of a municipal corporation, that the municipal corporation issue bonds for the purpose of constructing public infrastructure improvements and take such other actions as the municipal corporation determines are in its interest and are authorized under sections 5709.40 to 5709.43 of the Revised Code.
(B) To make loans to any person, firm, partnership, corporation, joint stock company, association, or trust, and to establish and regulate the terms and conditions with respect to any such loans; provided that an economic development corporation shall not approve any application for a loan unless and until the person applying for said loan shows that the person has applied for the loan through ordinary banking or commercial channels and that the loan has been refused by at least one bank or other financial institution. Nothing in this division shall preclude a county land reutilization corporation from making revolving loans to community development corporations, private entities, or any person for the purposes contained in the corporation's plan under section 1724.10 of the Revised Code.
(C) To purchase, receive, hold, manage, lease, lease-purchase, or otherwise acquire and to sell, convey, transfer, lease, sublease, or otherwise dispose of real and personal property, together with such rights and privileges as may be incidental and appurtenant thereto and the use thereof, including but not restricted to, any real or personal property acquired by the community improvement corporation from time to time in the satisfaction of debts or enforcement of obligations, and to enter into contracts with third parties, including the federal government, the state, any political subdivision, or any other entity. A county land reutilization corporation shall not acquire an interest in real property if such acquisition causes the percentage number of unoccupied occupied real property properties held by the corporation to become less than seventy exceed the greater of either fifty properties or twenty-five per cent of all real property held by the corporation for reutilization, reclamation, or rehabilitation. For the purposes of this division, "unoccupied" has the same meaning as in section 323.65 of the Revised Code.
(D) To acquire the good will, business, rights, real and personal property, and other assets, or any part thereof, or interest therein, of any persons, firms, partnerships, corporations, joint stock companies, associations, or trusts, and to assume, undertake, or pay the obligations, debts, and liabilities of any such person, firm, partnership, corporation, joint stock company, association, or trust; to acquire, reclaim, manage, or contract for the management of improved or unimproved and underutilized real estate for the purpose of constructing industrial plants, other business establishments, or housing thereon, or causing the same to occur, for the purpose of assembling and enhancing utilization of the real estate, or for the purpose of disposing of such real estate to others in whole or in part for the construction of industrial plants, other business establishments, or housing; and to acquire, reclaim, manage, contract for the management of, construct or reconstruct, alter, repair, maintain, operate, sell, convey, transfer, lease, sublease, or otherwise dispose of industrial plants, business establishments, or housing.
(E) To acquire, subscribe for, own, hold, sell, assign, transfer, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of the stock, shares, bonds, debentures, notes, or other securities and evidences of interest in, or indebtedness of, any person, firm, corporation, joint stock company, association, or trust, and while the owner or holder thereof, to exercise all the rights, powers, and privileges of ownership, including the right to vote therein, provided that no tax revenue, if any, received by a community improvement corporation shall be used for such acquisition or subscription.
(F) To mortgage, pledge, or otherwise encumber any property acquired pursuant to the powers contained in divisions division (C), (D), or (E) of this section.
(G) Nothing in this section shall limit the right of a community improvement corporation to become a member of or a stockholder in a corporation formed under Chapter 1726. of the Revised Code.
(H) To serve as an agent for grant applications and for the administration of grants, or to make applications as principal for grants for county land reutilization corporations.
(I) To exercise the powers enumerated under Chapter 5722. of the Revised Code on behalf of a county that organizes or contracts with a county land reutilization corporation.
(J) To engage in code enforcement and nuisance abatement, including, but not limited to, cutting grass and weeds, boarding up vacant or abandoned structures, and demolishing condemned structures on properties that are subject to a delinquent tax or assessment lien, or property for which a municipal corporation or township has contracted with a county land reutilization corporation to provide code enforcement or nuisance abatement assistance.
(K) To charge fees or exchange in-kind goods or services for services rendered to political subdivisions and other persons or entities for whom services are rendered.
(L) To employ and provide compensation for an executive director who shall manage the operations of a county land reutilization corporation and employ others for the benefit of the corporation as approved and funded by the board of directors. No employee of the corporation is or shall be deemed to be an employee of the political subdivision for whose benefit the corporation is organized solely because the employee is employed by the corporation.
(M) To purchase tax certificates at auction, negotiated sale, or from a third party who purchased and is a holder of one or more tax certificates issued pursuant to sections 5721.30 to 5721.43 of the Revised Code.
(N) To be assigned a mortgage on real property from a mortgagee in lieu of acquiring such real property subject to a mortgage.
(O) To do all acts and things necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of section 1724.01 of the Revised Code and the powers especially created for a community improvement corporation in Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code, including, but not limited to, contracting with the federal government, the state or any political subdivision, a board of county commissioners pursuant to section 307.07 of the Revised Code, a county auditor pursuant to section 319.10 of the Revised Code, a county treasurer pursuant to section 321.49 of the Revised Code, and any other party, whether nonprofit or for-profit. An employee of a board of county commissioners, county auditor, or county treasurer who, pursuant to a contract entered into in accordance with section 307.07, 319.10, or 321.49 of the Revised Code, provides services to a county land reutilization corporation shall remain an employee of the county during the provision of those services.
The powers enumerated in this chapter shall not be construed to limit the general powers of a community improvement corporation. The powers granted under this chapter are in addition to those powers granted by any other chapter of the Revised Code, but, as to a county land reutilization corporation, shall be used only for the purposes enumerated under division (B)(2) of section 1724.01 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 1724.10. (A) A community improvement corporation may be designated:
(1) By a county, one or more townships, one or more municipal corporations, two or more adjoining counties, or any combination of the foregoing as the agency of each such political subdivision for the industrial, commercial, distribution, and research development in such political subdivision when the legislative authority of such political subdivision has determined that the policy of the political subdivision is to promote the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of its inhabitants through the designation of a community improvement corporation as such agency;
(2) Solely by a county as the agency for the reclamation, rehabilitation, and reutilization of vacant, abandoned, tax-foreclosed, or other real property in the county;
(3) By any political subdivision as the agency for the reclamation, rehabilitation, and reutilization of vacant, abandoned, tax-foreclosed, or other real property within the political subdivision if the subdivision enters into an agreement with the community improvement corporation that is the agency of a county, under division (A)(2) of this section, designating the corporation as the agency of the political subdivision.
(B) Designations under this section shall be made by the legislative authority of the political subdivision by resolution or ordinance. Any political subdivision which has designated a community improvement corporation as such agency under this section may enter into an agreement with it to provide any one or more of the following:
(1) That the community improvement corporation shall prepare a plan for the political subdivision of industrial, commercial, distribution, and research development, or of reclamation, rehabilitation, and reutilization of vacant, abandoned, tax-foreclosed, or other real property, and such plan shall provide therein the extent to which the community improvement corporation shall participate as the agency of the political subdivision in carrying out such plan. Such plan shall be confirmed by the legislative authority of the political subdivision. A community improvement corporation may insure mortgage payments required by a first mortgage on any industrial, economic, commercial, or civic property for which funds have been loaned by any person, corporation, bank, or financial or lending institution upon such terms and conditions as the community improvement corporation may prescribe. A community improvement corporation may incur debt, mortgage its property acquired under this section or otherwise, and issue its obligations, for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, improving, and equipping buildings, structures, and other properties, and acquiring sites therefor, for lease or sale by the community improvement corporation in order to carry out its participation in such plan. Except as provided for in division (C) of section 307.78 of the Revised Code, any such debt shall be solely that of the corporation and shall not be secured by the pledge of any moneys received or to be received from any political subdivision. All revenue bonds issued under sections 1724.02 and 1724.10 of the Revised Code are lawful investments of banks, savings and loan associations, deposit guarantee associations, trust companies, trustees, fiduciaries, trustees or other officers having charge of sinking or bond retirement funds of municipal corporations and other subdivisions of the state, and of domestic insurance companies notwithstanding sections 3907.14 and 3925.08 of the Revised Code. Not less than two-fifths of the governing board of any economic development corporation designated as the agency of one or more political subdivisions shall be composed of mayors, members of municipal legislative authorities, members of boards of township trustees, members of boards of county commissioners, or any other appointed or elected officers of such political subdivisions, provided that at least one officer from each political subdivision shall be a member of the governing board. Membership on the governing board of a community improvement corporation does not constitute the holding of a public office or employment within the meaning of sections 731.02 and 731.12 of the Revised Code or any other section of the Revised Code. The board of directors of a county land reutilization corporation shall be composed of the members set forth in section 1724.03 of the Revised Code. Membership on such governing boards shall not constitute an interest, either direct or indirect, in a contract or expenditure of money by any municipal corporation, township, county, or other political subdivision. No member of such governing boards shall be disqualified from holding any public office or employment, nor shall such member forfeit any such office or employment, by reason of membership on the governing board of a community improvement corporation notwithstanding any law to the contrary.
Actions taken under this section shall be in accordance with any applicable planning or zoning regulations.
Any agreement entered into under this section may be amended or supplemented from time to time by the parties thereto.
An economic development corporation designated as the agency of a political subdivision under this section shall promote and encourage the establishment and growth in such subdivision of industrial, commercial, distribution, and research facilities. A county land reutilization corporation designated as the agency of a political subdivision in an agreement between a political subdivision and a corporation shall promote the reclamation, rehabilitation, and reutilization of vacant, abandoned, tax-foreclosed, or other real property in the subdivision.
(2) Authorization for the community improvement corporation to sell or to lease any lands or interests in lands owned by the political subdivision determined from time to time by the legislative authority thereof not to be required by such political subdivision for its purposes, for uses determined by the legislative authority as those that will promote the welfare of the people of the political subdivision, stabilize the economy, provide employment, assist in the development of industrial, commercial, distribution, and research activities to the benefit of the people of the political subdivision, will provide additional opportunities for their gainful employment, or will promote the reclamation, rehabilitation, and reutilization of vacant, abandoned, tax-foreclosed, or other real property within the subdivision. The legislative authority shall specify the consideration for such sale or lease and any other terms thereof. Any determinations made by the legislative authority under this division shall be conclusive. The community improvement corporation acting through its officers and on behalf and as agent of the political subdivision shall execute the necessary instruments, including deeds conveying the title of the political subdivision or leases, to accomplish such sale or lease. Such conveyance or lease shall be made without advertising and receipt of bids. A copy of such agreement shall be recorded in the office of the county recorder of any county in which lands or interests in lands to be sold or leased are situated prior to the recording of a deed or lease executed pursuant to such agreement. The county recorder shall not charge a county land reutilization corporation a fee as otherwise provided in section 317.32 of the Revised Code for the recording, indexing, or making of a certified copy or for the filing of any instrument by a county land reutilization corporation consistent with its public purposes.
(3) That the political subdivision executing the agreement will convey to the community improvement corporation lands and interests in lands owned by the political subdivision and determined by the legislative authority thereof not to be required by the political subdivision for its purposes and that such conveyance of such land or interests in land will promote the welfare of the people of the political subdivision, stabilize the economy, provide employment, assist in the development of industrial, commercial, distribution, and research activities to the benefit of the people of the political subdivision, provide additional opportunities for their gainful employment or will promote the reclamation, rehabilitation, and reutilization of vacant, abandoned, tax-foreclosed, or other real property in the subdivision, for the consideration and upon the terms established in the agreement, and further that as the agency for development or land reutilization the community improvement corporation may acquire from others additional lands or interests in lands, and any lands or interests in land so conveyed by it for uses that will promote the welfare of the people of the political subdivision, stabilize the economy, provide employment, assist in the development of industrial, commercial, distribution, and research activities required for the people of the political subdivision and for their gainful employment or will promote the reclamation, rehabilitation, and reutilization of vacant, abandoned, tax-foreclosed, or other real property in the subdivision. Any conveyance or lease by the political subdivision to the community improvement corporation shall be made without advertising and receipt of bids. If any lands or interests in land conveyed by a political subdivision under this division are sold by the community improvement corporation at a price in excess of the consideration received by the political subdivision from the community improvement corporation, such excess shall be paid to such political subdivision after deducting, to the extent and in the manner provided in the agreement, the costs of such acquisition and sale, taxes, assessments, costs of maintenance, costs of improvements to the land by the community improvement corporation, service fees, and any debt service charges of the corporation attributable to such land or interests.
Sec. 2744.01.  As used in this chapter:
(A) "Emergency call" means a call to duty, including, but not limited to, communications from citizens, police dispatches, and personal observations by peace officers of inherently dangerous situations that demand an immediate response on the part of a peace officer.
(B) "Employee" means an officer, agent, employee, or servant, whether or not compensated or full-time or part-time, who is authorized to act and is acting within the scope of the officer's, agent's, employee's, or servant's employment for a political subdivision. "Employee" does not include an independent contractor and does not include any individual engaged by a school district pursuant to section 3319.301 of the Revised Code. "Employee" includes any elected or appointed official of a political subdivision. "Employee" also includes a person who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a criminal offense and who has been sentenced to perform community service work in a political subdivision whether pursuant to section 2951.02 of the Revised Code or otherwise, and a child who is found to be a delinquent child and who is ordered by a juvenile court pursuant to section 2152.19 or 2152.20 of the Revised Code to perform community service or community work in a political subdivision.
(C)(1) "Governmental function" means a function of a political subdivision that is specified in division (C)(2) of this section or that satisfies any of the following:
(a) A function that is imposed upon the state as an obligation of sovereignty and that is performed by a political subdivision voluntarily or pursuant to legislative requirement;
(b) A function that is for the common good of all citizens of the state;
(c) A function that promotes or preserves the public peace, health, safety, or welfare; that involves activities that are not engaged in or not customarily engaged in by nongovernmental persons; and that is not specified in division (G)(2) of this section as a proprietary function.
(2) A "governmental function" includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) The provision or nonprovision of police, fire, emergency medical, ambulance, and rescue services or protection;
(b) The power to preserve the peace; to prevent and suppress riots, disturbances, and disorderly assemblages; to prevent, mitigate, and clean up releases of oil and hazardous and extremely hazardous substances as defined in section 3750.01 of the Revised Code; and to protect persons and property;
(c) The provision of a system of public education;
(d) The provision of a free public library system;
(e) The regulation of the use of, and the maintenance and repair of, roads, highways, streets, avenues, alleys, sidewalks, bridges, aqueducts, viaducts, and public grounds;
(f) Judicial, quasi-judicial, prosecutorial, legislative, and quasi-legislative functions;
(g) The construction, reconstruction, repair, renovation, maintenance, and operation of buildings that are used in connection with the performance of a governmental function, including, but not limited to, office buildings and courthouses;
(h) The design, construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, maintenance, and operation of jails, places of juvenile detention, workhouses, or any other detention facility, as defined in section 2921.01 of the Revised Code;
(i) The enforcement or nonperformance of any law;
(j) The regulation of traffic, and the erection or nonerection of traffic signs, signals, or control devices;
(k) The collection and disposal of solid wastes, as defined in section 3734.01 of the Revised Code, including, but not limited to, the operation of solid waste disposal facilities, as "facilities" is defined in that section, and the collection and management of hazardous waste generated by households. As used in division (C)(2)(k) of this section, "hazardous waste generated by households" means solid waste originally generated by individual households that is listed specifically as hazardous waste in or exhibits one or more characteristics of hazardous waste as defined by rules adopted under section 3734.12 of the Revised Code, but that is excluded from regulation as a hazardous waste by those rules.
(l) The provision or nonprovision, planning or design, construction, or reconstruction of a public improvement, including, but not limited to, a sewer system;
(m) The operation of a job and family services department or agency, including, but not limited to, the provision of assistance to aged and infirm persons and to persons who are indigent;
(n) The operation of a health board, department, or agency, including, but not limited to, any statutorily required or permissive program for the provision of immunizations or other inoculations to all or some members of the public, provided that a "governmental function" does not include the supply, manufacture, distribution, or development of any drug or vaccine employed in any such immunization or inoculation program by any supplier, manufacturer, distributor, or developer of the drug or vaccine;
(o) The operation of mental health facilities, mental retardation or developmental disabilities facilities, alcohol treatment and control centers, and children's homes or agencies;
(p) The provision or nonprovision of inspection services of all types, including, but not limited to, inspections in connection with building, zoning, sanitation, fire, plumbing, and electrical codes, and the taking of actions in connection with those types of codes, including, but not limited to, the approval of plans for the construction of buildings or structures and the issuance or revocation of building permits or stop work orders in connection with buildings or structures;
(q) Urban renewal projects and the elimination of slum conditions, including the performance of any activity that a county land reutilization corporation is authorized to perform under Chapter 1724. or 5722. of the Revised Code;
(r) Flood control measures;
(s) The design, construction, reconstruction, renovation, operation, care, repair, and maintenance of a township cemetery;
(t) The issuance of revenue obligations under section 140.06 of the Revised Code;
(u) The design, construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, maintenance, and operation of any school athletic facility, school auditorium, or gymnasium or any recreational area or facility, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
(i) A park, playground, or playfield;
(ii) An indoor recreational facility;
(iii) A zoo or zoological park;
(iv) A bath, swimming pool, pond, water park, wading pool, wave pool, water slide, or other type of aquatic facility;
(v) A golf course;
(vi) A bicycle motocross facility or other type of recreational area or facility in which bicycling, skating, skate boarding, or scooter riding is engaged;
(vii) A rope course or climbing walls;
(viii) An all-purpose vehicle facility in which all-purpose vehicles, as defined in section 4519.01 of the Revised Code, are contained, maintained, or operated for recreational activities.
(v) The provision of public defender services by a county or joint county public defender's office pursuant to Chapter 120. of the Revised Code;
(w)(i) At any time before regulations prescribed pursuant to 49 U.S.C.A 20153 become effective, the designation, establishment, design, construction, implementation, operation, repair, or maintenance of a public road rail crossing in a zone within a municipal corporation in which, by ordinance, the legislative authority of the municipal corporation regulates the sounding of locomotive horns, whistles, or bells;
(ii) On and after the effective date of regulations prescribed pursuant to 49 U.S.C.A. 20153, the designation, establishment, design, construction, implementation, operation, repair, or maintenance of a public road rail crossing in such a zone or of a supplementary safety measure, as defined in 49 U.S.C.A 20153, at or for a public road rail crossing, if and to the extent that the public road rail crossing is excepted, pursuant to subsection (c) of that section, from the requirement of the regulations prescribed under subsection (b) of that section.
(x) A function that the general assembly mandates a political subdivision to perform.
(D) "Law" means any provision of the constitution, statutes, or rules of the United States or of this state; provisions of charters, ordinances, resolutions, and rules of political subdivisions; and written policies adopted by boards of education. When used in connection with the "common law," this definition does not apply.
(E) "Motor vehicle" has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code.
(F) "Political subdivision" or "subdivision" means a municipal corporation, township, county, school district, or other body corporate and politic responsible for governmental activities in a geographic area smaller than that of the state. "Political subdivision" includes, but is not limited to, a county hospital commission appointed under section 339.14 of the Revised Code, board of hospital commissioners appointed for a municipal hospital under section 749.04 of the Revised Code, board of hospital trustees appointed for a municipal hospital under section 749.22 of the Revised Code, regional planning commission created pursuant to section 713.21 of the Revised Code, county planning commission created pursuant to section 713.22 of the Revised Code, joint planning council created pursuant to section 713.231 of the Revised Code, interstate regional planning commission created pursuant to section 713.30 of the Revised Code, port authority created pursuant to section 4582.02 or 4582.26 of the Revised Code or in existence on December 16, 1964, regional council established by political subdivisions pursuant to Chapter 167. of the Revised Code, emergency planning district and joint emergency planning district designated under section 3750.03 of the Revised Code, joint emergency medical services district created pursuant to section 307.052 of the Revised Code, fire and ambulance district created pursuant to section 505.375 of the Revised Code, joint interstate emergency planning district established by an agreement entered into under that section, county solid waste management district and joint solid waste management district established under section 343.01 or 343.012 of the Revised Code, community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code, county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code, the county or counties served by a community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program established and operated under sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code, a community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program that is so established and operated, and the facility governing board of a community-based correctional facility and program or district community-based correctional facility and program that is so established and operated.
(G)(1) "Proprietary function" means a function of a political subdivision that is specified in division (G)(2) of this section or that satisfies both of the following:
(a) The function is not one described in division (C)(1)(a) or (b) of this section and is not one specified in division (C)(2) of this section;
(b) The function is one that promotes or preserves the public peace, health, safety, or welfare and that involves activities that are customarily engaged in by nongovernmental persons.
(2) A "proprietary function" includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) The operation of a hospital by one or more political subdivisions;
(b) The design, construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, maintenance, and operation of a public cemetery other than a township cemetery;
(c) The establishment, maintenance, and operation of a utility, including, but not limited to, a light, gas, power, or heat plant, a railroad, a busline or other transit company, an airport, and a municipal corporation water supply system;
(d) The maintenance, destruction, operation, and upkeep of a sewer system;
(e) The operation and control of a public stadium, auditorium, civic or social center, exhibition hall, arts and crafts center, band or orchestra, or off-street parking facility.
(H) "Public roads" means public roads, highways, streets, avenues, alleys, and bridges within a political subdivision. "Public roads" does not include berms, shoulders, rights-of-way, or traffic control devices unless the traffic control devices are mandated by the Ohio manual of uniform traffic control devices.
(I) "State" means the state of Ohio, including, but not limited to, the general assembly, the supreme court, the offices of all elected state officers, and all departments, boards, offices, commissions, agencies, colleges and universities, institutions, and other instrumentalities of the state of Ohio. "State" does not include political subdivisions.
Sec. 5709.12.  (A) As used in this section, "independent living facilities" means any residential housing facilities and related property that are not a nursing home, residential care facility, or residential facility as defined in division (A) of section 5701.13 of the Revised Code.
(B) Lands, houses, and other buildings belonging to a county, township, or municipal corporation and used exclusively for the accommodation or support of the poor, or leased to the state or any political subdivision for public purposes shall be exempt from taxation. Real and tangible personal property belonging to institutions that is used exclusively for charitable purposes shall be exempt from taxation, including real property belonging to an institution that is a nonprofit corporation that receives a grant under the Thomas Alva Edison grant program authorized by division (C) of section 122.33 of the Revised Code at any time during the tax year and being held for leasing or resale to others. If, at any time during a tax year for which such property is exempted from taxation, the corporation ceases to qualify for such a grant, the director of development shall notify the tax commissioner, and the tax commissioner shall cause the property to be restored to the tax list beginning with the following tax year. All property owned and used by a nonprofit organization exclusively for a home for the aged, as defined in section 5701.13 of the Revised Code, also shall be exempt from taxation.
(C)(1) If a home for the aged described in division (B)(1) of section 5701.13 of the Revised Code is operated in conjunction with or at the same site as independent living facilities, the exemption granted in division (B) of this section shall include kitchen, dining room, clinic, entry ways, maintenance and storage areas, and land necessary for access commonly used by both residents of the home for the aged and residents of the independent living facilities. Other facilities commonly used by both residents of the home for the aged and residents of independent living units shall be exempt from taxation only if the other facilities are used primarily by the residents of the home for the aged. Vacant land currently unused by the home, and independent living facilities and the lands connected with them are not exempt from taxation. Except as provided in division (A)(1) of section 5709.121 of the Revised Code, property of a home leased for nonresidential purposes is not exempt from taxation.
(2) Independent living facilities are exempt from taxation if they are operated in conjunction with or at the same site as a home for the aged described in division (B)(2) of section 5701.13 of the Revised Code; operated by a corporation, association, or trust described in division (B)(1)(b) of that section; operated exclusively for the benefit of members of the corporation, association, or trust who are retired, aged, or infirm; and provided to those members without charge in consideration of their service, without compensation, to a charitable, religious, fraternal, or educational institution. For the purposes of division (C)(2) of this section, "compensation" does not include furnishing room and board, clothing, health care, or other necessities, or stipends or other de minimis payments to defray the cost thereof.
(D)(1) A private corporation established under federal law, as defined in 36 U.S.C. 1101, Pub. L. No. 102-199, 105 Stat. 1629, as amended, the objects of which include encouraging the advancement of science generally, or of a particular branch of science, the promotion of scientific research, the improvement of the qualifications and usefulness of scientists, or the increase and diffusion of scientific knowledge is conclusively presumed to be a charitable or educational institution. A private corporation established as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of a state, that is exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 1, as amended, and that has as its principal purpose one or more of the foregoing objects, also is conclusively presumed to be a charitable or educational institution.
The fact that an organization described in this division operates in a manner that results in an excess of revenues over expenses shall not be used to deny the exemption granted by this section, provided such excess is used, or is held for use, for exempt purposes or to establish a reserve against future contingencies; and, provided further, that such excess may not be distributed to individual persons or to entities that would not be entitled to the tax exemptions provided by this chapter. Nor shall the fact that any scientific information diffused by the organization is of particular interest or benefit to any of its individual members be used to deny the exemption granted by this section, provided that such scientific information is available to the public for purchase or otherwise.
(2) Division (D)(2) of this section does not apply to real property exempted from taxation under this section and division (A)(3) of section 5709.121 of the Revised Code and belonging to a nonprofit corporation described in division (D)(1) of this section that has received a grant under the Thomas Alva Edison grant program authorized by division (C) of section 122.33 of the Revised Code during any of the tax years the property was exempted from taxation.
When a private corporation described in division (D)(1) of this section sells all or any portion of a tract, lot, or parcel of real estate that has been exempt from taxation under this section and section 5709.121 of the Revised Code, the portion sold shall be restored to the tax list for the year following the year of the sale and, except in connection with a sale and transfer of such a tract, lot, or parcel to a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code, a charge shall be levied against the sold property in an amount equal to the tax savings on such property during the four tax years preceding the year the property is placed on the tax list. The tax savings equals the amount of the additional taxes that would have been levied if such property had not been exempt from taxation.
The charge constitutes a lien of the state upon such property as of the first day of January of the tax year in which the charge is levied and continues until discharged as provided by law. The charge may also be remitted for all or any portion of such property that the tax commissioner determines is entitled to exemption from real property taxation for the year such property is restored to the tax list under any provision of the Revised Code, other than sections 725.02, 1728.10, 3735.67, 5709.40, 5709.41, 5709.62, 5709.63, 5709.71, 5709.73, 5709.78, and 5709.84, upon an application for exemption covering the year such property is restored to the tax list filed under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code.
(E) Real property held by an organization organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes as described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and exempt from federal taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C.A. 501(a) and (c)(3), as amended, for the purpose of constructing or rehabilitating residences for eventual transfer to qualified low-income families through sale, lease, or land installment contract, shall be exempt from taxation.
The exemption shall commence on the day title to the property is transferred to the organization and shall continue to the end of the tax year in which the organization transfers title to the property to a qualified low-income family. In no case shall the exemption extend beyond the second succeeding tax year following the year in which the title was transferred to the organization. If the title is transferred to the organization and from the organization to a qualified low-income family in the same tax year, the exemption shall continue to the end of that tax year. The proportionate amount of taxes that are a lien but not yet determined, assessed, and levied for the tax year in which title is transferred to the organization shall be remitted by the county auditor for each day of the year that title is held by the organization.
Upon transferring the title to another person, the organization shall file with the county auditor an affidavit affirming that the title was transferred to a qualified low-income family or that the title was not transferred to a qualified low-income family, as the case may be; if the title was transferred to a qualified low-income family, the affidavit shall identify the transferee by name. If the organization transfers title to the property to anyone other than a qualified low-income family, the exemption, if it has not previously expired, shall terminate, and the property shall be restored to the tax list for the year following the year of the transfer and a charge shall be levied against the property in an amount equal to the amount of additional taxes that would have been levied if such property had not been exempt from taxation. The charge constitutes a lien of the state upon such property as of the first day of January of the tax year in which the charge is levied and continues until discharged as provided by law.
The application for exemption shall be filed as otherwise required under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code, except that the organization holding the property shall file with its application documentation substantiating its status as an organization organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and its qualification for exemption from federal taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, and affirming its intention to construct or rehabilitate the property for the eventual transfer to qualified low-income families.
As used in this division, "qualified low-income family" means a family whose income does not exceed two hundred per cent of the official federal poverty guidelines as revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the "Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981," 95 Stat. 511, 42 U.S.C.A. 9902, as amended, for a family size equal to the size of the family whose income is being determined.
(F)(1)(a) Real property held by a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code shall be exempt from taxation. Notwithstanding section 5715.27 of the Revised Code, a county land reutilization corporation is not required to apply to any county or state agency in order to qualify for the exemption.
(b) Real property acquired or held by an electing subdivision other than a county land reutilization corporation on or after April 9, 2009, for the purpose of implementing an effective land reutilization program or for a related public purpose shall be exempt from taxation until sold or transferred by the electing subdivision. Notwithstanding section 5715.27 of the Revised Code, an electing subdivision is not required to apply to any county or state agency in order to qualify for an exemption with respect to property acquired or held for such purposes on or after such date, regardless of how the electing subdivision acquires the property.
As used in this section, "electing subdivision" and "land reutilization program" have the same meanings as in section 5722.01 of the Revised Code, and "county land reutilization corporation" means a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code and any subsidiary wholly owned by such a county land reutilization corporation that is identified as "a wholly owned subsidiary of a county land reutilization corporation" in the deed of conveyance transferring title to the subsidiary.
The (2) An exemption authorized under division (F)(1) of this section shall commence on the day title to the property is transferred to the corporation or electing subdivision and shall continue to the end of the tax year in which the instrument transferring title from the corporation or subdivision to another owner is recorded, if the use to which the other owner puts the property does not qualify for an exemption under this section or any other section of the Revised Code. If the title to the property is transferred to the corporation and from the corporation, or to the subdivision and from the subdivision, in the same tax year, the exemption shall continue to the end of that tax year. The proportionate amount of taxes that are a lien but not yet determined, assessed, and levied for the tax year in which title is transferred to the corporation or subdivision shall be remitted by the county auditor for each day of the year that title is held by the corporation or subdivision.
Upon transferring the title to another person, the corporation or electing subdivision shall file with the county auditor an affidavit or conveyance form affirming that the title was transferred to such other person and shall identify the transferee by name. If the corporation or subdivision transfers title to the property to anyone that does not qualify or the use to which the property is put does not qualify the property for an exemption under this section or any other section of the Revised Code, the exemption, if it has not previously expired, shall terminate, and the property shall be restored to the tax list for the year following the year of the transfer. A charge shall be levied against the property in an amount equal to the amount of additional taxes that would have been levied if such property had not been exempt from taxation. The charge constitutes a lien of the state upon such property as of the first day of January of the tax year in which the charge is levied and continues until discharged as provided by law.
In lieu of the application for exemption otherwise required to be filed as required under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code, a count county land reutilization corporation holding the property shall, upon the request of any county or state agency, submit its articles of incorporation substantiating its status as a county land reutilization corporation.
Sec. 5721.01.  (A) As used in this chapter:
(1) "Delinquent lands" means all lands, including lands that are unimproved by any dwelling, upon which delinquent taxes, as defined in section 323.01 of the Revised Code, remain unpaid at the time a settlement is made between the county treasurer and auditor pursuant to division (C) of section 321.24 of the Revised Code.
(2) "Delinquent vacant lands" means all lands that have been delinquent lands for at least one year and that are unimproved by any dwelling.
(3) "County land reutilization corporation" means a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code.
(B) As used in sections 5719.04, 5721.03, and 5721.31 of the Revised Code and in any other sections of the Revised Code to which those sections are applicable, a "newspaper" or "newspaper of general circulation" has the same meaning as in section 7.12 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 5721.03.  (A) At the time of making the delinquent land list, as provided in section 5721.011 of the Revised Code, the county auditor shall compile a delinquent tax list consisting of all lands on the delinquent land list on which taxes have become delinquent at the close of the collection period immediately preceding the making of the delinquent land list. The auditor shall also compile a delinquent vacant land tax list of all delinquent vacant lands prior to the institution of any foreclosure and forfeiture actions against delinquent vacant lands under section 5721.14 of the Revised Code or any foreclosure actions against delinquent vacant lands under section 5721.18 of the Revised Code.
The delinquent tax list, and the delinquent vacant land tax list if one is compiled, shall contain all of the information included on the delinquent land list, except that, if the auditor's records show that the name of the person in whose name the property currently is listed is not the name that appears on the delinquent land list, the name used in the delinquent tax list or the delinquent vacant land tax list shall be the name of the person the auditor's records show as the person in whose name the property currently is listed.
Lands that have been included in a previously published delinquent tax list shall not be included in the delinquent tax list so long as taxes have remained delinquent on such lands for the entire intervening time.
In either list, there may be included lands that have been omitted in error from a prior list and lands with respect to which the auditor has received a certification that a delinquent tax contract has become void since the publication of the last previously published list, provided the name of the owner was stricken from a prior list under section 5721.02 of the Revised Code.
(B)(1) The auditor shall cause the delinquent tax list and the delinquent vacant land tax list, if one is compiled, to be published twice within sixty days after the delivery of the delinquent land duplicate to the county treasurer, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The newspaper shall meet the requirements of section 7.12 of the Revised Code. The auditor may publish the list or lists on a pre-printed preprinted insert in the newspaper. The cost of the second publication of the list or lists shall not exceed three-fourths of the cost of the first publication of the list or lists.
The auditor shall insert display notices of the forthcoming publication of the delinquent tax list and, if it is to be published, the delinquent vacant land tax list once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The display notices shall contain the times and methods of payment of taxes provided by law, including information concerning installment payments made in accordance with a written delinquent tax contract. The display notice for the delinquent tax list also shall include a notice that an interest charge will accrue on accounts remaining unpaid after the last day of November unless the taxpayer enters into a written delinquent tax contract to pay such taxes in installments. The display notice for the delinquent vacant land tax list if it is to be published also shall include a notice that delinquent vacant lands in the list are lands on which taxes have remained unpaid for one year after being certified delinquent, and that they are subject to foreclosure proceedings as provided in section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, or foreclosure and forfeiture proceedings as provided in section 5721.14 of the Revised Code. Each display notice also shall state that the lands are subject to a tax certificate sale under section 5721.32 or 5721.33 of the Revised Code or assignment to a county land reutilization corporation, as the case may be, and shall include any other information that the auditor considers pertinent to the purpose of the notice. The display notices shall be furnished by the auditor to the newspaper selected to publish the lists at least ten days before their first publication.
(2) Publication of the list or lists may be made by a newspaper in installments, provided the complete publication of each list is made twice during the sixty-day period.
(3) There shall be attached to the delinquent tax list a notice that the delinquent lands will be certified for foreclosure by the auditor unless the taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties due and owing on them are paid. There shall be attached to the delinquent vacant land tax list, if it is to be published, a notice that delinquent vacant lands will be certified for foreclosure or foreclosure and forfeiture by the auditor unless the taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties due and owing on them are paid within twenty-eight days after the final publication of the notice.
(4) The auditor shall review the first publication of each list for accuracy and completeness and may correct any errors appearing in the list in the second publication.
(5) Nothing in this section prohibits a foreclosure action from being brought against a parcel of land under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code before the delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list that includes the parcel is published pursuant to division (B)(1) of this section if the list is not published within the time prescribed by that division.
(C) For the purposes of section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, land is first certified delinquent on the date of the certification of the delinquent land list containing that land.
Sec. 5721.14.  Subject to division (A)(2) of this section, on receipt of a delinquent vacant land tax certificate or a master list of delinquent vacant tracts, a county prosecuting attorney shall institute a foreclosure proceeding under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, or a foreclosure and forfeiture proceeding under this section. If the delinquent vacant land tax certificate or a master list of delinquent vacant tracts lists minerals or rights to minerals listed pursuant to sections 5713.04, 5713.05, and 5713.06 of the Revised Code, the county prosecuting attorney may institute a foreclosure proceeding under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code or a foreclosure and forfeiture proceeding under this section against such minerals or rights to minerals.
(A)(1) The prosecuting attorney shall institute a proceeding under this section by filing, in the name of the county treasurer and with the clerk of a court with jurisdiction, a complaint that requests that the lien of the state on the property identified in the certificate or master list be foreclosed and that the property be forfeited to the state. The prosecuting attorney shall prosecute the proceeding to final judgment and satisfaction.
(2) If the delinquent taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest are paid prior to the time a complaint is filed, the prosecuting attorney shall not institute a proceeding under this section. If there is a copy of a written delinquent tax contract attached to the certificate or an asterisk next to an entry on the master list, or if a copy of a delinquent tax contract is received from the county auditor prior to the commencement of the proceeding under this section, the prosecuting attorney shall not institute the proceeding under this section unless the prosecuting attorney receives a certification of the county treasurer that the delinquent tax contract has become void.
(B) Foreclosure and forfeiture proceedings instituted under this section constitute an action in rem. Prior to filing such an action in rem, the county prosecuting attorney shall cause a title search to be conducted for the purpose of identifying any lienholders or other persons with interests in the property that is subject to foreclosure and forfeiture. Following the title search, the action in rem shall be instituted by filing in the office of the clerk of a court with jurisdiction a complaint bearing a caption substantially in the form set forth in division (A) of section 5721.15 of the Revised Code.
Any number of parcels may be joined in one action. Each separate parcel included in a complaint shall be given a serial number and shall be separately indexed and docketed by the clerk of the court in a book kept by the clerk for such purpose. A complaint shall contain the permanent parcel number of each parcel included in it, the full street address of the parcel when available, a description of the parcel as set forth in the certificate or master list, the name and address of the last known owner of the parcel if they appear on the general tax list, the name and address of each lienholder and other person with an interest in the parcel identified in the title search relating to the parcel that is required by this division, and the amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest due and unpaid with respect to the parcel. It is sufficient for the county treasurer to allege in the complaint that the certificate or master list has been duly filed by the county auditor with respect to each parcel listed, that the amount of money with respect to each parcel appearing to be due and unpaid is due and unpaid, and that there is a lien against each parcel, without setting forth any other or special matters. The prayer of the complaint shall be that the court issue an order that the lien of the state on each of the parcels included in the complaint be foreclosed, that the property be forfeited to the state, and that the land be offered for sale in the manner provided in section 5723.06 of the Revised Code.
(C) Within thirty days after the filing of a complaint, the clerk of the court in which the complaint was filed shall cause a notice of foreclosure and forfeiture substantially in the form of the notice set forth in division (B) of section 5721.15 of the Revised Code to be published once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. In any county that has adopted a permanent parcel number system, the parcel may be described in the notice by parcel number only, instead of also with a complete legal description, if the county prosecuting attorney determines that the publication of the complete legal description is not necessary to provide reasonable notice of the foreclosure and forfeiture proceeding to the interested parties. If the complete legal description is not published, the notice shall indicate where the complete legal description may be obtained.
After the third publication, the publisher shall file with the clerk of the court an affidavit stating the fact of the publication and including a copy of the notice of foreclosure and forfeiture as published. Service of process for purposes of the action in rem shall be considered as complete on the date of the last publication.
Within thirty days after the filing of a complaint and before the date of the final publication of the notice of foreclosure and forfeiture, the clerk of the court also shall cause a copy of a notice substantially in the form of the notice set forth in division (C) of section 5721.15 of the Revised Code to be mailed by ordinary mail, with postage prepaid, to each person named in the complaint as being the last known owner of a parcel included in it, or as being a lienholder or other person with an interest in a parcel included in it. The notice shall be sent to the address of each such person, as set forth in the complaint, and the clerk shall enter the fact of such mailing upon the appearance docket. If the name and address of the last known owner of a parcel included in a complaint is not set forth in it, the county auditor shall file an affidavit with the clerk stating that the name and address of the last known owner does not appear on the general tax list.
(D)(1) An answer may be filed in a foreclosure and forfeiture proceeding by any person owning or claiming any right, title, or interest in, or lien upon, any parcel described in the complaint. The answer shall contain the caption and number of the action and the serial number of the parcel concerned. The answer shall set forth the nature and amount of interest claimed in the parcel and any defense or objection to the foreclosure of the lien of the state for delinquent taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest, as shown in the complaint. The answer shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the court, and a copy of the answer shall be served on the county prosecuting attorney not later than twenty-eight days after the date of final publication of the notice of foreclosure and forfeiture. If an answer is not filed within such time, a default judgment may be taken as to any parcel included in a complaint as to which no answer has been filed. A default judgment is valid and effective with respect to all persons owning or claiming any right, title, or interest in, or lien upon, any such parcel, notwithstanding that one or more of such persons are minors, incompetents, absentees or nonresidents of the state, or convicts in confinement.
(2)(a) A receiver appointed pursuant to divisions (C)(2) and (3) of section 3767.41 of the Revised Code may file an answer pursuant to division (D)(1) of this section, but is not required to do so as a condition of receiving proceeds in a distribution under division (B)(2) of section 5721.17 of the Revised Code.
(b) When a receivership under section 3767.41 of the Revised Code is associated with a parcel, the notice of foreclosure and forfeiture set forth in division (B) of section 5721.15 of the Revised Code and the notice set forth in division (C) of that section shall be modified to reflect the provisions of division (D)(2)(a) of this section.
(E) At the trial of a foreclosure and forfeiture proceeding, the delinquent vacant land tax certificate or master list of delinquent vacant tracts filed by the county auditor with the county prosecuting attorney shall be prima-facie evidence of the amount and validity of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest appearing due and unpaid on the parcel to which the certificate or master list relates and their nonpayment. If an answer is properly filed, the court may, in its discretion, and shall, at the request of the person filing the answer, grant a severance of the proceedings as to any parcel described in such answer for purposes of trial or appeal.
(F) The conveyance by the owner of any parcel against which a complaint has been filed pursuant to this section at any time after the date of publication of the parcel on the delinquent vacant land tax list but before the date of a judgment of foreclosure and forfeiture pursuant to section 5721.16 of the Revised Code shall not nullify the right of the county to proceed with the foreclosure and forfeiture.
Sec. 5721.18.  The county prosecuting attorney, upon the delivery to the prosecuting attorney by the county auditor of a delinquent land or delinquent vacant land tax certificate, or of a master list of delinquent or delinquent vacant tracts, shall institute a foreclosure proceeding under this section in the name of the county treasurer to foreclose the lien of the state, in any court with jurisdiction or in the county board of revision with jurisdiction pursuant to section 323.66 of the Revised Code, unless the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest are paid prior to the time a complaint is filed, or unless a foreclosure or foreclosure and forfeiture action has been or will be instituted under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.14 of the Revised Code. If the delinquent land or delinquent vacant land tax certificate or the master list of delinquent or delinquent vacant tracts lists minerals or rights to minerals listed pursuant to sections 5713.04, 5713.05, and 5713.06 of the Revised Code, the county prosecuting attorney may institute a foreclosure proceeding in the name of the county treasurer, in any court with jurisdiction, to foreclose the lien of the state against such minerals or rights to minerals, unless the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest are paid prior to the time the complaint is filed, or unless a foreclosure or foreclosure and forfeiture action has been or will be instituted under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.14 of the Revised Code.
Nothing in this section or section 5721.03 of the Revised Code prohibits the prosecuting attorney from instituting a proceeding under this section before the delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list that includes the parcel is published pursuant to division (B) of section 5721.03 of the Revised Code if the list is not published within the time prescribed by that division. The prosecuting attorney shall prosecute the proceeding to final judgment and satisfaction. Within ten days after obtaining a judgment, the prosecuting attorney shall notify the treasurer in writing that judgment has been rendered. If there is a copy of a written delinquent tax contract attached to the certificate or an asterisk next to an entry on the master list, or if a copy of a delinquent tax contract is received from the auditor prior to the commencement of the proceeding under this section, the prosecuting attorney shall not institute the proceeding under this section, unless the prosecuting attorney receives a certification of the treasurer that the delinquent tax contract has become void.
(A) This division applies to all foreclosure proceedings not instituted and prosecuted under section 323.25 of the Revised Code or division (B) or (C) of this section. The foreclosure proceedings shall be instituted and prosecuted in the same manner as is provided by law for the foreclosure of mortgages on land, except that, if service by publication is necessary, such publication shall be made once a week for three consecutive weeks instead of as provided by the Rules of Civil Procedure, and the service shall be complete at the expiration of three weeks after the date of the first publication. In any proceeding prosecuted under this section, if the prosecuting attorney determines that service upon a defendant may be obtained ultimately only by publication, the prosecuting attorney may cause service to be made simultaneously by certified mail, return receipt requested, ordinary mail, and publication.
In any county that has adopted a permanent parcel number system, the parcel may be described in the notice by parcel number only, instead of also with a complete legal description, if the prosecuting attorney determines that the publication of the complete legal description is not necessary to provide reasonable notice of the foreclosure proceeding to the interested parties. If the complete legal description is not published, the notice shall indicate where the complete legal description may be obtained.
It is sufficient, having been made a proper party to the foreclosure proceeding, for the treasurer to allege in the treasurer's complaint that the certificate or master list has been duly filed by the auditor, that the amount of money appearing to be due and unpaid is due and unpaid, and that there is a lien against the property described in the certificate or master list, without setting forth in the complaint any other or special matter relating to the foreclosure proceeding. The prayer of the complaint shall be that the court or the county board of revision with jurisdiction pursuant to section 323.66 of the Revised Code issue an order that the property be sold or conveyed by the sheriff or otherwise be disposed of, and the equity of redemption be extinguished, according to the alternative redemption procedures prescribed in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, or if the action is in the municipal court by the bailiff, in the manner provided in section 5721.19 of the Revised Code.
In the foreclosure proceeding, the treasurer may join in one action any number of lots or lands, but the decree shall be rendered separately, and any proceedings may be severed, in the discretion of the court or board of revision, for the purpose of trial or appeal, and the court or board of revision shall make such order for the payment of costs as is considered proper. The certificate or master list filed by the auditor with the prosecuting attorney is prima-facie evidence at the trial of the foreclosure action of the amount and validity of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest appearing due and unpaid and of their nonpayment.
(B) Foreclosure proceedings constituting an action in rem may be commenced by the filing of a complaint after the end of the second year from the date on which the delinquency was first certified by the auditor. Prior to filing such an action in rem, the prosecuting attorney shall cause a title search to be conducted for the purpose of identifying any lienholders or other persons with interests in the property subject to foreclosure. Following the title search, the action in rem shall be instituted by filing in the office of the clerk of a court with jurisdiction a complaint bearing a caption substantially in the form set forth in division (A) of section 5721.181 of the Revised Code.
Any number of parcels may be joined in one action. Each separate parcel included in a complaint shall be given a serial number and shall be separately indexed and docketed by the clerk of the court in a book kept by the clerk for such purpose. A complaint shall contain the permanent parcel number of each parcel included in it, the full street address of the parcel when available, a description of the parcel as set forth in the certificate or master list, the name and address of the last known owner of the parcel if they appear on the general tax list, the name and address of each lienholder and other person with an interest in the parcel identified in the title search relating to the parcel that is required by this division, and the amount of taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest due and unpaid with respect to the parcel. It is sufficient for the treasurer to allege in the complaint that the certificate or master list has been duly filed by the auditor with respect to each parcel listed, that the amount of money with respect to each parcel appearing to be due and unpaid is due and unpaid, and that there is a lien against each parcel, without setting forth any other or special matters. The prayer of the complaint shall be that the court issue an order that the land described in the complaint be sold in the manner provided in section 5721.19 of the Revised Code.
(1) Within thirty days after the filing of a complaint, the clerk of the court in which the complaint was filed shall cause a notice of foreclosure substantially in the form of the notice set forth in division (B) of section 5721.181 of the Revised Code to be published once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The newspaper shall meet the requirements of section 7.12 of the Revised Code. In any county that has adopted a permanent parcel number system, the parcel may be described in the notice by parcel number only, instead of also with a complete legal description, if the prosecuting attorney determines that the publication of the complete legal description is not necessary to provide reasonable notice of the foreclosure proceeding to the interested parties. If the complete legal description is not published, the notice shall indicate where the complete legal description may be obtained.
After the third publication, the publisher shall file with the clerk of the court an affidavit stating the fact of the publication and including a copy of the notice of foreclosure as published. Service of process for purposes of the action in rem shall be considered as complete on the date of the last publication.
Within thirty days after the filing of a complaint and before the final date of publication of the notice of foreclosure, the clerk of the court also shall cause a copy of a notice substantially in the form of the notice set forth in division (C) of section 5721.181 of the Revised Code to be mailed by certified mail, with postage prepaid, to each person named in the complaint as being the last known owner of a parcel included in it, or as being a lienholder or other person with an interest in a parcel included in it. The notice shall be sent to the address of each such person, as set forth in the complaint, and the clerk shall enter the fact of such mailing upon the appearance docket. If the name and address of the last known owner of a parcel included in a complaint is not set forth in it, the auditor shall file an affidavit with the clerk stating that the name and address of the last known owner does not appear on the general tax list.
(2)(a) An answer may be filed in an action in rem under this division by any person owning or claiming any right, title, or interest in, or lien upon, any parcel described in the complaint. The answer shall contain the caption and number of the action and the serial number of the parcel concerned. The answer shall set forth the nature and amount of interest claimed in the parcel and any defense or objection to the foreclosure of the lien of the state for delinquent taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest as shown in the complaint. The answer shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the court, and a copy of the answer shall be served on the prosecuting attorney, not later than twenty-eight days after the date of final publication of the notice of foreclosure. If an answer is not filed within such time, a default judgment may be taken as to any parcel included in a complaint as to which no answer has been filed. A default judgment is valid and effective with respect to all persons owning or claiming any right, title, or interest in, or lien upon, any such parcel, notwithstanding that one or more of such persons are minors, incompetents, absentees or nonresidents of the state, or convicts in confinement.
(b)(i) A receiver appointed pursuant to divisions (C)(2) and (3) of section 3767.41 of the Revised Code may file an answer pursuant to division (B)(2)(a) of this section, but is not required to do so as a condition of receiving proceeds in a distribution under division (B)(1) of section 5721.17 of the Revised Code.
(ii) When a receivership under section 3767.41 of the Revised Code is associated with a parcel, the notice of foreclosure set forth in division (B) of section 5721.181 of the Revised Code and the notice set forth in division (C) of that section shall be modified to reflect the provisions of division (B)(2)(b)(i) of this section.
(3) At the trial of an action in rem under this division, the certificate or master list filed by the auditor with the prosecuting attorney shall be prima-facie evidence of the amount and validity of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest appearing due and unpaid on the parcel to which the certificate or master list relates and their nonpayment. If an answer is properly filed, the court may, in its discretion, and shall, at the request of the person filing the answer, grant a severance of the proceedings as to any parcel described in such answer for purposes of trial or appeal.
(C) In addition to the actions in rem authorized under division (B) of this section and section 5721.14 of the Revised Code, an action in rem may be commenced under this division. An action commenced under this division shall conform to all of the requirements of division (B) of this section except as follows:
(1) The prosecuting attorney shall not cause a title search to be conducted for the purpose of identifying any lienholders or other persons with interests in the property subject to foreclosure, except that the prosecuting attorney shall cause a title search to be conducted to identify any receiver's lien.
(2) The names and addresses of lienholders and persons with an interest in the parcel shall not be contained in the complaint, and notice shall not be mailed to lienholders and persons with an interest as provided in division (B)(1) of this section, except that the name and address of a receiver under section 3767.41 of the Revised Code shall be contained in the complaint and notice shall be mailed to the receiver.
(3) With respect to the forms applicable to actions commenced under division (B) of this section and contained in section 5721.181 of the Revised Code:
(a) The notice of foreclosure prescribed by division (B) of section 5721.181 of the Revised Code shall be revised to exclude any reference to the inclusion of the name and address of each lienholder and other person with an interest in the parcel identified in a statutorily required title search relating to the parcel, and to exclude any such names and addresses from the published notice, except that the revised notice shall refer to the inclusion of the name and address of a receiver under section 3767.41 of the Revised Code and the published notice shall include the receiver's name and address. The notice of foreclosure also shall include the following in boldface type:
"If pursuant to the action the parcel is sold, the sale shall not affect or extinguish any lien or encumbrance with respect to the parcel other than a receiver's lien and other than the lien for land taxes, assessments, charges, interest, and penalties for which the lien is foreclosed and in satisfaction of which the property is sold. All other liens and encumbrances with respect to the parcel shall survive the sale."
(b) The notice to the owner, lienholders, and other persons with an interest in a parcel shall be a notice only to the owner and to any receiver under section 3767.41 of the Revised Code, and the last two sentences of the notice shall be omitted.
(4) As used in this division, a "receiver's lien" means the lien of a receiver appointed pursuant to divisions (C)(2) and (3) of section 3767.41 of the Revised Code that is acquired pursuant to division (H)(2)(b) of that section for any unreimbursed expenses and other amounts paid in accordance with division (F) of that section by the receiver and for the fees of the receiver approved pursuant to division (H)(1) of that section.
(D) If the prosecuting attorney determines that an action in rem under division (B) or (C) of this section is precluded by law, then foreclosure proceedings shall be filed pursuant to division (A) of this section, and the complaint in the action in personam shall set forth the grounds upon which the action in rem is precluded.
(E) The conveyance by the owner of any parcel against which a complaint has been filed pursuant to this section at any time after the date of publication of the parcel on the delinquent tax list but before the date of a judgment of foreclosure pursuant to section 5721.19 of the Revised Code shall not nullify the right of the county to proceed with the foreclosure.
Sec. 5721.19.  (A) In its judgment of foreclosure rendered with respect to actions filed pursuant to section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, the court or the county board of revision with jurisdiction pursuant to section 323.66 of the Revised Code shall enter a finding with respect to each parcel of the amount of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest, and the costs incurred in the foreclosure proceeding instituted against it, that are due and unpaid. The court or the county board of revision shall order such premises to be transferred pursuant to division (I) of this section or may order each parcel to be sold, without appraisal, for not less than either of the following:
(1) The fair market value of the parcel, as determined by the county auditor, plus the costs incurred in the foreclosure proceeding;
(2) The total amount of the finding entered by the court or the county board of revision, including all taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest payable subsequent to the delivery to the county prosecuting attorney of the delinquent land tax certificate or master list of delinquent tracts and prior to the transfer of the deed of the parcel to the purchaser following confirmation of sale, plus the costs incurred in the foreclosure proceeding. For purposes of determining such amount, the county treasurer may estimate the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, penalties, and costs that will be payable at the time the deed of the property is transferred to the purchaser.
Notwithstanding the minimum sales price provisions of divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section to the contrary, a parcel sold pursuant to this section shall not be sold for less than the amount described in division (A)(2) of this section if the highest bidder is the owner of record of the parcel immediately prior to the judgment of foreclosure or a member of the following class of parties connected to that owner: a member of that owner's immediate family, a person with a power of attorney appointed by that owner who subsequently transfers the parcel to the owner, a sole proprietorship owned by that owner or a member of that owner's immediate family, or a partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, or association in which the owner or a member of the owner's immediate family owns or controls directly or indirectly more than fifty per cent. If a parcel sells for less than the amount described in division (A)(2) of this section, the officer conducting the sale shall require the buyer to complete an affidavit stating that the buyer is not the owner of record immediately prior to the judgment of foreclosure or a member of the specified class of parties connected to that owner, and the affidavit shall become part of the court records of the proceeding. If the county auditor discovers within three years after the date of the sale that a parcel was sold to that owner or a member of the specified class of parties connected to that owner for a price less than the amount so described, and if the parcel is still owned by that owner or a member of the specified class of parties connected to that owner, the auditor within thirty days after such discovery shall add the difference between that amount and the sale price to the amount of taxes that then stand charged against the parcel and is payable at the next succeeding date for payment of real property taxes. As used in this paragraph, "immediate family" means a spouse who resides in the same household and children.
(B) Each parcel affected by the court's finding and order of sale shall be separately sold, unless the court orders any of such parcels to be sold together.
Each parcel shall be advertised and sold by the officer to whom the order of sale is directed in the manner provided by law for the sale of real property on execution. The advertisement for sale of each parcel shall be published once a week for three consecutive weeks and shall include the date on which a second sale will be conducted if no bid is accepted at the first sale. Any number of parcels may be included in one advertisement.
The notice of the advertisement shall be substantially in the form of the notice set forth in section 5721.191 of the Revised Code. In any county that has adopted a permanent parcel number system, the parcel may be described in the notice by parcel number only, instead of also with a complete legal description, if the prosecuting attorney determines that the publication of the complete legal description is not necessary to provide reasonable notice of the foreclosure sale to potential bidders. If the complete legal description is not published, the notice shall indicate where the complete legal description may be obtained.
(C)(1) Whenever the officer charged to conduct the sale offers any parcel for sale the officer first shall read aloud a complete legal description of the parcel, or in the alternative, may read aloud only a summary description, including the complete street address of the parcel, if any, and a parcel number if the county has adopted a permanent parcel number system and if the advertising notice prepared pursuant to this section includes a complete legal description or indicates where the complete legal description may be obtained. Whenever the officer charged to conduct the sale offers any parcel for sale and no bids are made equal to the lesser of the amounts described in divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section, the officer shall adjourn the sale of the parcel to the second date that was specified in the advertisement of sale. The second date shall be not less than two weeks or more than six weeks from the day on which the parcel was first offered for sale. The second sale shall be held at the same place and commence at the same time as set forth in the advertisement of sale. The officer shall offer any parcel not sold at the first sale. Upon the conclusion of any sale, or if any parcel remains unsold after being offered at two sales, the officer conducting the sale shall report the results to the court.
(2)(a) If a parcel remains unsold after being offered at two sales, or one sale in the case of abandoned lands foreclosed under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, or if a parcel sells at any sale but the amount of the price is less than the costs incurred in the proceeding instituted against the parcel under section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, then the clerk of the court shall certify to the county auditor the amount of those costs that remains unpaid. At the next semiannual apportionment of real property taxes that occurs following any such certification, the auditor shall reduce the real property taxes that the auditor otherwise would distribute to each taxing district. In making the reductions, the auditor shall subtract from the otherwise distributable real property taxes to a taxing district an amount that shall be determined by multiplying the certified costs by a fraction the numerator of which shall be the amount of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest on the parcel owed to that taxing district at the time the parcel first was offered for sale pursuant to this section, and the denominator of which shall be the total of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest on the parcel owed to all the taxing districts at that time. The auditor promptly shall pay to the clerk of the court the amounts of the reductions.
(b) If reductions occur pursuant to division (C)(2)(a) of this section, and if at a subsequent time a parcel is sold at a foreclosure sale or a forfeiture sale pursuant to Chapter 5723. of the Revised Code, then, notwithstanding other provisions of the Revised Code, except section 5721.17 of the Revised Code, governing the distribution of the proceeds of a foreclosure or forfeiture sale, the proceeds first shall be distributed to reimburse the taxing districts subjected to reductions in their otherwise distributable real property taxes. The distributions shall be based on the same proportions used for purposes of division (C)(2)(a) of this section.
(3) The court, in its discretion, may order any parcel not sold pursuant to the original order of sale to be advertised and offered for sale at a subsequent foreclosure sale. For such purpose, the court may direct the parcel to be appraised and fix a minimum price for which it may be sold.
(D) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(1) of section 5721.17 of the Revised Code, upon the confirmation of a sale, the proceeds of the sale shall be applied as follows:
(1) The costs incurred in any proceeding filed against the parcel pursuant to section 5721.18 of the Revised Code shall be paid first.
(2) Following the payment required by division (D)(1) of this section, the part of the proceeds that is equal to five per cent of the taxes and assessments due shall be deposited in equal shares into each of the delinquent tax and assessment collection funds created pursuant to section 321.261 of the Revised Code. If a county land reutilization corporation is operating in the county, the board of county commissioners, by resolution, may provide that an additional amount, not to exceed five per cent of such taxes and assessments, shall be credited to the county land reutilization corporation fund created by section 321.263 of the Revised Code to pay for the corporation's expenses. If such a resolution is in effect, the percentage of such taxes and assessments so provided shall be credited to that fund.
(3) Following the payment required by division (D)(2) of this section, the amount found due for taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest shall be paid, including all taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest payable subsequent to the delivery to the county prosecuting attorney of the delinquent land tax certificate or master list of delinquent tracts and prior to the transfer of the deed of the parcel to the purchaser following confirmation of sale. If the proceeds available for distribution pursuant to division (D)(3) of this section are sufficient to pay the entire amount of those taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest, the portion of the proceeds representing taxes, interest, and penalties shall be paid to each claimant in proportion to the amount of taxes levied by the claimant in the preceding tax year, and the amount representing assessments and other charges shall be paid to each claimant in the order in which they became due. If the proceeds are not sufficient to pay that entire amount, the proportion of the proceeds representing taxes, penalties, and interest shall be paid to each claimant in the same proportion that the amount of taxes levied by the claimant against the parcel in the preceding tax year bears to the taxes levied by all such claimants against the parcel in the preceding tax year, and the proportion of the proceeds representing items of assessments and other charges shall be credited to those items in the order in which they became due.
(E) If the proceeds from the sale of a parcel are insufficient to pay in full the amount of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest which are due and unpaid; the costs incurred in the foreclosure proceeding instituted against it which are due and unpaid; and, if division (B)(1) of section 5721.17 of the Revised Code is applicable, any notes issued by a receiver pursuant to division (F) of section 3767.41 of the Revised Code and any receiver's lien as defined in division (C)(4) of section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, the court, pursuant to section 5721.192 of the Revised Code, may enter a deficiency judgment against the owner of record of the parcel for the unpaid amount. If that owner of record is a corporation, the court may enter the deficiency judgment against the stockholder holding a majority of that corporation's stock.
If after distribution of proceeds from the sale of the parcel under division (D) of this section the amount of proceeds to be applied to pay the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest, and costs is insufficient to pay them in full, and the court does not enter a deficiency judgment against the owner of record pursuant to this division, the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest, and costs shall be deemed satisfied.
(F)(1) Upon confirmation of a sale, a spouse of the party charged with the delinquent taxes or assessments shall thereby be barred of the right of dower in the property sold, though such spouse was not a party to the action. No statute of limitations shall apply to such action. When the land or lots stand charged on the tax duplicate as certified delinquent, it is not necessary to make the state a party to the foreclosure proceeding, but the state shall be deemed a party to such action through and be represented by the county treasurer.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (F)(3) and (G) of this section, unless such land or lots were previously redeemed pursuant to section 5721.25 of the Revised Code, upon the filing of the entry of confirmation of any sale or the expiration of the alternative redemption period as defined in section 323.65 of the Revised Code, if applicable, the title to such land or lots shall be incontestable in the purchaser and shall be free and clear of all liens and encumbrances, except a federal tax lien notice of which is properly filed in accordance with section 317.09 of the Revised Code prior to the date that a foreclosure proceeding is instituted pursuant to division (B) of section 5721.18 of the Revised Code and the easements and covenants of record running with the land or lots that were created prior to the time the taxes or assessments, for the nonpayment of which the land or lots are sold at foreclosure, became due and payable.
(3) When proceedings for foreclosure are instituted under division (C) of section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, unless the land or lots were previously redeemed pursuant to section 5721.25 of the Revised Code or before the expiration of the alternative redemption period, upon the filing of the entry of confirmation of sale or after the expiration of the alternative redemption period, as may apply to the case, the title to such land or lots shall be incontestable in the purchaser and shall be free of any receiver's lien as defined in division (C)(4) of section 5721.18 of the Revised Code and, except as otherwise provided in division (G) of this section, the liens for land taxes, assessments, charges, interest, and penalties for which the lien was foreclosed and in satisfaction of which the property was sold. All other liens and encumbrances with respect to the land or lots shall survive the sale.
(4) The title shall not be invalid because of any irregularity, informality, or omission of any proceedings under this chapter, or in any processes of taxation, if such irregularity, informality, or omission does not abrogate the provision for notice to holders of title, lien, or mortgage to, or other interests in, such foreclosed lands or lots, as prescribed in this chapter.
(G) If a parcel is sold under this section for the amount described in division (A)(2) of this section, and the county treasurer's estimate exceeds the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, penalties, and costs actually payable when the deed is transferred to the purchaser, the officer who conducted the sale shall refund to the purchaser the difference between the estimate and the amount actually payable. If the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, penalties, and costs actually payable when the deed is transferred to the purchaser exceeds the county treasurer's estimate, the officer shall certify the amount of the excess to the treasurer, who shall enter that amount on the real and public utility property tax duplicate opposite the property; the amount of the excess shall be payable at the next succeeding date prescribed for payment of taxes in section 323.12 of the Revised Code.
(H) If a parcel is sold or transferred under this section or sections 323.28 and 323.65 to 323.78 323.79 of the Revised Code, the officer who conducted the sale or made the transfer of the property shall collect the recording fee and any associated costs to cover the recording from the purchaser or transferee at the time of the sale or transfer and, following confirmation of the sale or transfer, shall execute and record the deed conveying title to the parcel to the purchaser or transferee. For purposes of recording such deed, by placement of a bid or making a statement of interest by any party ultimately awarded the parcel, that purchaser or transferee thereby appoints the officer who makes the sale or is charged with executing and delivering the deed as agent for the purchaser or transferee for the sole purpose of accepting delivery of the deed. For such purposes, the confirmation of any such sale or order to transfer the parcel without appraisal or sale shall be deemed delivered upon the confirmation of such sale or transfer.
(I) Notwithstanding section 5722.03 of the Revised Code, if the complaint alleges that the property is delinquent vacant land as defined in section 5721.01 of the Revised Code, abandoned lands as defined in section 323.65 of the Revised Code, or lands described in division (E)(F) of section 5722.01 of the Revised Code, and the value of the taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and all other charges and costs of the action exceed the auditor's fair market value of the parcel, then the court or board of revision having jurisdiction over the matter on motion of the plaintiff, or on the court's or board's own motion, shall, upon any adjudication of foreclosure, order, without appraisal and without sale, the fee simple title of the property to be transferred to and vested in an electing subdivision as defined in division (A) of section 5722.01 of the Revised Code. For purposes of determining whether the taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and all other charges and costs of the action exceed the actual fair market value of the parcel, the auditor's most current valuation shall be rebuttably presumed to be, and constitute prima-facie evidence of, the fair market value of the parcel. In such case, the filing for journalization of a decree of foreclosure ordering that direct transfer without appraisal or sale shall constitute confirmation of the transfer and thereby terminate any further statutory or common law right of redemption.
Sec. 5721.36.  (A)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(2) of this section, the purchaser of a tax certificate sold as part of a block sale pursuant to section 5721.32 of the Revised Code may transfer the certificate to any person, and any other purchaser of a tax certificate pursuant to section 5721.32 or 5721.33 of the Revised Code may transfer the certificate to any person, except the owner of the certificate parcel or any corporation, partnership, or association in which such owner has an interest. The transferee of a tax certificate subsequently may transfer the certificate to any other person to whom the purchaser could have transferred the certificate. The transferor of a tax certificate shall endorse the certificate and shall swear to the endorsement before a notary public or other officer empowered to administer oaths. The transferee shall present the endorsed certificate and a notarized copy of a valid form of identification showing the transferee's taxpayer identification number to the county treasurer of the county where the certificate is registered, who shall, upon payment of a fee of twenty dollars to cover the costs associated with the transfer of a tax certificate, enter upon the register of certificate holders opposite the certificate entry the name and address of the transferee, the date of entry, and, upon presentation to the treasurer of instructions signed by the transferee, the name and address of any secured party of the transferee having an interest in the tax certificate. The treasurer shall deposit the fee in the county treasury to the credit of the tax certificate administration fund.
Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(2) of this section, no request for foreclosure or notice of intent to foreclose, as the case may be, shall be filed by any person other than the person shown on the tax certificate register to be the certificate holder or a private attorney for that person properly authorized to act in that person's behalf.
(2) Upon registration of a security interest with the county treasurer, both of the following apply:
(a) No purchaser or transferee of a tax certificate, other than a county land reutilization corporation, may transfer that tax certificate except upon presentation to the treasurer of instructions signed by the secured party authorizing such action. A county land reutilization corporation may transfer or assign tax certificates consistent with its public purposes and plan adopted pursuant to Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code.
(b) Only the secured party may issue a request for foreclosure or notice of intent to foreclose concerning that tax certificate.
(3) If a tax certificate is sold as part of a block sale under section 5721.32 or 5721.33 of the Revised Code, and if the certificate parcel is abandoned land as defined in section 323.65 of the Revised Code, a county, municipal corporation, township, or county land reutilization corporation may acquire the tax certificate within one year from the date the certificate was sold by providing to the certificate holder a written request to purchase the certificate and payment of the actual cost the purchaser paid for the certificate. The acquiring subdivision or county land reutilization shall pay any costs or fees assessed by the county treasurer or auditor in relation to the transfer of the certificate.
(B)(1) Application may be made to the county treasurer for a duplicate certificate if a certificate is alleged by affidavit to have been lost or destroyed. The treasurer shall issue a duplicate certificate, upon payment of a fee of twenty dollars to cover the costs of issuing the duplicate certificate. The treasurer shall deposit the fee in the county treasury to the credit of the tax certificate administration fund.
(2) The duplicate certificate shall be plainly marked or stamped "duplicate."
(3) The treasurer shall enter the fact of the duplicate in the tax certificate register.
Sec. 5722.01.  As used in this chapter:
(A) "Electing subdivision" means a municipal corporation that has enacted an ordinance or a township or county that has adopted a resolution pursuant to section 5722.02 of the Revised Code for purposes of adopting and implementing the procedures set forth in sections 5722.02 to 5722.15 of the Revised Code. A county land reutilization corporation organized by a county and designated to act on behalf of the county pursuant to division (B) of section 5722.02 of the Revised Code shall be deemed the electing subdivision for all purposes of this chapter, except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter.
(B) "County land reutilization corporation" means a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code.
(C) "Delinquent lands" has and "delinquent vacant lands" have the same meaning meanings as in section 5721.01 of the Revised Code, and "delinquent vacant lands" are delinquent lands that are unimproved by any dwelling.
(D) "Land reutilization program" means the procedures and activities concerning the acquisition, management, and disposition of affected delinquent lands set forth in sections 5722.02 to 5722.15 of the Revised Code.
(E) "Minimum bid," in the case of a sale of property foreclosed pursuant to section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18, or foreclosed and forfeited pursuant to section 5721.14 of the Revised Code, means a bid in an amount equal to the sum of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest due and payable on the parcel subsequent to the delivery to the county prosecuting attorney of the delinquent land or delinquent vacant land tax certificate or master list of delinquent or delinquent vacant tracts containing the parcel, and prior to the transfer of the deed of the parcel to the purchaser following confirmation of sale, plus the costs of foreclosure or foreclosure and forfeiture proceedings against the property.
(F) "Nonproductive land" means any parcel of delinquent vacant land with respect to which a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to section 323.25 or sections 323.65 to 323.79, a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to division (A) or (B) of section 5721.18, or a foreclosure and forfeiture proceeding pursuant to section 5721.14 of the Revised Code has been instituted; and any parcel of delinquent land with respect to which a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or division (A) or (B) of section 5721.18 of the Revised Code has been instituted, and upon which there are no buildings or other structures, or upon which there are either to which one of the following criteria applies:
(1) Buildings There are no buildings or structures located on the land;
(2) The land is abandoned land as defined in section 323.65 of the Revised Code;
(3) None of the buildings or other structures that are not located on the parcel are in the occupancy of any person, and as to which the township or municipal corporation within whose boundaries the parcel is situated has instituted proceedings under section 505.86 or 715.26 of the Revised Code, or Section 3 of Article XVIII, Ohio Constitution, for the removal or demolition of such buildings or other structures by the township or municipal corporation because of their insecure, unsafe, or structurally defective condition;
(2) Buildings (4) None of the buildings or structures that are not located on the parcel are in the occupancy of any person at the time the foreclosure proceeding is initiated, and whose acquisition the municipal corporation, county, township, or county land reutilization corporation determines to be necessary for the implementation of an effective that the parcel is eligible for acquisition through a land reutilization program.
(G) "Occupancy" means the actual, continuous, and exclusive use and possession of a parcel by a person having a lawful right to such use and possession.
(H) "Land within an electing subdivision's boundaries" does not include land within the boundaries of a municipal corporation, unless the electing subdivision is the municipal corporation or the municipal corporation adopts an ordinance that gives consent to the electing subdivision to include such land.
Sec. 5722.03.  (A) On and after the effective date of an ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to section 5722.02 of the Revised Code, nonproductive land within an electing subdivision's boundaries that the subdivision wishes to acquire and that has either been advertised and offered for sale or is otherwise available for acquisition pursuant to a foreclosure proceeding as provided in section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, but is not sold for want of a minimum bid, shall be sold or transferred to the electing subdivision in the manner set forth in this section or sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.
(B) Upon receipt of an ordinance or resolution under section 5722.02 of the Revised Code, the county prosecuting attorney shall compile and deliver to the electing subdivision a list of all delinquent land within the electing subdivision with respect to which a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code has been instituted and is pending. The prosecuting attorney shall notify the electing subdivision of the identity of all delinquent land within the subdivision whenever a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code is commenced with respect to that land.
(C) The electing subdivision shall select from such lists the delinquent lands that constitute nonproductive lands that it wishes to acquire, and shall notify the prosecuting attorney of its selection prior to the advertisement and sale of the nonproductive lands pursuant to such a foreclosure proceeding, or as otherwise provided in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. Notwithstanding the sales price provisions to the contrary in division (A) of section 323.28 or in divisions (A)(1) and (C) of section 5721.19 of the Revised Code, selected nonproductive lands subject to a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code that require a sale shall be advertised for sale and be sold, without appraisal, for not less than the amount determined under division (A)(1) of section 323.28 or sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code in the case of selected nonproductive lands subject to a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to section 323.25 or sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, or the amount determined under division (A)(2) of section 5721.19 in the case of selected nonproductive lands subject to a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, or as prescribed in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. Except as otherwise authorized in section 323.78 of the Revised Code, all nonproductive lands so selected, when advertised for sale pursuant to a foreclosure proceeding, shall be advertised separately from the advertisement applicable to other delinquent lands. Notwithstanding division (A) of section 5721.191 of the Revised Code, the minimum amount for which selected nonproductive lands subject to a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to section 5721.18 of the Revised Code will be sold, as specified in the advertisement for sale, shall equal the sum of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest, and costs due on the parcel as determined under division (A)(2) of section 5721.19 of the Revised Code. Notwithstanding provisions to the contrary in division (A) of section 323.28 of the Revised Code, the minimum amount for which selected nonproductive lands subject to a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to section 323.25 of the Revised Code will be sold, as specified in the advertisement for sale, shall equal the amount specified in division (A)(1) of section 323.28 of the Revised Code. The advertisement relating to the selected nonproductive lands also shall include a statement that the lands have been determined by the electing subdivision to be nonproductive lands and that, if at a foreclosure sale no bid for the appropriate amount specified in this division is received, such lands shall be sold or transferred to the electing subdivision.
(D) Except for sales and transfers under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, if If any nonproductive land selected by an electing subdivision is advertised and offered for sale at two sales one sale pursuant to this section but is not sold for want of a minimum bid, the electing subdivision that selected the nonproductive land shall be deemed to have submitted the winning bid at the second such sale for the land, and the land is deemed sold to the electing subdivision for no consideration other than the fee amounts charged under division divisions (E) and (F) of this section. If both a county and a township within that county have adopted a resolution pursuant to section 5722.02 of the Revised Code and both subdivisions select the same parcel or parcels of land, the subdivision that first notifies the prosecuting attorney of such selection shall be the electing subdivision deemed to have submitted the winning bid under this division. If a municipal corporation and a county land reutilization corporation select the same parcel or parcels of land, the municipal corporation shall be deemed the winning bidder under this division. The officer conducting the sale shall announce the bid of the electing subdivision at the sale and shall report the proceedings to the court for confirmation of sale.
(E) Upon the sale or transfer of any nonproductive land to an electing subdivision, the county auditor shall charge the costs, as determined by the court, incurred in the foreclosure proceeding instituted under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code and applicable to the nonproductive land to the taxing districts, including the electing subdivision, in direct proportion to their interest in the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest on the nonproductive land due and payable at the time the land was sold pursuant to the foreclosure proceeding. The interest of each taxing district in the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest on the nonproductive land shall bear the same proportion to the amount of those taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest that the amount of taxes levied by each district against the nonproductive land in the preceding tax year bears to the taxes levied by all such districts against the nonproductive land in the preceding tax year. For the purposes of this division, a county land reutilization corporation shall be deemed to have the proportionate interest of the county on whose behalf it has been designated and organized in the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest on the nonproductive land in that county. In making a semiannual apportionment of funds, the auditor shall retain at the next apportionment the amount charged to each such taxing district, except that in the case of a county land reutilization corporation acting on behalf of a county, the auditor shall provide an invoice to the corporation for the amount charged to it.
(F) The officer conducting the sale shall execute and file for recording a deed conveying title to the land upon the filing of the the entry of the confirmation of sale, unless the nonproductive land is redeemed under section 323.31 or 5721.18 of the Revised Code. If the alternative redemption period applies under section 323.78 of the Revised Code, the officer shall not execute the deed and file it for recording until the alternative redemption period expires. In either case, once the deed has been recorded, the officer shall deliver the deed to the electing subdivision; thereupon, title to the land is incontestable in the electing subdivision and free and clear of all liens and encumbrances, except those easements and covenants of record running with the land and created prior to the time at which the taxes or assessments, for the nonpayment of which the land is sold or transferred at foreclosure, became due and payable. At
When title to a parcel of land upon which a lien has been placed under section 715.261, 743.04, or 6119.06 of the Revised Code is transferred to a county land reutilization corporation under this section, the lien on the parcel shall be extinguished if the lien is for costs or charges that were incurred before the date of the transfer to the corporation and if the corporation did not incur the costs or charges, regardless of whether the lien was attached or the costs or charges were certified before the date of transfer. In such a case, the corporation and its successors in title shall take title to the property free and clear of any such lien and shall be immune from liability in any action to collect such costs or charges.
If a county land reutilization corporation takes title to property under this chapter before any costs or charges have been certified or any lien has been placed with respect to the property under section 715.261, 743.04, or 6119.06 of the Revised Code, the corporation shall be deemed a bona fide purchaser for value without knowledge of such costs or lien, regardless of whether the corporation had actual or constructive knowledge of the costs or lien, and any such lien shall be void and unenforceable against the corporation and its successors in title.
At the time of the sale or transfer, the officer shall collect and the electing subdivision shall pay the fee required by law for transferring and recording of deeds. In accordance with section 1724.10 of the Revised Code, an electing subdivision that is a county land reutilization corporation shall not be required to pay any such fee.
The title is not invalid because of any irregularity, informality, or omission of any proceedings under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, this chapter, or Chapter 5721. of the Revised Code, or in any processes of taxation, if such irregularity, informality, or omission does not abrogate any provision of such chapters for notice to holders of title, lien, or mortgage to, or other interests in, the foreclosed lands.
Sec. 5722.031.  (A) If, in any foreclosure proceeding initiated under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, a county board of revision, court of common pleas, or municipal court issues a decree of foreclosure, order of sale, order of transfer, or confirmation of sale under section 5722.03 of the Revised Code that transfers a delinquent parcel to an electing subdivision, the electing subdivision may file a petition with the board or court to vacate the decree, order, or confirmation of sale on the basis that such electing subdivision does not wish to acquire the parcel. The electing subdivision may file such a petition notwithstanding any prior request by the electing subdivision or a party acting on behalf of the electing subdivision to acquire the parcel.
If the electing subdivision files the petition within sixty days after the journalization of the decree, order, or confirmation of sale, the board or court shall vacate the decree, order, or confirmation of sale. If the electing subdivision files the petition more than sixty days after the journalization of the decree, order, or confirmation of sale, the board or court may vacate the decree, order, or confirmation of sale at its discretion utilizing standards of review prescribed in or consistent with Civil Rule 60.
(B) An electing subdivision that files a petition under division (A) of this section shall not be required to intervene in the proceeding to which the petition relates, but shall file the petition in the same manner as would a party to the action. Upon filing the petition, the electing subdivision shall serve notice of the petition upon all parties to the action, except any party that previously failed to answer, plead, or appear in the proceeding as required in Civil Rule 12 or that is deemed to be in default under division (D) of section 323.69 of the Revised Code.
(C) Upon the vacation of a decree, order, or confirmation of sale under division (A) of this section, the court of common pleas, municipal court, or board of revision shall reinstate the proceeding and schedule any further hearing or disposition required by law. The court or board shall not issue any further decree, order, or confirmation of sale transferring the delinquent parcel to the electing subdivision unless the electing subdivision petitions the court or board to acquire the parcel under sections 323.28, 323.74, 323.78, 5721.19, or 5722.03 of the Revised Code at least seven days before a scheduled final hearing or sale of the parcel pursuant to the proceeding. In such a case, the electing subdivision shall not file, and the court or board shall not approve, any subsequent petition to vacate a decree, order, or confirmation of sale transferring the parcel to the electing subdivision.
Sec. 5722.04.  (A) Upon receipt of an ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to section 5722.02 of the Revised Code, the county auditor shall deliver to the electing subdivision a list of all delinquent lands within an electing subdivision's boundaries that have been forfeited to the state pursuant to section 5723.01 of the Revised Code and thereafter shall notify the electing subdivision of any additions to or deletions from such list.
The electing subdivision shall select from such lists the forfeited lands that constitute nonproductive lands that the subdivision wishes to acquire, and shall notify the county auditor of its selection prior to the advertisement and sale of such lands. Notwithstanding the sales price provisions of division (A)(1) of section 5723.06 of the Revised Code, the selected nonproductive lands shall be advertised for sale and be sold to the highest bidder for an amount at least sufficient to pay the amount determined under division (A)(2) of section 5721.16 of the Revised Code. All nonproductive lands forfeited to the state and selected by an electing subdivision, when advertised for sale pursuant to the relevant procedures set forth in Chapter 5723. of the Revised Code, shall be advertised separately from the advertisement applicable to other forfeited lands. The advertisement relating to the selected nonproductive lands also shall include a statement that the lands have been selected by the electing subdivision as nonproductive lands that it wishes to acquire and that, if at the forfeiture sale no bid for the sum of the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest, and costs due on the parcel as determined under division (A)(1)(a) of section 5723.06 of the Revised Code is received, the lands shall be sold to the electing subdivision.
(B) If any nonproductive land that has been forfeited to the state and selected by an electing subdivision is advertised and offered for sale by the auditor pursuant to Chapter 5723. of the Revised Code, but no minimum bid is received, the electing subdivision shall be deemed to have submitted the winning bid, and the land is deemed sold to the electing subdivision for no consideration other than the fee charged under division (C) of this section. If both a county and a township in that county have adopted a resolution pursuant to section 5722.02 of the Revised Code and both subdivisions select the same parcel or parcels of land, the electing subdivision deemed to have submitted the winning bid under this division shall be determined pursuant to division (D) of section 5722.03 of the Revised Code.
The auditor shall announce the bid at the sale and shall declare the selected nonproductive land to be sold to the electing subdivision. The auditor shall deliver to the electing subdivision a certificate of sale.
(C) On the returning of the certificate of sale to the auditor, the auditor shall execute and file for recording a deed conveying title to the selected nonproductive land and, once the deed has been recorded, deliver it to the electing subdivision. Thereupon, all previous title is extinguished, and the title in the electing subdivision is incontestable and free and clear from all liens and encumbrances, except taxes and special assessments that are not due at the time of the sale and any easements and covenants of record running with the land and created prior to the time at which the taxes or assessments, for the nonpayment of which the nonproductive land was forfeited, became due and payable. At
When title to a parcel of land upon which a lien has been placed under section 715.261, 743.04, or 6119.06 of the Revised Code is transferred to a county land reutilization corporation under this section, the lien on the parcel shall be extinguished if the lien is for costs or charges that were incurred before the date of the transfer to the corporation and if the corporation did not incur the costs or charges, regardless of whether the lien was attached or the costs or charges were certified before the date of transfer. In such a case, the corporation and its successors in title shall take title to the property free and clear of any such lien and shall be immune from liability in any action to collect such costs or charges.
If a county land reutilization corporation takes title to property before any costs or charges have been certified or any lien has been placed with respect to the property under section 715.261, 743.04, or 6119.06 of the Revised Code, the corporation shall be deemed a bona fide purchaser for value without knowledge of such costs or lien, regardless of whether the corporation had actual or constructive knowledge of the costs or lien, and any such lien shall be void and unenforceable against the corporation and its successors in title.
At the time of the sale, the auditor shall collect and the electing subdivision shall pay the fee required by law for transferring and recording of deeds.
Upon delivery of a deed conveying any nonproductive land to an electing subdivision, the county auditor shall charge all costs incurred in any proceeding instituted under section 5721.14 or 5721.18 of the Revised Code or incurred as a result of the forfeiture and sale of the nonproductive land to the taxing districts, including the electing subdivision, in direct proportion to their interest in the taxes, assessments, charges, interest, and penalties on the nonproductive land due and payable at the time the land was sold at the forfeiture sale. The interest of each taxing district in the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest on the nonproductive land shall bear the same proportion to the amount of those taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest that the amount of taxes levied by each district against the nonproductive land in the preceding tax year bears to the taxes levied by all such districts against the nonproductive land in the preceding tax year. For the purposes of this division, a county land reutilization corporation shall be deemed to have the proportionate interest as the county designating or organizing such corporation in the taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest on the nonproductive land in the county. In making a semiannual apportionment of funds, the auditor shall retain at the next apportionment the amount charged to each such taxing district, except for a county land reutilization corporation acting on behalf of a county, the auditor shall invoice the corporation the amount charged to it.
(D) Where If no political subdivision has requested to purchase a parcel of land at a foreclosure sale, any lands otherwise forfeited to the state for want of a bid at the foreclosure sale may, upon the request of a county land reutilization corporation, be transferred directly to the corporation without appraisal or public bidding.
Sec. 5722.07.  As used in this section, "fair market value" means the appraised value of the nonproductive land made with reference to such redevelopment and reutilization restrictions as may be imposed by the electing subdivision as a condition of sale or as may be otherwise applicable to such land.
An electing subdivision may, without competitive bidding, sell any land acquired by it as a part of its land reutilization program at such times, to such persons, and upon such terms and conditions, and subject to such restrictions and covenants as it deems necessary or appropriate to assure the land's effective reutilization. Except with respect to a sale by or to a county land reutilization corporation, such land shall be sold at not less than its fair market value. However, except with respect to land held by a county land reutilization corporation, upon the approval of the legislative authorities of those taxing districts entitled to share in the proceeds from the sale thereof, the electing subdivision may either retain such land for devotion by it to public use, or sell, lease, or otherwise transfer any such land to another political subdivision for the devotion to public use by such political subdivision for a consideration less than fair market value.
Whenever an electing subdivision sells any land acquired as part of its land reutilization program for an amount equal to or greater than fair market value, it shall execute and deliver all agreements and instruments incident thereto. The electing subdivision may execute and deliver all agreements and instruments without procuring any approval, consent, conveyance, or other instrument from any other person or entity, including the other taxing districts entitled to share in the proceeds from the sale thereof.
An electing subdivision may, for purposes of land disposition, consolidate, assemble, or subdivide individual parcels of land acquired as part of its land reutilization program.
Sec. 5722.10.  An electing subdivision may accept a conveyance in lieu of foreclosure of any delinquent land from the proper owners thereof. Such conveyance may only be accepted with the consent of the county auditor acting as the agent of the state pursuant to section 5721.09 of the Revised Code. If an electing subdivision or county land reutilization corporation certifies to the auditor in writing that the delinquent land is abandoned land as defined in section 323.65 of the Revised Code, the auditor shall consent to the conveyance. If the electing subdivision or county land reutilization corporation does not certify to the auditor in writing that the delinquent land is abandoned land, the auditor may consent to the conveyance for any reason authorized in this chapter. The owners or the electing municipal corporation or township shall pay all expenses incurred by the county in connection with any foreclosure or foreclosure and forfeiture proceeding filed pursuant to section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 or 5721.14 of the Revised Code relative to such land. When the electing subdivision is the county or county land reutilization corporation acting on behalf of a county, it may require the owner to pay the expenses. The owner shall present the electing subdivision with evidence satisfactory to the subdivision that it will obtain by such conveyance fee simple title to such delinquent land. Unless otherwise agreed to by the electing subdivision accepting the conveyance, the title shall be free and clear of all liens and encumbrances, except such easements and covenants of record running with the land as were created prior to the time of the conveyance and delinquent taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and charges, and taxes and special assessments that are a lien on the real property at the time of the conveyance. Any costs, charges, or liens that have been assessed, certified, or placed under section 715.261, 743.04, or 6119.06 of the Revised Code with respect to real property acquired by or transferred to a county land reutilization corporation under this section shall, at the time of the conveyance to the corporation, be extinguished and of no force and effect as against the corporation, its successors, or its assignees, provided that the lien is for charges or costs that were incurred before the date of transfer to the corporation and that were not incurred by the corporation.
Real property acquired by an electing subdivision under this section shall not be subject to foreclosure or forfeiture under Chapter 5721. or 5723. of the Revised Code. The sale or other transfer, as authorized by section 5722.07 of the Revised Code, of real property acquired under this section shall extinguish the lien on the title for all taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and charges delinquent at the time of the conveyance of the delinquent land to the electing subdivision.
Sec. 5722.11. All lands acquired and held by an electing subdivision pursuant to this chapter shall be deemed real property used for a public purpose and, notwithstanding section 5709.08 of the Revised Code, shall be exempt from taxation until sold. The exemption of such property shall be governed by the provisions of division (F) of section 5709.12 of the Revised Code, regardless of the manner in which such property is acquired.
Sec. 5723.01.  (A)(1) Every tract of land and town lot, which, pursuant to foreclosure proceedings under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, has been advertised and offered for sale on two separate occasions, not less than two weeks apart, and not sold for want of bidders, shall be forfeited to the state or to a political subdivision, school district, or county land reutilization corporation pursuant to division (A)(3) of this section.
(2) The county prosecuting attorney shall certify to the court that such tract of land or town lot has been twice offered for sale and not sold for want of a bidder. Such forfeiture of lands and town lots shall be effective when the court by entry orders such lands and town lots forfeited to the state or to a political subdivision, school district, or county land reutilization corporation pursuant to division (A)(3) of this section. A copy of such entry shall be certified to the county auditor and, after the date of the certification, all the right, title, claim, and interest of the former owner is transferred to and vested in the state to be disposed of in compliance with this chapter.
(3) After having been notified pursuant to division (A)(2) of this section that the tract of land or town lot has been twice offered for sale and not sold for want of bidders, the court shall notify the political subdivision and school district in which the property is located, and any county land reutilization corporation in the county, and offer to forfeit the property to the political subdivision, school district, or corporation, or to an electing subdivision as defined in section 5722.01 of the Revised Code, upon a petition from the political subdivision, school district, or corporation. If no such petition is filed with the court within ten days after notification by the court, the court shall forfeit the property to the state in accordance with division (A)(2) of this section. If a political subdivision, school district, or corporation requests through a petition to receive the property through forfeiture, the forfeiture of land and town lots is effective when, by entry, the court orders such lands and town lots forfeited to the political subdivision, school district, or corporation. The court shall certify a copy of the entry to the county auditor and, after the date of certification, all the right, title, claim, and interest of the former owner is transferred to and vested in the political subdivision, school district, or corporation.
(4) From and after the date of journalization of the order forfeiting a tract of land or a town lot to the state pursuant to division (A)(2) of this section and until such forfeited land has been redeemed by the former owner pursuant to section 5723.03 of the Revised Code or sold or transferred pursuant to section 5723.04 of the Revised Code, any political subdivision in which the forfeited land is located or the county land reutilization corporation of the county in which the forfeited land is located, or an officer, agent, or employee of the subdivision or corporation, upon knowledge or belief that the forfeited land is unoccupied as defined in section 323.65 of the Revised Code, may enter the forfeited lands and any buildings, structures, or other improvements located on that land, for any of the following purposes:
(a) Conducting an appraisal or inspection of the buildings, structures, or other improvements located on the forfeited land;
(b) Conducting a voluntary action as defined in Chapter 3746. of the Revised Code or other environment assessment of the forfeited land and any buildings, structures, or other improvements located on that land;
(c) Conducting any other health and safety inspection of the forfeited land and any buildings, structures, or other improvements located on that land.
Unless an action or omission of a political subdivision or county land reutilization corporation, or an officer, agent, or employee of the subdivision or corporation, by clear and convincing evidence, constitutes willful or wanton misconduct or intentionally tortious conduct, the political subdivision or county land reutilization corporation, or an officer, agent, or employee of a subdivision or corporation, that enters the forfeited land pursuant to this division is not liable in any civil or administrative action, including an action in trespass, resulting from the entry onto the forfeited land or for any tort action as defined in section 3746.24 of the Revised Code resulting from the testing for or actual presence of hazardous substances or petroleum at, or the release of hazardous substances or petroleum from, a property where a voluntary action is being or has been conducted pursuant to Chapter 3746. of the Revised Code and the rules adopted under it. This immunity is in addition to any immunities from civil liability or defenses established by any other section of the Revised Code or available at common law. Any entry upon forfeited land and any buildings, structures, or improvements located on that land pursuant to division (A)(4) of this section shall not constitute the exercise of dominion or control over the land or buildings, structures, or improvements on the land when that entry is for the purposes described in divisions (A)(4)(a) to (c) of this section.
(B) Every parcel against which a judgment of foreclosure and forfeiture is made in accordance with section 5721.16 of the Revised Code is forfeited to the state on the date the court enters a finding under that section. After that date, all the right, title, claim, and interest of the former owner is transferred to the state to be disposed of in compliance with the relevant provisions of this chapter.
Sec. 5723.04.  (A) The county auditor shall maintain a list of forfeited lands and shall offer such lands for sale annually, or more frequently if the auditor determines that more frequent sales are necessary.
(B) Notwithstanding division (A) of this section, upon the request of a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code, the county auditor shall promptly transfer to such corporation, by auditor's deed, the fee simple title to a parcel on the list of forfeited lands, which shall pass to such corporation free and clear of all taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest, and costs. Any Subject to division (C) of this section, any subordinate liens shall be deemed fully and forever satisfied and discharged. Upon such request, the land is deemed sold by the state for no consideration. The county land reutilization corporation shall file the deed for recording.
(C) When title to a parcel of land upon which a lien has been placed under section 715.261, 743.04, or 6119.06 of the Revised Code is transferred to a county land reutilization corporation under this section, the lien on the parcel shall be extinguished if the lien is for costs or charges that were incurred before the date of the transfer to the corporation and if the corporation did not incur the costs or charges, regardless of whether the lien was attached or the costs or charges were certified before the date of transfer. In such a case, the corporation and its successors in title shall take title to the property free and clear of any such lien and shall be immune from liability in any action to collect such costs or charges.
If a county land reutilization corporation takes title to property before any costs or charges have been certified or any lien has been placed with respect to the property under section 715.261, 743.04, or 6119.06 of the Revised Code, the corporation shall be deemed a bona fide purchaser for value without knowledge of such costs or lien, regardless of whether the corporation had actual or constructive knowledge of the costs or lien, and any such lien shall be void and unenforceable against the corporation and its successors in title.
Sec. 5723.12.  (A) The county auditor, on making a sale of a tract of land to any person under this chapter, shall give the purchaser a certificate of sale. On producing or returning to the auditor the certificate of sale, the auditor, on payment to the auditor by the purchaser, the purchaser's heirs, or assigns, of the sum of forty-five dollars, shall execute and file for recording a deed, which deed shall be prima-facie evidence of title in the purchaser, the purchaser's heirs, or assigns. Once the deed has been recorded, the county auditor shall deliver the deed to the purchaser. At the time of the sale, the county auditor shall collect and the purchaser shall pay the fee required by law for the recording of deeds. In the case of land sold to the state under division (B) of section 5723.06 of the Revised Code, the director of natural resources or a county land reutilization corporation shall execute and file for recording the deed, and pay the fee required by law for transferring deeds directly to the county auditor and recording deeds directly to the county recorder.
(B) Except as otherwise provided in division (C) of this section and except for foreclosures to which the alternative redemption period has expired under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, when a tract of land has been duly forfeited to the state and sold under this chapter, the conveyance of the real estate by the auditor shall extinguish all previous title and invest the purchaser with a new and perfect title that is free from all liens and encumbrances, except taxes and installments of special assessments and reassessments not due at the time of the sale, federal tax liens other than federal tax liens that are discharged in accordance with subsection (b) or (c) of section 7425 of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1954," 68A Stat. 3, 26 U.S.C. 1, as amended, and any easements and covenants running with the land that were created prior to the time the taxes or assessments, for the nonpayment of which the land was forfeited, became due and payable and except that, if there is a federal tax lien on the tract of land at the time of the sale, the United States is entitled to redeem the tract of land at any time within one hundred twenty days after the sale pursuant to subsection (d) of section 7425 of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1954," 68A Stat. 3, 26 U.S.C. 1, as amended.
(C) Except for foreclosures to which the alternative redemption period has already expired under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, when When a tract of forfeited land that was foreclosed upon as a result of proceedings for foreclosure instituted under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or division (C) of section 5721.18 of the Revised Code is sold or transferred to any person, including a county land reutilization corporation, under this chapter, the conveyance of the real estate by the auditor shall extinguish all previous title and invest the purchaser or transferee with a new title free from the lien for land taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, and interest for which the lien was foreclosed, the property was forfeited to the state, and in satisfaction of which the property was sold or transferred under this chapter, but subject to all other liens and encumbrances with respect to the tract. In all such cases, the purchaser or transferee shall be deemed a bona fide purchaser for value in accordance with division (C) of section 5723.04 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 6119.06.  Upon the declaration of the court of common pleas organizing the regional water and sewer district pursuant to section 6119.04 of the Revised Code and upon the qualifying of its board of trustees and the election of a president and a secretary, said district shall exercise in its own name all the rights, powers, and duties vested in it by Chapter 6119. of the Revised Code, and, subject to such reservations, limitations and qualifications as are set forth in this Chapter chapter, such district may:
(A) Adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs, the conduct of its business, and notice of its actions;
(B) Adopt an official seal;
(C) Maintain a principal office and suboffices at such places within the district as it designates;
(D) Sue and plead in its own name; be sued and impleaded in its own name with respect to its contracts or torts of its members, employees, or agents acting within the scope of their employment, or to enforce its obligations and covenants made under sections 6119.09, 6119.12, and 6119.14 of the Revised Code. Any such actions against the district shall be brought in the court of common pleas of the county in which the principal office of the district is located, or in the court of common pleas of the county in which the cause of action arose, and all summonses, exceptions, and notices of every kind shall be served on the district by leaving a copy thereof at the principal office with the person in charge thereof or with the secretary of the district.
(E) Assume any liability or obligation of any person or political subdivision, including a right on the part of such district to indemnify and save harmless the other contracting party from any loss, cost, or liability by reason of the failure, refusal, neglect, or omission of such district to perform any agreement assumed by it or to act or discharge any such obligation;
(F) Make loans and grants to political subdivisions for the acquisition or construction of water resource projects by such political subdivisions and adopt rules, regulations, and procedures for making such loans and grants;
(G) Acquire, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, improve, furnish, equip, maintain, repair, operate, lease or rent to or from, or contract for operation by or for, a political subdivision or person, water resource projects within or without the district;
(H) Make available the use or service of any water resource project to one or more persons, one or more political subdivisions, or any combination thereof;
(I) Levy and collect taxes and special assessments;
(J) Issue bonds and notes and refunding bonds and notes as provided in Chapter 6119. of the Revised Code;
(K) Acquire by gift or purchase, hold, and dispose of real and personal property in the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under Chapter 6119. of the Revised Code;
(L) Dispose of, by public or private sale, or lease any real or personal property determined by the board of trustees to be no longer necessary or needed for the operation or purposes of the district;
(M) Acquire, in the name of the district, by purchase or otherwise, on such terms and in such manner as it considers proper, or by the exercise of the right of condemnation in the manner provided by section 6119.11 of the Revised Code, such public or private lands, including public parks, playgrounds, or reservations, or parts thereof or rights therein, rights-of-way, property, rights, easements, and interests as it considers necessary for carrying out Chapter 6119. of the Revised Code, but excluding the acquisition by the exercise of the right of condemnation of any waste water facility or water management facility owned by any person or political subdivision, and compensation shall be paid for public or private lands so taken;
(N) Adopt rules and regulations to protect augmented flow by the district in waters of the state, to the extent augmented by a water resource project, from depletion so it will be available for beneficial use, to provide standards for the withdrawal from waters of the state of the augmented flow created by a water resource project which is not returned to the waters of the state so augmented, and to establish reasonable charges therefor, if considered necessary by the district;
(O) Make and enter into all contracts and agreements and execute all instruments necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under Chapter 6119. of the Revised Code;
(P) Enter into contracts with any person or any political subdivision to render services to such contracting party for any service the district is authorized to provide;
(Q) Enter into agreements for grants or the receipt and repayment of loans from a board of township trustees under section 505.705 of the Revised Code;
(R) Make provision for, contract for, or sell any of its by-products or waste;
(S) Exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner provided in Chapter 6119. of the Revised Code;
(T) Remove or change the location of any fence, building, railroad, canal, or other structure or improvement located in or out of the district, and in case it is not feasible or economical to move any such building, structure, or improvement situated in or upon lands required, and if the cost is determined by the board to be less than that of purchase or condemnation, to acquire land and construct, acquire, or install therein or thereon buildings, structures, or improvements similar in purpose, to be exchanged for such buildings, structures, or improvements under contracts entered into between the owner thereof and the district;
(U) Receive and accept, from any federal or state agency, grants for or in aid of the construction of any water resource project, and receive and accept aid or contributions from any source of money, property, labor, or other things of value, to be held, used, and applied only for the purposes for which such grants and contributions are made;
(V) Purchase fire and extended coverage and liability insurance for any water resource project and for the principal office and suboffices of the district, insurance protecting the district and its officers and employees against liability for damage to property or injury to or death of persons arising from its operations, and any other insurance the district may agree to provide under any resolution authorizing its water resource revenue bonds or in any trust agreement securing the same;
(W)(1) Charge, alter, and collect rentals and other charges for the use of services of any water resource project as provided in section 6119.09 of the Revised Code. Such district may refuse the services of any of its projects if any of such rentals or other charges, including penalties for late payment, are not paid by the user thereof, and, if such rentals or other charges are not paid when due and upon certification of nonpayment to the county auditor, such rentals or other charges constitute a lien upon the property so served, shall be placed by the auditor upon the real property tax list and duplicate, and shall be collected in the same manner as other taxes.
(2) A district shall not certify to the county auditor for placement upon the tax list and duplicate and the county auditor shall not place upon the tax list or duplicate as a charge against the property the amount of unpaid rentals or other charges including any penalties for late payment as described in division (W)(1) of this section if any of the following apply:
(a) The property served has been transferred or sold to an electing subdivision as defined in section 5722.01 of the Revised Code, regardless of whether the electing subdivision is still the owner of the property, and the unpaid rentals or other charges including penalties for late payment have arisen from a period of time prior to the transfer or confirmation of sale to the electing subdivision.
(b) The property served has been sold to a purchaser at sheriff's sale or auditor's sale, the unpaid rentals or other charges including penalties for late payment have arisen from a period of time prior to the confirmation of sale, and the purchaser is not the owner of record of the property immediately prior to the judgment of foreclosure nor any of the following:
(i) A member of that owner's immediate family;
(ii) A person with a power of attorney appointed by that owner who subsequently transfers the property to the owner;
(iii) A sole proprietorship owned by that owner or a member of that owner's immediate family;
(iv) A partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, or association of which the owner or a member of the owner's immediate family owns or controls directly or indirectly more than fifty per cent.
(c) The property served has been forfeited to this state for delinquent taxes, unless the owner of record redeems the property.
(3) Upon valid written notice to the county auditor by any owner possessing an ownership interest of record of the property or an electing subdivision previously in the chain of title to the property that the unpaid water rents or charges together with any penalties have been certified for placement or placed upon the tax list and duplicate as a charge against the property in violation of division (W)(2) of this section, the county auditor shall promptly remove such charge from the tax duplicate. This written notice to the county auditor shall include all of the following:
(a) The parcel number of the property;
(b) The common address of the property;
(c) The date of the recording of the transfer of the property to the owner or electing subdivision;
(d) The charge allegedly placed in violation of division (W)(2) of this section.
(4) When title to property is transferred to a county land reutilization corporation, any lien placed on the property under this division shall be extinguished, and the corporation shall not be held liable for any rentals or charges certified under this division with respect to the property, if the rentals or charges were incurred before the date of the transfer to the corporation and if the corporation did not incur the rentals or charges, regardless of whether the rentals or charges were certified, or the lien was attached, before the date of transfer. In such a case, the corporation and its successors in title shall take title to the property free and clear of any such lien and shall be immune from liability in any collection action brought with respect to such rentals or charges. If a lien placed on property is extinguished as provided in this division, the district shall retain the ability to recoup the rents and charges incurred with respect to the property from any owner, tenant, or other person liable to pay such rents and charges before the property was transferred to the corporation.
(X) Provide coverage for its employees under Chapters 145., 4123., and 4141. of the Revised Code;
(Y) Merge or combine with any other regional water and sewer district into a single district, which shall be one of the constituent districts, on terms so that the surviving district shall be possessed of all rights, capacity, privileges, powers, franchises, and authority of the constituent districts and shall be subject to all the liabilities, obligations, and duties of each of the constituent districts and all rights of creditors of such constituent districts shall be preserved unimpaired, limited in lien to the property affected by such liens immediately prior to the time of the merger and all debts, liabilities, and duties of the respective constituent districts shall thereafter attach to the surviving district and may be enforced against it, and such other terms as are agreed upon, provided two-thirds of the members of each of the boards consent to such merger or combination. Such merger or combination shall become legally effective unless, prior to the ninetieth day following the later of the consents, qualified electors residing in either district equal in number to a majority of the qualified electors voting at the last general election in such district file with the secretary of the board of trustees of their regional water and sewer district a petition of remonstrance against such merger or combination. The secretary shall cause the board of elections of the proper county or counties to check the sufficiency of the signatures on such petition.
(Z) Exercise the powers of the district without obtaining the consent of any other political subdivision, provided that all public or private property damaged or destroyed in carrying out the powers of the district shall be restored or repaired and placed in its original condition as nearly as practicable or adequate compensation made therefor by the district;
(AA) Require the owner of any premises located within the district to connect the owner's premises to a water resource project determined to be accessible to such premises and found to require such connection so as to prevent or abate pollution or protect the health and property of persons in the district. Such connection shall be made in accordance with procedures established by the board of trustees of such district and pursuant to such orders as the board may find necessary to ensure and enforce compliance with such procedures.
(BB) Do all acts necessary or proper to carry out the powers granted in Chapter 6119. of the Revised Code.
Section 2. That existing sections 317.32, 319.203, 319.54, 321.261, 323.131, 323.25, 323.28, 323.47, 323.65, 323.69, 323.70, 323.71, 323.72, 323.73, 323.78, 323.79, 715.261, 743.04, 1724.02, 1724.10, 2744.01, 5709.12, 5721.01, 5721.03, 5721.14, 5721.18, 5721.19, 5721.36, 5722.01, 5722.03, 5722.04, 5722.07, 5722.10, 5722.11, 5723.01, 5723.04, 5723.12, and 6119.06 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.
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