2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 47 - Taxation, Licensing, Permits, Assessments, and Fees. [Enacted title] › Chapter 13A - Revised Real Property Tax Sales › Subchapter II - Sale › § 47–1352. Purchase by District — in general

§ 47–1352. Purchase by District — in general.
(a) If the highest bid at a public auction is not sufficient to pay the taxes or if a certificate of sale shall become void, the real property shall be bid off to and purchased by the Mayor in the name of the District. Real property bid off to the District shall not be exempt from assessment and taxation, but shall be assessed and taxed as other real property. If real property is bid off to the District (including by a void certificate of sale under § 47-1355), the taxes, and interest thereon accruing from the first day of the month following the date of the tax sale where the real property was bid off, shall remain a lien on the real property.
(b) A certificate of sale in substantially the same form as provided in this chapter may be issued at any time by the Mayor in the name of the District for real property bid off in the name of the District, and, for purposes of the interest computation, the certificate of sale shall relate back to the date the real property was bid off; provided, that notwithstanding any other law, if the certificate of sale is not sold, assigned, or otherwise transferred by the District, the certificate shall be perpetual and the Mayor shall not be required to foreclose on the right of redemption. The Mayor shall have the same rights and remedies with regard to the real property as other purchasers, including the right to foreclose the right of redemption and to be reimbursed for expenses.
(June 9, 2001, D.C. Law 13-305, § 507(a)(2), 48 DCR 334; Dec. 4, 2014, D.C. Law 20-141, § 101(c)(14), 61 DCR 7763; Feb. 26, 2015, D.C. Law 20-155, §§ 7102(c)(14), 7104, 61 DCR 9990.)
Section References
This section is referenced in § 47-1342.01.
Effect of Amendments
The 2014 amendment by D.C. Law 20-141, repealed before its effective date, would have substituted “thereon accruing from the first day of the month following the date of the tax sale where the real property was bid off” for “from the date the real property was bid off” in the last sentence in (a).
The 2015 amendment by D.C. Law 20-155 substituted “thereon accruing from the first day of the month following the date of the tax sale where the real property was bid off” for “from the date the real property was bid off” in (a).
Emergency Legislation
For temporary (90 day) addition of section, see § 7 of Real Property Tax Clarity and Litter Control Administration Emergency Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-22, March 16, 2001, 48 DCR 2706).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 12(oo) of Tax Clarity and Recorder of Deeds Emergency Act of 2002 (D.C. Act 14-381, June 6, 2002, 49 DCR 5674).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 12(pp) of Tax Clarity and Related Amendments Emergency Act of 2002 (D.C. Act 14-456, July 23, 2002, 49 DCR 8107).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 12(pp) of Tax Clarity and Related Amendments Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2002 (D.C. Act 14-510, October 23, 2002, 49 DCR 10247).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(c)(15) of the Residential Real Property Equity and Transparency Emergency Amendment Act of 2014, (D.C. Act 20-342, May 28, 2014, 61 DCR 5691).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(c)(15) of the Residential Real Property Equity and Transparency Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-409, Aug. 1, 2014, 61 DCR 8281).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 7112(c)(14) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-377, July 14, 2014, 61 DCR 7598, 20 STAT 3696).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 7102(c)(14) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-449, October 10, 2014, 61 DCR 10915, 20 STAT 4188).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, as amended by D.C. Law 20-155, § 7102(c), see the first § 2(q) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Clarification Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-461, November 6, 2014, 61 DCR 11784, 20 STAT 4368).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 7102(c)(14) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Second Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-566, January 9, 2015, 62 DCR 884, 21 STAT 541).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, as amended by D.C. Law 20-155, § 7102(c), see the first § 2(q) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Clarification Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-587, January 13, 2015, 62 DCR 1294, 21 STAT 758).
Temporary Legislation
For temporary (225 day) addition of section, see § 7 of Real Property Tax Clarity and Litter Control Administration Temporary Amendment Act of 2001 (D.C. Law 14-8, June 13, 2001, law notification 48 DCR 5916).
Editor's Notes
D.C. Law 20-141 became effective on Dec. 4, 2014, but was repealed prior to its effective date by emergency D.C. Act 20-377, § 7114, eff. July 14, 2014, 61 DCR 7598, by emergency D.C. Act 20-449, § 7104, eff. October 10, 2014, 61 DCR 10915, by emergency D.C. Act 20-566, § 7104, eff. January 9, 2015, 62 DCR 884, and by D.C. Law 20-155, § 7104, 61 DCR 9990.