Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 29 - PUBLIC LANDS, BUILDINGS AND PROPERTY (§§ 29-1-1 — 29-18-19) › Chapter 1 - PUBLIC LANDS (§§ 29-1-1 — 29-1-211) › IN GENERAL (§§ 29-1-1 — 29-1-149) › Section 29-1-75 - [Repealed effective 7/1/2026] Who may not purchase public lands

(1)
Except as otherwise provided in this section, neither a corporation nor a nonresident alien, nor any association of persons composed in whole or in part of nonresident aliens, shall directly or indirectly purchase or become the owner of any of the public lands; and every patent issued in contravention hereof shall be void.
(2)
(a)
A banking corporation owning such tax-forfeited lands or holding a mortgage or deed of trust thereon at the time of the sale to the state, and whose mortgage or deed of trust is still in force and effect, may purchase such lands, regardless of acreage, owned by it as aforesaid or on which it held a mortgage or deed of trust. In the event of a purchase by such corporation as a mortgagee, such lands shall be held for the benefit of the mortgagor subject to all the terms and conditions of the mortgage or deed of trust held by the purchasing banking corporation and, upon payment of the debt secured by such mortgage or deed of trust, together with interest and incidents, such banking corporation shall in that event reconvey such lands to the original mortgagor, his or her heirs or assigns.
(b)
Any other nonbanking corporation may purchase lands sold or forfeited to the state for delinquent taxes under any section of Chapter 1, Title 29, specifically relating to the sale of such tax-forfeited lands by the Secretary of State. A nonbanking corporation purchasing land sold or forfeited to the state shall be subject to the acreage limitations of Section
29-1-73
.
(c)
Except as provided in Sections 3 and 4 of this act, nonresident aliens may acquire and hold not to exceed three hundred twenty (320) acres of public lands in this state for the purpose of industrial development thereon. In addition, any nonresident alien may acquire and hold not to exceed five (5) acres of public lands for residential purposes. If any land acquired by a nonresident alien for the purpose of industrial development ceases to be used for industrial development, it shall escheat to the public body that sold such land to the nonresident alien.
(d)
Land that is classified as an industrial or residential zone, but is otherwise used as forest or agricultural land in the performance of forest or agricultural activities, shall serve as a prima facie case as to the purpose of the land being devoted to forestry and/or agriculture and shall make the land and the nonresident alien subject to the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of this act.
(3)
This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2026.
Codes, 1892, § 2563; 1906, § 2901; Hemingway's 1917, § 5236; 1930, § 6027; 1942, § 4109; Laws, 1938, Ex. ch. 79; Laws, 1988, ch. 439, § 1, eff. 4/25/1988.
Amended by Laws, 2024, ch. 329, SB 2519,§ 8, eff. 7/1/2024.
Amended by Laws, 2022, ch. 325, SB 2004,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2022.
Amended by Laws, 2019, ch. 331, HB 807,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2019.
Amended by Laws, 2016, ch. 414, SB 2111, 3, eff. 7/1/2016.
Amended by Laws, 2014, ch. 453, SB 2394, 1, eff. 7/1/2014.