Section 448.6. Action to challenge treasurer’s deed.
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1. A deed executed by the county treasurer in conformity with the requirements of sections 448.2 and 448.3 shall be presumed to effect a valid title conveyance, and the treasurer’s deed may be challenged only by an equitable action in the district court in the county in which the parcel is located. If the action seeks an order of the court to allow redemption after delivery of the treasurer’s deed based on improper service of notice of expiration of right of redemption, the action shall be brought in accordance with section 447.8. If the action is not brought on that basis, the action shall be controlled by the provisions of this section.
2. A person shall not be permitted to maintain the action unless the person establishes that the person, or the person under whom the person claims title, had title to the parcel at the time of the sale, or that the title was obtained from the United States or this state after the sale, and that all amounts due upon the parcel for the applicable tax years have been paid by that person or by the person under whom that person claims title.
3. The person maintaining the action shall name as defendants the holder of the tax title and the treasurer of the county in which the parcel is located.
4. The person challenging the deed shall be required to prove, in order to invalidate the deed, any of the following:
a. That the parcel was not subject to taxes for the year or years named in the deed.
b. That the taxes had been paid before the sale.
c. That the parcel had been redeemed from the sale and that the redemption was made for the use and benefit of persons having the right of redemption.
d. That there had been an entire omission to list or assess the parcel, or to levy the taxes, or to give notice of the sale, or to sell the parcel.
5. If the court determines that the person challenging the treasurer’s deed has established one or more of the elements required under subsection 4 to be proven in order to invalidate the deed, the court shall enter judgment declaring the deed to be invalid. The judgment shall order the treasurer to refund to the person claiming under the tax title all sums paid to the treasurer for the purchase of the tax sale certificate and for any subsequent taxes paid by the certificate holder. If the person claiming under the tax title is determined by the court to have made improvements to the parcel, the court shall enter judgment in favor of the person claiming under the tax title for an amount equal to the value of such improvements made after the treasurer’s deed was issued, and such judgment shall be a lien on the parcel until paid.
6. If an affidavit is filed pursuant to section 448.15, and if the time period for filing a claim under section 448.16 expires with no claims having been filed, all persons are thereafter barred and estopped from commencing an action under this section.
[C51, §503; R60, §784; C73, §897; C97, §1445; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §7289; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §448.6]
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