House Bill No. [insert bill number] seeks to amend Montana's tax lien and tax deed laws, particularly focusing on the redemption process and the issuance of tax deeds. The bill extends the redemption period for property tax liens from the first working day in August to five years after the lien's attachment. It also establishes that a tax deed cannot be issued until the delinquency surpasses either 2% of the parcel's fair market value or $5,000. Additionally, the bill requires enhanced notifications to interested parties regarding tax liens and mandates real-time online bidding for tax deed auctions.

The legislation further revises the notification process for tax deed auctions, stipulating that assignees must notify interested parties via certified or registered mail at least 60 days before the auction, with follow-up notifications at 30 days and again 30 days prior to the issuance of a tax deed. It also requires a diligent search if any notice is returned undeliverable and mandates that all notices include warnings about unpaid taxes and information on seeking legal assistance. The bill clarifies procedures for tax deed auctions, including the calculation of opening bids and the distribution of auction proceeds, with surplus funds being forwarded to the state as unclaimed property if unclaimed by the legal titleholder.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 15-16-101, 15-17-121, 15-17-122, 15-18-111, 15-18-211, 15-18-214, 15-18-219, 15-18-220, 15-18-221
HB0420_1(1): 15-16-101, 15-17-121, 15-17-122, 15-18-111, 15-18-211, 15-18-214, 15-18-219, 15-18-220, 15-18-221
HB0420_1(2): 15-16-101, 15-17-121, 15-17-122, 15-18-111, 15-18-211, 15-18-214, 15-18-219, 15-18-220, 15-18-221
HB0420_1(3): 15-16-101, 15-17-121, 15-17-122, 15-18-111, 15-18-211, 15-18-214, 15-18-219, 15-18-220, 15-18-221
HB0420_1(4): 15-16-101, 15-17-121, 15-17-122, 15-18-111, 15-18-211, 15-18-214, 15-18-219, 15-18-220, 15-18-221
HB0420_1: 15-16-101, 15-17-121, 15-17-122, 15-18-111, 15-18-211, 15-18-214, 15-18-219, 15-18-220, 15-18-221