2021 West Virginia Code
Chapter 11A. Collection and Enforcement of Property Taxes
Article 3. Sale of Tax Liens and Nonentered, Escheated and Waste and Unappropriated Lands
§11A-3-52. What Purchaser Must Do Before He or She Can Secure a Deed
(a) Within 45 days following the approval of the sale by the auditor pursuant to 11A-3-51 of this code, the purchaser, his or her heirs or assigns, in order to secure a deed for the real estate purchased, shall:
(1) Prepare a list of those to be served with notice to redeem and request the deputy commissioner to prepare and serve the notice as provided in 11A-3-54 and 11A-3-55 of this code;
(2) When the real property subject to the tax lien was classified as Class II property, provide the deputy commissioner with the actual mailing address of the property that is subject to the tax lien or liens purchased; and
(3) Deposit, or offer to deposit, with the deputy commissioner a sum sufficient to cover the costs of preparing and serving the notice.
(b) If the purchaser fails to fulfill the requirements set forth in subsection (a) of this section, the purchaser shall lose all the benefits of his or her purchase.
(c) After the requirements of subsection (a) of this section have been satisfied, the deputy commissioner may then sell the property in the same manner as he sells lands which have been offered for sale at public auction but which remain unsold after such auction, as provided in 11A-3-48 of this code.
(d) If the person requesting preparation and service of the notice is an assignee of the purchaser, he or she shall, at the time of the request, file with the deputy commissioner a written assignment to him or her of the purchasers rights, executed, acknowledged, and certified in the manner required to make a valid deed.
(e) Whenever a purchaser has failed to comply with the notice requirements set forth in subsection (a) of this section, the purchaser may receive an additional 30 days to comply with the notice requirements set forth in subsection (a) of this section if the purchaser files with the State Auditor a request in writing for the extension before the expiration of the time period set forth in subsection (a) of this section and makes payment by cash, cashier check, certified check, or money order in the amount of $100 or 10 percent of the total amount paid on the day of sale set forth in 11A-3-45 of this code, whichever is greater. The fee for issuing the certificate of extension shall be $25 made payable to the State Auditor.
(f) The State Auditor shall each month draw his or her warrant upon the Treasury payable to the county board of education of each county for payment received by him or her for the extension of the time period set forth in subsection (e) of this section for property located within each such county.
