Chapter 323 | Collection of Taxes

Section 323.01 | Collection of taxes definitions.

• Effective: December 31, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly

Except as otherwise provided, as used in Chapter 323. of the Revised Code:

(A) "Subdivision" means any county, township, school district, or municipal corporation.

(B) "Municipal corporation" includes charter municipalities.

(C) "Taxes" means the total amount of all charges against an entry appearing on a tax list and the duplicate thereof that was prepared and certified in accordance with section 319.28 of the Revised Code, including taxes levied against real estate; taxes on property whose value is certified pursuant to section 5727.23 of the Revised Code; recoupment charges applied pursuant to section 5713.35 of the Revised Code; all assessments; penalties and interest charged pursuant to section 323.121 of the Revised Code; charges added pursuant to section 319.35 of the Revised Code; and all of such charges which remain unpaid from any previous tax year.

(D) "Current taxes" means all taxes charged against an entry on the general tax list and duplicate of real and public utility property that have not appeared on such list and duplicate for any prior tax year and any penalty thereon charged by division (A) of section 323.121 of the Revised Code. Current taxes, whether or not they have been certified delinquent, become delinquent taxes if they remain unpaid after the last day prescribed for payment of the second installment of current taxes without penalty.

(E) "Delinquent taxes" means:

(1) Any taxes charged against an entry on the general tax list and duplicate of real and public utility property that were charged against an entry on such list and duplicate for a prior tax year and any penalties and interest charged against such taxes.

(2) Any current taxes charged on the general tax list and duplicate of real and public utility property that remain unpaid after the last day prescribed for payment of the second installment of such taxes without penalty, whether or not they have been certified delinquent, and any penalties and interest charged against such taxes.

(F) "Current tax year" means, with respect to particular taxes, the calendar year in which the first installment of taxes is due prior to any extension granted under section 323.17 of the Revised Code.

(G) "Liquidated claim" means:

(1) Any sum of money due and payable, upon a written contractual obligation executed between the subdivision and the taxpayer, but excluding any amount due on general and special assessment bonds and notes;

(2) Any sum of money advanced and paid to or received and used by a subdivision, pursuant to a resolution or ordinance of such subdivision or its predecessor in interest, and the moral obligation to repay which sum, when in funds, shall be recognized by resolution or ordinance by the subdivision.

Section 323.011 | Taxes defined for certain sections.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

As used in sections 323.02 to 323.05 of the Revised Code, "taxes" means taxes levied against real estate and general taxes levied against tangible personal property and all delinquencies.

Section 323.02 | Acceptance of claim by county treasurer - certificates - assignment of certificate.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The county treasurer shall, upon submission of evidence of a liquidated claim by a taxpayer, accept it in full or partial payment of those taxes which are to be allocated to the subdivision against which the claim exists.

Before any such liquidated claim is used, it shall first be presented by the taxpayer to the fiscal officer of the subdivision for verification. If such fiscal officer, upon examination, determines that the liquidated claim can be used for the payment of taxes as provided in sections 323.01 to 323.05, inclusive, of the Revised Code, he shall, in writing, certify to such fact in duplicate, and such duplicate certificate shall be given to the taxpayer as evidence of his liquidated claim.

If, of the total amount due from the taxpayer, the portion which is to be allocated to the indebted subdivision exceeds the amount of the liquidated claim evidenced by the certificate which the taxpayer wishes to use in payment of that portion of his taxes, the treasurer shall accept the total claim as part payment of such taxes, and shall distribute the canceled receipted certificate, along with such other canceled certificates and cash as are due it, to the subdivision in the same manner as though it were cash.

The treasurer shall receipt upon the duplicate certificate the amount credited for taxes as provided in this section. If the amount of the claim, as evidenced by the certificate, is greater than the portion of the taxes to be paid by the taxpayer which will be allocated to the subdivision, the treasurer shall indorse on such certificate the amount that is accepted in payment of taxes, and a similar indorsement shall be made upon the duplicate certificate, which shall be retained by the taxpayer. This certificate, to the extent of the sum receipted for taxes, shall be allocated to the indebted subdivision in lieu of cash. If there is a balance due on such certificate, the fiscal officer shall, upon its surrender, issue to the taxpayer a new certificate, in duplicate, setting forth the amount due, which certificate may be used by the taxpayer for tax payments at subsequent collections in the manner provided in this section. Such new certificate, if founded upon a liquidated claim for money advanced and paid out, received and used by a subdivision as provided in division (D)(3) of section 323.01 of the Revised Code, may be assigned by the taxpayer, and the assignee thereof shall have the same right as the original owner of such certificate to use the claim evidenced by it in the payment of such assignee's taxes which are to be allocated to the subdivision against which the claim exists, and the treasurer shall have the same duty with reference to such certificate as is imposed upon him by this section with reference to certificates that have not been assigned. The assignment of any such certificate is an assignment of the claim evidenced by it.

Section 323.03 | Certificates to be dated.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

Each certificate furnished as provided in sections 323.02 to 323.05, inclusive, of the Revised Code, shall be dated and used by the taxpayer for the payment of taxes as provided by such sections within six months from its date; otherwise it shall be void for the payment of taxes. This shall in no manner impair the validity of the claim on which the certificate is based. Such certificates shall only be used for the payment of taxes on the 1933 and subsequent duplicates, including delinquencies.

Section 323.04 | Payment of taxes with liquidated claims.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

A taxpayer may, subject to sections 323.01 to 323.05, inclusive, of the Revised Code, use in the payment of his taxes any liquidated claim which such taxpayer, or the husband or wife of such taxpayer, has against any subdivision which is to derive benefit from the tax collection.

Section 323.05 | Claims and certificates nonnegotiable - exception.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The liquidated claims and certificates described in sections 323.01 to 323.04, inclusive, of the Revised Code, shall be nonnegotiable for the purposes of such sections, except that where the tax is for property owned jointly by a husband and wife or by either of them when the other is the owner of a liquidated claim, such liquidated claim and certificate shall be accepted by the county treasurer in the manner provided by section 323.02 of the Revised Code in payment of taxes levied against the property owned by both or either of them. Such certificates shall only be used when a taxpayer or the husband or wife of such taxpayer holds a liquidated claim of record against the subdivision.

The use of such certificates constitutes a reduction of the indebtedness of the subdivision to the taxpayer holding such certificates to the extent of the taxes credited on them.

Any certificate issued under section 323.02 of the Revised Code may be used for any of the purposes of sections 323.01 to 323.05, inclusive, of the Revised Code, and failure of any fiscal officer of any subdivision to give a certificate may be enforced by mandamus. All certificates shall be subject to sections 323.03 and 323.04 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.06 | Payment of special assessments with assessment bonds.

• Effective: October 30, 1989
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 230 - 118th General Assembly

Where improvements have been made for which special assessments have been levied and bonds have been issued, in anticipation of the collection of such special assessments, under section 133.17 of the Revised Code, a person chargeable by law with the payment of such special assessments may purchase and acquire such special assessment bonds and use them at their full face value plus any accrued interest in the payment of past due assessments, current assessments, or future assessments, plus any penalties or interest accrued at the time of such payment.

This section does not permit the offering of a special assessment bond in payment of special assessments other than in the case of a bond issued in anticipation of any special assessments of that political subdivision.

Section 323.07 | County treasurer authorized to accept bonds - no cash refunds - distribution.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

The county treasurer may accept special assessment bonds as provided in section 323.06 of the Revised Code when offered in an amount equal or greater than the amount of the assessment owing, in full payment of such special assessment. The treasurer shall not refund in cash or in any other form to the special assessment taxpayer the difference between the value of the bonds offered and the amount of the special assessment for which payment is made, but a group of special assessment taxpayers may purchase one or more bonds and the treasurer shall accept them in payment of the special assessments owing in such instance.

The treasurer, at the time for distributing special assessment taxes, shall distribute to the proper subdivision the bonds received by the treasurer under this section and section 323.06 of the Revised Code. The distribution so made shall be a full or partial discharge of the special assessment taxes.

Section 323.071 | Advance payment of installments of special assessment - cancellation of installments - use of money.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

The taxing authority of any political subdivision which levies any special assessment or reassessment payable in installments over a period of more than one year may by resolution authorize its fiscal officer to accept payment in cash of all of the installments of such assessments or reassessments charged against any lot or parcel of land and not due at the time such resolution is adopted. Such taxing authority may waive the payment of interest included in such installments, except that if such installments are pledged to the payment of outstanding bonds or notes, interest upon such installments must be collected at the rate borne by such bonds or notes up to the time when an amount of such bonds or notes, not less than the amount of such installments, can be paid, redeemed, or purchased according to their terms or by agreement with their holders.

If such installments have been certified to the county auditor for collection, the fiscal officer of the subdivision shall, upon the payment of such installments, certify the fact of payment to said auditor, who shall thereupon cancel such installments upon his records.

If any bonds or notes issued in anticipation of the levy or collection of such installments are outstanding, the money derived from such payments shall be used only for the payment, redemption, or purchase of, and the payment of interest on, such bonds or notes, and if the subdivision has no such bonds or notes outstanding, such money shall be used for the payment of any other funded debt of the subdivision. If the subdivision has no funded debt, such money shall be credited to its general fund and used for the purposes thereof.

Any assessment in the amount of twenty-five dollars or less, or any unpaid balance of twenty-five dollars or less, shall be paid in full, and not in installments, at the time the first or next installment would otherwise become due and payable.

Section 323.08 | Publishing schedule of tax rates and effective rates.

• Effective: September 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

After certifying the tax list and duplicate pursuant to section 319.28 of the Revised Code, the county auditor shall deliver a list of the tax rates, tax reduction factors, and effective tax rates assessed and applied against each of the two classes of property of the county to the county treasurer, who shall immediately cause a schedule of such tax rates and effective rates to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or, in lieu of such publication, the county treasurer may insert a copy of such schedule with each tax bill mailed. Such schedule shall specify particularly the rates and effective rates of taxation levied for all purposes on the tax list and duplicate for the support of the various taxing units within the county, expressed in dollars and cents for each one thousand dollars of valuation. The effective tax rates shall be printed in boldface type.

The county treasurer shall publish notice of the date of the last date for payment of each installment of taxes once a week for two successive weeks prior to such date in a newspaper of general circulation within the county or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code. The notice shall be inserted in a conspicuous place in the newspaper and shall also contain notice that any taxes paid after such date will accrue a penalty and interest and that failure to receive a tax bill will not avoid such penalty and interest. The notice shall contain a telephone number that may be called by taxpayers who have not received tax bills.

As used in this section and section 323.131 of the Revised Code, "effective tax rate" means the effective rate after making the reduction required by section 319.301, but before making the reduction required by section 319.302 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.09 | Office of county treasurer open for collection of taxes.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

The office of the county treasurer shall be kept open for the collection of taxes from the time of delivery of the duplicate to the treasurer until the twentieth day of June, except during such time as it may be necessary to close the office for the purpose of the February settlement of such taxes.

Section 323.11 | State's lien for taxes attaches and continues until paid.

• Effective: July 2, 1984
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 115th General Assembly

The lien of the state for taxes levied for all purposes on the real and public utility tax list and duplicate for each year shall attach to all real property subject to such taxes on the first day of January, annually, or as provided in section 5727.06 of the Revised Code, and continue until such taxes, including any penalties, interest, or other charges accruing thereon, are paid.

Taxes may be apportioned in case of transfer of a part of any tract or lot of real estate, in which case the lien of such taxes shall extend to the transferred part and the remaining parts only to the extent of the amounts allocated to such respective parts.

Section 323.12 | Payment of taxes.

• Effective: October 14, 1997
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 59 - 122nd General Assembly

(A) Each person charged with taxes shall pay to the county treasurer the full amount of such taxes on or before the thirty-first day of December, or shall pay one-half of the current taxes together with the full amount of any delinquent taxes before such date, and the remaining half on or before the twentieth day of June next ensuing.

When taxes are paid by installments, each payment shall be apportioned among the several funds for which taxes have been assessed.

(B) A tax is paid on or before the dates set forth in this section if the tax payment is received by the county treasurer or if prepayments are applied by the treasurer toward the payment of taxes as provided by section 321.45 of the Revised Code on or before the last day for payment of such tax, or if the tax payment is received after such date in an envelope that was postmarked by the United States postal service on or before the last day for payment of such tax. In the event there is more than one date of postmark on the envelope, the earliest date imprinted by the United States postal service shall be the date of payment. A private meter postmark on an envelope is not a valid postmark for purposes of establishing the date of payment of such tax.

(C) The treasurer may delay the closing of the treasurer's books for any collection period for the purpose of receiving and processing such payments.

Section 323.121 | Penalty and interest for failure to pay real estate taxes and installments when due.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(2) of this section, if one-half of the current taxes charged against an entry of real estate together with the full amount of any delinquent taxes are not paid on or before the thirty-first day of December in that year or on or before the last day for payment as extended pursuant to section 323.17 of the Revised Code, a penalty of ten per cent shall be charged against the unpaid balance of such half of the current taxes on the duplicate. If the total amount of all the taxes is not paid on or before the twentieth day of June, next thereafter, or on or before the last day for payment as extended pursuant to section 323.17 of the Revised Code, a like penalty shall be charged on the balance of the total amount of such unpaid current taxes.

(2) After a valid delinquent or omitted tax contract that includes unpaid current taxes from a first-half collection period described in section 323.12 of the Revised Code has been entered into under section 323.31 or 5713.20 of the Revised Code, no ten per cent penalty shall be charged against such taxes after the second-half collection period while the delinquent or omitted tax contract remains in effect. On the day a delinquent or omitted tax contract becomes void, the ten per cent penalty shall be charged against such taxes and shall equal the amount of penalty that would have been charged against unpaid current taxes outstanding on the date on which the second-half penalty would have been charged thereon under division (A)(1) of this section if the contract had not been in effect.

(B)(1) On the first day of the month following the last day the second installment of taxes may be paid without penalty, interest shall be charged against and computed on all delinquent taxes other than the current taxes that became delinquent taxes at the close of the last day such second installment could be paid without penalty. The charge shall be for interest that accrued during the period that began on the preceding first day of December and ended on the last day of the month that included the last date such second installment could be paid without penalty. The interest shall be computed at the rate per annum prescribed by section 5703.47 of the Revised Code and shall be entered as a separate item on the tax list and duplicate compiled under section 319.28 or 5721.011 of the Revised Code, whichever list and duplicate are first compiled after the date on which the interest is computed and charged. However, for tracts and lots on the real property tax suspension list under section 319.48 of the Revised Code, the interest shall not be entered on the tax list and duplicate compiled under section 319.28 of the Revised Code, but shall be entered on the first tax list and duplicate compiled under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code after the date on which the interest is computed and charged.

(2) In a county on behalf of which a county land reutilization corporation has been organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code, upon the written order of the county treasurer, interest shall be charged against and computed on delinquent taxes as provided in division (B)(2)(a) or (b) of this section, as prescribed in the order:

(a) In the manner provided under divisions (B)(1) and (B)(3) of this section, except that the interest shall be computed at the rate of twelve per cent per annum; or

(b) On the first day of the month following the month in which interest otherwise would be charged in accordance with division (B)(1) of this section as specified in the order, and each subsequent month, interest shall be charged against and computed on all delinquent taxes remaining delinquent on the last day of the preceding month at a rate of one per cent per month.

The county treasurer shall file a copy of the order directing the rate and manner of charging interest under this division with the county treasurer and the tax commissioner. If interest is charged under division (B)(2) of this section, interest shall not be charged under division (B)(1) or (3) of this section.

(3) On the first day of December, the interest shall be charged against and computed on all delinquent taxes. The charge shall be for interest that accrued during the period that began on the first day of the month following the last date prescribed for the payment of the second installment of taxes in the current year and ended on the immediately preceding last day of November. The interest shall be computed at the rate per annum prescribed by section 5703.47 of the Revised Code and shall be entered as a separate item on the tax list and duplicate compiled under section 319.28 or 5721.011 of the Revised Code, whichever list and duplicate are first compiled after the date on which the interest is computed and charged. However, for tracts and lots on the real property tax suspension list under section 319.48 of the Revised Code, the interest shall not be entered on the tax list and duplicate compiled under section 319.28 of the Revised Code, but shall be entered on the first tax list and duplicate compiled under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code after the date on which the interest is computed and charged.

(4) After a valid delinquent tax contract has been entered into for the payment of any delinquent taxes, no interest shall be charged against such delinquent taxes while the delinquent tax contract remains in effect in compliance with section 323.31 of the Revised Code. If a valid delinquent tax contract becomes void, interest shall be charged against the delinquent taxes for the periods that interest was not permitted to be charged while the delinquent tax contract was in effect. The interest shall be charged on the day the delinquent tax contract becomes void and shall equal the amount of interest that would have been charged against the unpaid delinquent taxes outstanding on the dates on which interest would have been charged thereon under divisions (B)(1), (2), and (3) of this section had the delinquent tax contract not been in effect.

(C) If the full amount of the taxes due at either of the times prescribed by division (A) of this section is paid within ten days after such time, the county treasurer shall waive the collection of and the county auditor shall remit one-half of the penalty provided for in that division for failure to make that payment by the prescribed time.

(D) The county treasurer shall compile and deliver to the county auditor a list of all tax payments the treasurer has received as provided in division (C) of this section. The list shall include any information required by the auditor for the remission of the penalties waived by the treasurer. The taxes so collected shall be included in the settlement next succeeding the settlement then in process.

Section 323.122 | Extension for payment of real property tax for members of armed forces.

• Effective: June 12, 2003
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 47 - 125th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Active duty" has the same meaning as in division (F) of section 5919.34 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Dependent parent" means a parent who, at the time the member was activated, received from the member at least half of the dependent parent's support, including food, shelter, clothing, and medical and dental care.

(B) This section applies to any real property or manufactured or mobile home that is:

(1) Owned by a member of the national guard or a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States who is called to active duty;

(2) Owned by the spouse of such a member;

(3) Owned jointly by such a member and that member's spouse or dependent parent; or

(4) Owned by the dependent parent of such a member who dies during such duty or as the result of wounds or illness incurred during such duty.

(C) The member, the member's spouse, or the member's parent, as applicable, may apply to the county treasurer for an extension for the payment of taxes and assessments charged against the real property or manufactured or mobile home and payable during the period of the member's duty service and the six months ensuing termination thereof. Additionally, application may be made on behalf of a member under a power of attorney granted by the member. Application shall be made not later than the last day of the sixth month after the month in which the member's duty terminates. The applicant shall provide evidence satisfactory to the county treasurer to demonstrate eligibility for the extension as described in division (B) of this section.

If the county treasurer determines that the applicant qualifies for an extension under this section, the county treasurer shall enter into a contract with the applicant for payment of the taxes and assessments in installments in the same manner as, and subject to the same terms and conditions of, contracts for the payment of delinquent taxes pursuant to section 323.31 of the Revised Code, except that the contract shall specify that payments shall begin in the seventh month after the member's duty terminates. Notwithstanding sections 319.49, 323.01, 323.121, 323.132, 4503.06, 5721.01, and 5721.011 of the Revised Code, taxes and assessments, payment of which has been extended under this section, do not constitute delinquent taxes and shall not be placed on the delinquent land list or delinquent manufactured home tax list unless the contract becomes void, and a new contract is not entered into, pursuant to section 323.31 of the Revised Code.

(D) If a member, a member's spouse, or a member's parent qualifies for the extension provided in this section, and that member, spouse, or parent has designated an agent for the payment of taxes and assessments the payment of which is so extended, that agent shall not require the member, spouse, or parent to pay to the agent any such taxes and assessments for the period for which payment is extended under division (C) of this section. If such taxes or assessments are paid by the member, spouse, or parent to an agent as part of a mortgage loan installment payment, the agent shall deduct the portion of the payment that represents such taxes and assessments from the amount of each such payment payable during the period of extension prescribed by division (C) of this section.

(E) If the member, the member's spouse, or the member's parent has entered into a contract pursuant to this section before the first day of the seventh month after the month in which the member's duty terminates, the county auditor and treasurer shall remove from the tax list and duplicate, respectively, any penalties and interest that were charged under section 323.121 or 4503.06 of the Revised Code during the member's duty and before the first day of the seventh month after the month in which the member's duty terminates.

(F) Notwithstanding section 323.131 of the Revised Code, a county treasurer shall include a notice of, and information about, the extension provided in this section on or with tax bills mailed or delivered under section 323.13 or 4503.06 of the Revised Code or by providing such notice and information to a newspaper of general circulation in the county when tax bills are mailed or delivered under those sections.

Section 323.13 | Tax bill mailed or delivered - failure to receive bill.

• Effective: April 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 405 - 134th General Assembly

(A)(1) Except as provided in section 323.134 of the Revised Code, immediately upon receipt of any tax duplicate from the county auditor, but not less than twenty days prior to the last date on which the first one-half taxes may be paid without penalty as prescribed in section 323.12 or 323.17 of the Revised Code, the county treasurer shall cause to be prepared and mailed or delivered to each person charged on such duplicate with taxes or to an agent designated by such person, the tax bill prescribed by the commissioner of tax equalization under section 323.131 of the Revised Code. When taxes are paid by installments, the county treasurer shall mail or deliver to each person charged on such duplicate or the agent designated by such person, a second tax bill showing the amount due at the time of the second tax collection. The second-half tax bill shall be mailed or delivered at least twenty days prior to the close of the second-half tax collection period. The treasurer shall maintain a record of the person or agent to whom each bill is mailed or delivered.

(2) A county treasurer may adopt a policy authorizing persons required to receive a tax bill under division (A)(1) of this section to request to receive the bill at an electronic mail address or telephone number capable of receiving the bill.

A person who has made such a request may, at any time, rescind that request by providing the county treasurer with written notice of that rescission and a current mailing address to which the tax bill may be delivered. The request shall terminate upon a change in the name of the person charged with the taxes pursuant to section 319.20 of the Revised Code.

A county treasurer may rescind a policy adopted under division (A)(2) of this section by providing notice to all persons who requested to receive electronic delivery of tax bills under division (A)(2) of this section or division (D)(6)(a) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code not later than thirty days before that rescission. Such notice shall be sent to the electronic mail address or telephone number provided by each person and shall inform the person that future tax bills will be mailed or delivered to the mailing address on file with the county treasurer and that the person may update that mailing address with written notice to the treasurer.

Electronic mail addresses and telephone numbers submitted to the county treasurer pursuant to division (A)(2) of this section or division (D)(6)(a) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code are not public records for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

Nothing in division (A)(2) of this section or division (D)(6)(a) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code authorizes a county treasurer to impose a fee or charge to receive a tax bill by mail against a person that does not make an electronic delivery request under either of those divisions.

(B) After delivery of the delinquent land duplicate as prescribed in section 5721.011 of the Revised Code, the county treasurer may prepare and mail to each person in whose name property therein is listed an additional tax bill showing the total amount of delinquent taxes appearing on such duplicate against such property. The tax bill shall include a notice that the interest charge prescribed by division (B) of section 323.121 of the Revised Code has begun to accrue.

(C) A change in the mailing address, electronic mail address, or telephone number of any tax bill shall be made in writing to the county treasurer.

(D) Upon certification by the county auditor of the apportionment of taxes following the transfer of a part of a tract or lot of real estate, and upon request by the owner of any transferred or remaining part of such tract or parcel, the treasurer shall cause to be prepared and mailed or delivered to such owner a tax bill for the taxes allocated to the owner's part, together with the penalties, interest, and other charges.

(E) Failure to receive any bill required by this section does not excuse failure or delay to pay any taxes shown on such bill or, except as provided in division (B)(1) of section 5715.39 of the Revised Code, avoid any penalty, interest, or charge for such delay.

Last updated January 19, 2023 at 11:19 AM

Section 323.131 | Form and contents of tax bill.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) Each tax bill prepared and mailed or delivered under section 323.13 of the Revised Code shall be in the form and contain the information required by the tax commissioner. The commissioner may prescribe different forms for each county and may authorize the county auditor to make up tax bills and tax receipts to be used by the county treasurer. For any county in which the board of county commissioners has granted a partial property tax exemption on homesteads under section 323.158 of the Revised Code, the commissioner shall require that the tax bills for those homesteads include a notice of the amount of the tax reduction that results from the partial exemption. In addition to the information required by the commissioner, each tax bill shall contain the following information:

(1) The taxes levied and the taxes charged and payable against the property;

(2) The effective tax rate. The words "effective tax rate" shall appear in boldface type.

(3) The following notices:

(a) "Notice: If the taxes are not paid within sixty days from the date they are certified delinquent, the property is subject to foreclosure for tax delinquency." Failure to provide such notice has no effect upon the validity of any tax foreclosure to which a property is subjected.

(b) "Notice: If the taxes charged against this parcel have been reduced by the 2-1/2 per cent tax reduction for residences occupied by the owner but the property is not a residence occupied by the owner, the owner must notify the county auditor's office not later than March 31 of the year following the year for which the taxes are due. Failure to do so may result in the owner being convicted of a fourth degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by imprisonment up to 30 days, a fine up to $250, or both, and in the owner having to repay the amount by which the taxes were erroneously or illegally reduced, plus any interest that may apply.

If the taxes charged against this parcel have not been reduced by the 2-1/2 per cent tax reduction and the parcel includes a residence occupied by the owner, the parcel may qualify for the tax reduction. To obtain an application for the tax reduction or further information, the owner may contact the county auditor's office at __________ (insert the address and telephone number of the county auditor's office)."

(4) For a tract or lot on the real property tax suspension list under section 319.48 of the Revised Code, the following notice: "Notice: The taxes shown due on this bill are for the current year only. Delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest also are due on this property. Contact the county treasurer to learn the total amount due."

The tax bill shall not contain or be mailed or delivered with any information or material that is not required by this section or that is not authorized by section 321.45 of the Revised Code or by the tax commissioner.

(B) If the property is residential rental property, the tax bill shall contain a statement that the owner of the residential rental property shall file with the county auditor the information required under division (A) or (C) of section 5323.02 of the Revised Code.

(C) Each county auditor and treasurer shall post on their respective web sites, or on the county's web site, the percentage of property taxes charged by each taxing unit and, in the case of the county as a taxing unit, the percentage of taxes charged by the county for each of the county purposes for which taxes are charged.

(D) As used in this section, "residential rental property" has the same meaning as in section 5323.01 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.132 | Paying delinquent taxes.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 353 - 127th General Assembly

If one-half of the current taxes charged against an entry of real estate is not paid on or before the thirty-first day of December of the year for which they are charged or on or before the last day for such payment as extended pursuant to section 323.17 of the Revised Code, that amount, together with the penalty charged under division (A)(1) of section 323.121 of the Revised Code and all delinquent taxes or installment thereof charged against such entry may be paid at any time prior to the date on which tax bills for the second half collection are mailed and delivered, without at the same time requiring payment of the second half of such taxes.

If the total amount of such current taxes, delinquent taxes, and all installment payments due under section 323.31 of the Revised Code are not paid on or before the twentieth day of June, next thereafter, or on or before the last day for that payment as extended pursuant to section 323.17 of the Revised Code, the balance of the amount of such taxes, plus all penalties and interest imposed by section 323.121 of the Revised Code, constitutes the delinquent taxes on such entry, which shall be placed on the delinquent land list and duplicate pursuant to section 5721.011 of the Revised Code and shall be collected in the manner prescribed by law, unless the property against which such taxes are charged is the subject of an application for exemption from taxation pursuant to section 5715.27 of the Revised Code.

A taxpayer may tender, and the treasurer shall accept, the full amount of delinquent taxes charged against an entry of real estate without having to tender at the same time the payment of any current taxes that are due and payable.

A county treasurer may accept partial payments of taxes. Any overpayment shall be refunded by the treasurer in the manner most convenient to the treasurer. When the amount tendered and accepted is less than the amount due, the unpaid balance shall be treated as other unpaid taxes, and, except when the unpaid amount is the penalty or interest and charges on the unpaid taxes, the treasurer shall notify the taxpayer of such deficiency.

If the taxpayer files with the payment of taxes a copy of an application to the tax commissioner for remission of penalty, or the payment is received within ten days after the last day the taxes may be paid without penalty, the county treasurer shall accept a partial payment in which the only unpaid amount is the penalty for late payment.

If, at any time, and having been provided such documentation as may be found acceptable by the county treasurer, the county treasurer determines that due to a clerical error, a taxpayer has overpaid either the first one-half or second one-half payment of current taxes as charged on the tax list and duplicate, the treasurer may refund the amount of the overpayment to the taxpayer in the manner most convenient to the treasurer.

Section 323.133 | Payment of portion of taxes where application for exemption is pending.

• Effective: January 10, 1991
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 332 - 118th General Assembly

(A) A taxpayer may tender, and the county treasurer shall accept, payment of a portion of any taxes charged against real property that is the subject of an application for exemption from taxation under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code that is pending before the tax commissioner. The treasurer shall issue a receipt to the taxpayer, and credit such payment against any unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest charged against the property. The treasurer shall enter any such payment on the treasurer's tax duplicate and apportion the payment among the several funds for which taxes have been assessed and applied to the items of taxes charged in the order in which they became due. This division does not authorize the commissioner to accept an application for exemption for property against which delinquent taxes are outstanding at the time of application, except as provided in section 5713.081 of the Revised Code.

(B) Upon receipt of the tax commissioner's final determination concerning an application for exemption, the county auditor shall correct the tax lists for the years covered in the application and any other year that elapsed while the application was under review or appeal. For each such year, the auditor shall compute the amount of any unpaid taxes and any penalties and interest thereon that were charged against the property. If the auditor determines that in any such year an overpayment of taxes was made, the auditor shall treat the amount as an overpayment of real property taxes as provided in section 5715.22 of the Revised Code, except that no application need be made by the person who overpaid the taxes in order for the auditor to issue a refund. If the auditor determines that an unpaid balance remains after crediting any overpayments, or if no overpayment was made and there are unpaid taxes and penalties or interest on such taxes, he shall certify the amount of the unpaid balance to the county treasurer, who shall collect such amount in the manner prescribed by law for the collection of delinquent taxes.

Section 323.134 | Agreements for information exchanges limited exclusively to purpose of real property tax billing and payment.

• Effective: January 1, 2018
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly

As used in this section, "financial institution" means a bank as defined in section 1101.01 of the Revised Code or any other person regularly engaging in the business of making or brokering residential mortgage loans on security located in this state.

The county treasurer may request any financial institution to enter into an agreement with the treasurer for information exchanges limited exclusively to the purpose of real property tax billing and payment, including, but not limited to, the sharing of information that is part of a data processing system. With the approval of the county automatic data processing board or if the county has no board, with the approval of the county auditor, the county treasurer may enter such an agreement with any consenting financial institution. Where such an agreement enables the treasurer to collect the proper amounts of such taxes due without preparing and sending the tax bills required by section 323.13 of the Revised Code, the treasurer need not prepare and send such bills for any entries of real property upon which taxes are properly computed and paid by the use of such information exchange.

Section 323.14 | Receipt for payment of taxes - form.

• Effective: June 14, 1988
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 20 - 117th General Assembly

When any tax is paid at the office of the county treasurer or at any tax receiving office, the treasurer shall give a receipt to the person paying it. If any such tax is paid to the treasurer by mail and the person paying it encloses with the payment an addressed envelope with sufficient postage, the treasurer shall enclose a receipt for the taxes in such envelope and deposit it in the mail. No receipt given by the treasurer for payments made otherwise than in lawful money or the notes specified in section 321.13 of the Revised Code shall be valid, unless the moneys represented by such payment are received into the county treasury or a county depository.

The tax receipt given by the treasurer shall be a duplicate of the tax bill unless the treasurer prescribes a different form, approved by the tax commissioner, to be used as a receipt when the tax is paid by the treasurer's application of prepayments pursuant to section 321.45 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.15 | Payment of less than full amount due - payment by owner of undivided interest.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 353 - 127th General Assembly

The county treasurer may accept payment of less than the full amount of taxes charged and payable for all purposes on real estate at the times provided by sections 323.12 and 323.17 of the Revised Code in such amounts as the county treasurer considers reasonable. Except as otherwise provided by sections 323.133, 323.31, and 5715.19 of the Revised Code, and when the collection of a particular tax is legally enjoined, interest and penalties shall accrue on the unpaid amount as prescribed by section 323.121 of the Revised Code. A person claiming to be the owner of an undivided interest in any real estate may present to the county auditor the recorded evidence of the existence and fractional extent of such interest; and the auditor may note the existence and extent of such interest, as ascertained by the auditor, on the margin of the tax list in the name of such person and give a certificate of the interest to the county treasurer, who shall enter it on the margin of the tax duplicate. Any person claiming to be entitled to or in any way interested in such interest may pay, and the treasurer may receive that proportion of the full amount of the taxes charged and payable for all purposes on the real estate affected, which is represented by the fraction expressing the extent of such interest. The payment so made and received shall be entered on the duplicate, shall be credited by the treasurer at the time of the next succeeding settlement of real estate taxes, and shall have the effect of relieving the undivided interest in such real estate, so entered on the margin of the tax list and duplicate, from the lien of the taxes charged on such duplicate against the real estate. Thereafter, in making up the tax list and duplicate, the auditor shall enter such interest and the proportional value of it separately from the other interests in such land, and shall adjust the value of the latter accordingly.

Section 323.151 | Valuation of homestead property definitions.

• Effective: October 27, 2023
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 43 - 135th General Assembly

As used in sections 323.151 to 323.159 of the Revised Code:

(A)(1) "Homestead" means either of the following:

(a) A dwelling, including a unit in a multiple-unit dwelling and a manufactured home or mobile home taxed as real property pursuant to division (B) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code, owned and occupied as a home by an individual whose domicile is in this state and who has not acquired ownership from a person, other than the individual's spouse, related by consanguinity or affinity for the purpose of qualifying for the real property tax reduction provided in section 323.152 of the Revised Code.

(b) A unit in a housing cooperative that is occupied as a home, but not owned, by an individual whose domicile is in this state.

(2) The homestead shall include so much of the land surrounding it, not exceeding one acre, as is reasonably necessary for the use of the dwelling or unit as a home. An owner includes a holder of one of the several estates in fee, a vendee in possession under a purchase agreement or a land contract, a mortgagor, a life tenant, one or more tenants with a right of survivorship, tenants in common, and a settlor of a revocable or irrevocable inter vivos trust holding the title to a homestead occupied by the settlor as of right under the trust. The tax commissioner shall adopt rules for the uniform classification and valuation of real property or portions of real property as homesteads.

(B) "Sixty-five years of age or older" means a person who has attained age sixty-four prior to the first day of January of the year of application for reduction in real estate taxes.

(C) "Total income" means modified adjusted gross income, as that term is defined in section 5747.01 of the Revised Code, of the owner and the owner's spouse for the year preceding the year in which application for a reduction in taxes is made.

(D) "Permanently and totally disabled" means that a person other than a disabled veteran has, on the first day of January of the year of application for reduction in real estate taxes, some impairment in body or mind that makes the person unable to work at any substantially remunerative employment that the person is reasonably able to perform and that will, with reasonable probability, continue for an indefinite period of at least twelve months without any present indication of recovery therefrom or has been certified as permanently and totally disabled by a state or federal agency having the function of so classifying persons.

(E) "Housing cooperative" means a housing complex of at least two units that is owned and operated by a nonprofit corporation that issues a share of the corporation's stock to an individual, entitling the individual to live in a unit of the complex, and collects a monthly maintenance fee from the individual to maintain, operate, and pay the taxes of the complex.

(F) "Disabled veteran" means a person who is a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, including reserve components thereof, or of the national guard, who has been discharged or released from active duty in the armed forces under honorable conditions, and who has received a total disability rating or a total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability for a service-connected disability or combination of service-connected disabilities as prescribed in Title 38, Part 4 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as amended.

(G) "Public service officer" means a peace officer, firefighter, first responder, EMT-basic, EMT-I, or paramedic, or an individual holding any equivalent position in another state.

(H) "Killed in the line of duty" means either of the following:

(1) Death in the line of duty;

(2) Death from injury sustained in the line of duty, including heart attack or other fatal injury or illness caused while in the line of duty.

(I) "Peace officer" has the same meaning as in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.

(J) "Firefighter" means a firefighter, whether paid or volunteer, of a lawfully constituted fire department.

(K) "First responder," "EMT-basic," "EMT-I," and "paramedic" have the same meanings as in section 4765.01 of the Revised Code.

(L) "Surviving spouse of a disabled veteran" means either of the following:

(1) The spouse of a disabled veteran who occupied the homestead when the disabled veteran died and who acquires ownership of the homestead or, in the case of a homestead that is a unit in a housing cooperative, continues to occupy the homestead;

(2) The surviving spouse of an individual to which all of the following apply, provided the surviving spouse occupies the homestead when that individual dies and who, following that individual's death, acquires ownership of the homestead or, in the case of a homestead that is a unit in a housing cooperative, continues to occupy the homestead:

(a) The individual dies before receiving a total disability rating described in division (F) of this section.

(b) The individual otherwise qualifies as a disabled veteran.

(c) The individual owns and occupies a homestead or, in the case of a homestead that is a unit in a housing cooperative, occupies the homestead.

Last updated August 15, 2023 at 9:17 AM

Section 323.152 | Reductions in taxable value.

• Effective: October 27, 2023
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 43 (GA 135), House Bill 33 (GA 135)

In addition to the reduction in taxes required under section 319.302 of the Revised Code, taxes shall be reduced as provided in divisions (A) and (B) of this section.

(A)(1)(a) Division (A)(1) of this section applies to any of the following persons:

(i) A person who is permanently and totally disabled;

(ii) A person who is sixty-five years of age or older;

(iii) A person who is the surviving spouse of a deceased person who was permanently and totally disabled or sixty-five years of age or older and who applied and qualified for a reduction in taxes under this division in the year of death, provided the surviving spouse is at least fifty-nine but not sixty-five or more years of age on the date the deceased spouse dies.

(b) Real property taxes on a homestead owned and occupied, or a homestead in a housing cooperative occupied, by a person to whom division (A)(1) of this section applies shall be reduced for each year for which an application for the reduction has been approved. The reduction shall equal one of the following amounts, as applicable to the person:

(i) If the person received a reduction under division (A)(1) of this section for tax year 2006, the greater of the reduction for that tax year or the amount computed under division (A)(1)(c) of this section;

(ii) If the person received, for any homestead, a reduction under division (A)(1) of this section for tax year 2013 or under division (A) of section 4503.065 of the Revised Code for tax year 2014 or the person is the surviving spouse of such a person and the surviving spouse is at least fifty-nine years of age on the date the deceased spouse dies, the amount computed under division (A)(1)(c) of this section.

(iii) If the person is not described in division (A)(1)(b)(i) or (ii) of this section and the person's total income does not exceed thirty thousand dollars, as adjusted under division (A)(1)(d) of this section, the amount computed under division (A)(1)(c) of this section.

(c) The amount of the reduction under division (A)(1)(c) of this section equals the product of the following:

(i) Twenty-five thousand dollars of the true value of the property in money, as adjusted under division (A)(1)(d) of this section;

(ii) The assessment percentage established by the tax commissioner under division (B) of section 5715.01 of the Revised Code, not to exceed thirty-five per cent;

(iii) The effective tax rate used to calculate the taxes charged against the property for the current year, where "effective tax rate" is defined as in section 323.08 of the Revised Code;

(iv) The quantity equal to one minus the sum of the percentage reductions in taxes received by the property for the current tax year under section 319.302 of the Revised Code and division (B) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code.

(d) The tax commissioner shall adjust the total income threshold described in division (A)(1)(b)(iii) and the reduction amounts described in divisions (A)(1)(c)(i), (A)(2), and (A)(3) of this section by completing the following calculations in September of each year:

(i) Determine the percentage increase in the gross domestic product deflator determined by the bureau of economic analysis of the United States department of commerce from the first day of January of the preceding calendar year to the last day of December of the preceding calendar year;

(ii) Multiply that percentage increase by the total income threshold or reduction amount for the current tax year, as applicable;

(iii) Add the resulting product to the total income threshold or the reduction amount, as applicable, for the current tax year;

(iv) Round the resulting sum to the nearest multiple of one hundred dollars.

The commissioner shall certify the amount resulting from each adjustment to each county auditor not later than the first day of December each year. The certified total income threshold amount applies to the following tax year for persons described in division (A)(1)(b)(iii) of this section. The certified reduction amount applies to the following tax year. The commissioner shall not make the applicable adjustment in any calendar year in which the amount resulting from the adjustment would be less than the total income threshold or the reduction amount for the current tax year.

(2)(a) Real property taxes on a homestead owned and occupied, or a homestead in a housing cooperative occupied, by a disabled veteran shall be reduced for each year for which an application for the reduction has been approved. The reduction shall equal the product obtained by multiplying fifty thousand dollars of the true value of the property in money, as adjusted under division (A)(1)(d) of this section, by the amounts described in divisions (A)(1)(c)(ii) to (iv) of this section. The reduction is in lieu of any reduction under section 323.158 of the Revised Code or division (A)(1), (2)(b), or (3) of this section. The reduction applies to only one homestead owned and occupied by a disabled veteran.

(b) Real property taxes on a homestead owned and occupied, or a homestead in a housing cooperative occupied, by the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran shall be reduced for each year an application for exemption is approved. The reduction shall equal to the amount of the reduction authorized under division (A)(2)(a) of this section.

The reduction is in lieu of any reduction under section 323.158 of the Revised Code or division (A)(1), (2)(a), or (3) of this section. The reduction applies to only one homestead owned and occupied by the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran. A homestead qualifies for a reduction in taxes under division (A)(2)(b) of this section beginning in one of the following tax years:

(i) For a surviving spouse described in division (L)(1) of section 323.151 of the Revised Code, the year the disabled veteran dies;

(ii) For a surviving spouse described in division (L)(2) of section 323.151 of the Revised Code, the first year on the first day of January of which the total disability rating described in division (F) of that section has been received for the deceased spouse.

In either case, the reduction shall continue through the tax year in which the surviving spouse dies or remarries.

(3) Real property taxes on a homestead owned and occupied, or a homestead in a housing cooperative occupied, by the surviving spouse of a public service officer killed in the line of duty shall be reduced for each year for which an application for the reduction has been approved. The reduction shall equal the product obtained by multiplying fifty thousand dollars of the true value of the property in money, as adjusted under division (A)(1)(d) of this section, by the amounts described in divisions (A)(1)(c)(ii) to (iv) of this section. The reduction is in lieu of any reduction under section 323.158 of the Revised Code or division (A)(1) or (2) of this section. The reduction applies to only one homestead owned and occupied by such a surviving spouse. A homestead qualifies for a reduction in taxes under division (A)(3) of this section for the tax year in which the public service officer dies through the tax year in which the surviving spouse dies or remarries.

(B) To provide a partial exemption, real property taxes on any homestead, and manufactured home taxes on any manufactured or mobile home on which a manufactured home tax is assessed pursuant to division (D)(2) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code, shall be reduced for each year for which an application for the reduction has been approved. The amount of the reduction shall equal two and one-half per cent of the amount of taxes to be levied by qualifying levies on the homestead or the manufactured or mobile home after applying section 319.301 of the Revised Code. For the purposes of this division, "qualifying levy" has the same meaning as in section 319.302 of the Revised Code.

(C) The reductions granted by this section do not apply to special assessments or respread of assessments levied against the homestead, and if there is a transfer of ownership subsequent to the filing of an application for a reduction in taxes, such reductions are not forfeited for such year by virtue of such transfer.

(D) The reductions in taxable value referred to in this section shall be applied solely as a factor for the purpose of computing the reduction of taxes under this section and shall not affect the total value of property in any subdivision or taxing district as listed and assessed for taxation on the tax lists and duplicates, or any direct or indirect limitations on indebtedness of a subdivision or taxing district. If after application of sections 5705.31 and 5705.32 of the Revised Code, including the allocation of all levies within the ten-mill limitation to debt charges to the extent therein provided, there would be insufficient funds for payment of debt charges not provided for by levies in excess of the ten-mill limitation, the reduction of taxes provided for in sections 323.151 to 323.159 of the Revised Code shall be proportionately adjusted to the extent necessary to provide such funds from levies within the ten-mill limitation.

(E) No reduction shall be made on the taxes due on the homestead of any person convicted of violating division (D) or (E) of section 323.153 of the Revised Code for a period of three years following the conviction.

The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.

Last updated August 28, 2023 at 1:21 PM

Section 323.153 | Application for reduction in real property taxes.

• Effective: October 27, 2023
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 43 - 135th General Assembly

(A) To obtain a reduction in real property taxes under division (A) or (B) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code or in manufactured home taxes under division (B) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code, the owner shall file an application with the county auditor of the county in which the owner's homestead is located.

To obtain a reduction in real property taxes under division (A) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code, the occupant of a homestead in a housing cooperative shall file an application with the nonprofit corporation that owns and operates the housing cooperative, in accordance with this paragraph. Not later than the first day of March each year, the corporation shall obtain applications from the county auditor's office and provide one to each new occupant. Not later than the first day of May, any occupant who may be eligible for a reduction in taxes under division (A) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code shall submit the completed application to the corporation. Not later than the fifteenth day of May, the corporation shall file all completed applications, and the information required by division (B) of section 323.159 of the Revised Code, with the county auditor of the county in which the occupants' homesteads are located. Continuing applications shall be furnished to an occupant in the manner provided in division (C)(4) of this section.

(1) An application for reduction based upon a physical disability shall be accompanied by a certificate signed by a physician, and an application for reduction based upon a mental disability shall be accompanied by a certificate signed by a physician or psychologist licensed to practice in this state, attesting to the fact that the applicant is permanently and totally disabled. The certificate shall be in a form that the tax commissioner requires and shall include the definition of permanently and totally disabled as set forth in section 323.151 of the Revised Code. An application for reduction based upon a disability certified as permanent and total by a state or federal agency having the function of so classifying persons shall be accompanied by a certificate from that agency.

An application by a disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran for the reduction under division (A)(2)(a) or (b) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code shall be accompanied by a letter or other written confirmation from the United States department of veterans affairs, or its predecessor or successor agency, showing that the veteran qualifies as a disabled veteran.

An application by the surviving spouse of a public service officer killed in the line of duty for the reduction under division (A)(3) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code shall be accompanied by a letter or other written confirmation from an employee or officer of the board of trustees of a retirement or pension fund in this state or another state or from the chief or other chief executive of the department, agency, or other employer for which the public service officer served when killed in the line of duty affirming that the public service officer was killed in the line of duty.

An application for a reduction under division (A) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code constitutes a continuing application for a reduction in taxes for each year in which the dwelling is the applicant's homestead.

(2) An application for a reduction in taxes under division (B) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code shall be filed only if the homestead or manufactured or mobile home was transferred in the preceding year or did not qualify for and receive the reduction in taxes under that division for the preceding tax year. The application for homesteads transferred in the preceding year shall be incorporated into any form used by the county auditor to administer the tax law in respect to the conveyance of real property pursuant to section 319.20 of the Revised Code or of used manufactured homes or used mobile homes as defined in section 5739.0210 of the Revised Code. The owner of a manufactured or mobile home who has elected under division (D)(4) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code to be taxed under division (D)(2) of that section for the ensuing year may file the application at the time of making that election. The application shall contain a statement that failure by the applicant to affirm on the application that the dwelling on the property conveyed is the applicant's homestead prohibits the owner from receiving the reduction in taxes until a proper application is filed within the period prescribed by division (A)(3) of this section. Such an application constitutes a continuing application for a reduction in taxes for each year in which the dwelling is the applicant's homestead.

(3) Failure to receive a new application filed under division (A)(1) or (2) or notification under division (C) of this section after an application for reduction has been approved is prima-facie evidence that the original applicant is entitled to the reduction in taxes calculated on the basis of the information contained in the original application. The original application and any subsequent application, including any late application, shall be in the form of a signed statement and shall be filed on or before the thirty-first day of December of the year for which the reduction is sought. The original application and any subsequent application for a reduction in manufactured home taxes shall be filed in the year preceding the year for which the reduction is sought. The statement shall be on a form, devised and supplied by the tax commissioner, which shall require no more information than is necessary to establish the applicant's eligibility for the reduction in taxes and the amount of the reduction, and, except for homesteads that are units in a housing cooperative, shall include an affirmation by the applicant that ownership of the homestead was not acquired from a person, other than the applicant's spouse, related to the owner by consanguinity or affinity for the purpose of qualifying for the real property or manufactured home tax reduction provided for in division (A) or (B) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code. The form shall contain a statement that conviction of willfully falsifying information to obtain a reduction in taxes or failing to comply with division (C) of this section results in the revocation of the right to the reduction for a period of three years. In the case of an application for a reduction in taxes for persons described in division (A)(1)(b)(iii) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code, the form shall contain a statement that signing the application constitutes a delegation of authority by the applicant to the tax commissioner or the county auditor, individually or in consultation with each other, to examine any tax or financial records relating to the income of the applicant as stated on the application for the purpose of determining eligibility for the exemption or a possible violation of division (D) or (E) of this section.

(B) A late application for a tax reduction for the year preceding the year in which an original application is filed, or for a reduction in manufactured home taxes for the year in which an original application is filed, may be filed with the original application. If the county auditor determines the information contained in the late application is correct, the auditor shall determine the amount of the reduction in taxes to which the applicant would have been entitled for the preceding tax year had the applicant's application been timely filed and approved in that year.

The amount of such reduction shall be treated by the auditor as an overpayment of taxes by the applicant and shall be refunded in the manner prescribed in section 5715.22 of the Revised Code for making refunds of overpayments. The county auditor shall certify the total amount of the reductions in taxes made in the current year under this division to the tax commissioner, who shall treat the full amount thereof as a reduction in taxes for the preceding tax year and shall make reimbursement to the county therefor in the manner prescribed by section 323.156 of the Revised Code, from money appropriated for that purpose.

(C)(1) If, in any year after an application has been filed under division (A)(1) or (2) of this section, the owner does not qualify for a reduction in taxes on the homestead or on the manufactured or mobile home set forth on such application, the owner shall notify the county auditor that the owner is not qualified for a reduction in taxes.

(2) If, in any year after an application has been filed under division (A)(1) of this section, the occupant of a homestead in a housing cooperative does not qualify for a reduction in taxes on the homestead, the occupant shall notify the county auditor that the occupant is not qualified for a reduction in taxes or file a new application under division (A)(1) of this section.

(3) If the county auditor or county treasurer discovers that an owner of property or occupant of a homestead in a housing cooperative not entitled to the reduction in taxes under division (A) or (B) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code failed to notify the county auditor as required by division (C)(1) or (2) of this section, a charge shall be imposed against the property in the amount by which taxes were reduced under that division for each tax year the county auditor ascertains that the property was not entitled to the reduction and was owned by the current owner or, in the case of a homestead in a housing cooperative, occupied by the current occupant. Interest shall accrue in the manner prescribed by division (B) of section 323.121 or division (G)(2) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code on the amount by which taxes were reduced for each such tax year as if the reduction became delinquent taxes at the close of the last day the second installment of taxes for that tax year could be paid without penalty. The county auditor shall notify the owner or occupant, by ordinary mail, of the charge, of the owner's or occupant's right to appeal the charge, and of the manner in which the owner or occupant may appeal. The owner or occupant may appeal the imposition of the charge and interest by filing an appeal with the county board of revision not later than the last day prescribed for payment of real and public utility property taxes under section 323.12 of the Revised Code following receipt of the notice and occurring at least ninety days after receipt of the notice. The appeal shall be treated in the same manner as a complaint relating to the valuation or assessment of real property under Chapter 5715. of the Revised Code. The charge and any interest shall be collected as other delinquent taxes.

(4) Each year during January, the county auditor shall furnish by ordinary mail a continuing application to each person receiving a reduction under division (A) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code. The continuing application shall be used to report changes in total income, ownership, occupancy, disability, and other information earlier furnished the auditor relative to the reduction in taxes on the property. The continuing application shall be returned to the auditor not later than the thirty-first day of December; provided, that if such changes do not affect the status of the homestead exemption or the amount of the reduction to which the owner is entitled under division (A) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code or to which the occupant is entitled under section 323.159 of the Revised Code, the application does not need to be returned.

(5) Each year during February, the county auditor, except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, shall furnish by ordinary mail an original application to the owner, as of the first day of January of that year, of a homestead or a manufactured or mobile home that transferred during the preceding calendar year and that qualified for and received a reduction in taxes under division (B) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code for the preceding tax year. In order to receive the reduction under that division, the owner shall file the application with the county auditor not later than the thirty-first day of December. If the application is not timely filed, the auditor shall not grant a reduction in taxes for the homestead for the current year, and shall notify the owner that the reduction in taxes has not been granted, in the same manner prescribed under section 323.154 of the Revised Code for notification of denial of an application. Failure of an owner to receive an application does not excuse the failure of the owner to file an original application. The county auditor is not required to furnish an application under this paragraph for any homestead for which application has previously been made on a form incorporated into any form used by the county auditor to administer the tax law in respect to the conveyance of real property or of used manufactured homes or used mobile homes, and an owner who previously has applied on such a form is not required to return an application furnished under this paragraph.

(D) No person shall knowingly make a false statement for the purpose of obtaining a reduction in the person's real property or manufactured home taxes under section 323.152 of the Revised Code.

(E) No person shall knowingly fail to notify the county auditor of changes required by division (C) of this section that have the effect of maintaining or securing a reduction in taxes under section 323.152 of the Revised Code.

(F) No person shall knowingly make a false statement or certification attesting to any person's physical or mental condition for purposes of qualifying such person for tax relief pursuant to sections 323.151 to 323.159 of the Revised Code.

Last updated August 28, 2023 at 11:08 AM

Section 323.154 | Issuing certificate of reduction.

• Effective: March 27, 2020
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 197 - 133rd General Assembly

The county auditor shall approve or deny an application for reduction under section 323.152 of the Revised Code and shall so notify the applicant within thirty days after the application is approved or denied. Notification shall be provided on a form prescribed by the tax commissioner. If the application is approved, upon issuance of the notification the county auditor shall record the amount of reduction in taxes in the appropriate column on the general tax list and duplicate of real and public utility property and on the manufactured home tax list. If the application is denied, the notification shall inform the applicant of the reasons for the denial.

If an applicant believes that the application for reduction has been improperly denied or that the reduction is for less than that to which the applicant is entitled, the applicant may file an appeal with the county board of revision not later than sixty days after the notification was issued under this section. The appeal shall be treated in the same manner as a complaint relating to the valuation or assessment of real property under Chapter 5715. of the Revised Code.

Section 323.155 | Tax bill to reflect reductions.

• Effective: March 27, 2020
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 197 - 133rd General Assembly

The tax bill prescribed under section 323.131 of the Revised Code shall indicate the net amount of taxes due following the reductions in taxes under sections 319.301, 319.302, 323.152, and 323.16 of the Revised Code.

Any reduction in taxes under section 323.152 of the Revised Code shall be disregarded as income or resources in determining eligibility for any program or calculating any payment under Title LI of the Revised Code.

Section 323.156 | Payment of homestead exemption to county's undivided income tax fund from state general fund.

• Effective: July 17, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) Within thirty days after a settlement of taxes under divisions (A) and (C) of section 321.24 of the Revised Code, the county treasurer shall certify to the tax commissioner one-half of the total amount of taxes on real property that were reduced pursuant to section 323.152 of the Revised Code for the preceding tax year. The commissioner, within thirty days of the receipt of such certifications, shall provide for payment to the county treasurer, from the general revenue fund, of the amount certified, which shall be credited upon receipt to the county's undivided income tax fund, and an amount equal to two per cent of the amount by which taxes were reduced, which shall be credited upon receipt to the county general fund as a payment, in addition to the fees and charges authorized by sections 319.54 and 321.26 of the Revised Code, to the county auditor and treasurer for the costs of administering the exemption provided under sections 323.151 to 323.159 of the Revised Code.

(B) On or before the second Monday in September of each year, the county treasurer shall certify to the tax commissioner the total amount by which the manufactured home taxes levied in that year were reduced pursuant to division (B) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code, as evidenced by the certificates of reduction and the tax duplicate certified to the county treasurer by the county auditor. The commissioner, within ninety days after the receipt of such certifications, shall provide for payment to the county treasurer, from the general revenue fund, of the amount certified, which shall be credited upon receipt to the county's undivided income tax fund, and an amount equal to two per cent of the amount by which taxes were reduced, which shall be credited upon receipt to the county general fund as a payment, in addition to the fees and charges authorized by sections 319.54 and 321.26 of the Revised Code, to the county auditor and treasurer for the costs of administering the exemption provided under sections 323.151 to 323.159 of the Revised Code.

(C) Immediately upon receipt of funds into the county undivided income tax fund under this section, the auditor shall distribute the full amount thereof among the taxing districts in the county as though the total had been paid as taxes by each person for whom taxes were reduced under sections 323.151 to 323.159 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.157 | Employees - adoption of rules.

• Effective: April 5, 2001
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 595 - 123rd General Assembly

Each county treasurer and county auditor shall employ the assistants, clerks, and other employees necessary to carry out the duties imposed by sections 323.151 to 323.159 of the Revised Code. The tax commissioner shall promulgate rules necessary to facilitate the reduction of taxes on homesteads, reimbursement by the state, the determination of "total income," and the administration of sections 323.151 to 323.159 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.158 | Partial real property tax exemption.

• Effective: September 3, 1996
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 462 - 121st General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "qualifying county" means a county to which both of the following apply:

(1) At least one major league professional athletic team plays its home schedule in the county for the season beginning in 1996;

(2) The majority of the electors of the county, voting at an election held in 1996, approved a referendum on a resolution of the board of county commissioners levying a sales and use tax under sections 5739.026 and 5741.023 of the Revised Code.

(B) On or before December 31, 1996, the board of county commissioners of a qualifying county may adopt a resolution under this section. The resolution shall grant a partial real property tax exemption to each homestead in the county that also receives the tax reduction under division (B) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code. The partial exemption shall take the form of the reduction by a specified percentage each year of the real property taxes on the homestead. The resolution shall specify the percentage, which may be any amount. The board may include in the resolution a condition that the partial exemption will apply only upon the receipt by the county of additional revenue from a source specified in the resolution. The resolution shall specify the tax year in which the partial exemption first applies, which may be the tax year in which the resolution takes effect as long as the resolution takes effect before the county auditor certifies the tax duplicate of real and public utility property for that tax year to the county treasurer. Upon adopting the resolution, the board shall certify copies of it to the county auditor and the tax commissioner.

(C) After complying with sections 319.301, 319.302, and 323.152 of the Revised Code, the county auditor shall reduce the remaining sum to be levied against a homestead by the percentage called for in the resolution adopted under division (B) of this section. The auditor shall certify the amount of taxes remaining after the reduction to the county treasurer for collection as the real property taxes charged and payable on the homestead.

(D) For each tax year, the county auditor shall certify to the board of county commissioners the total amount by which real property taxes were reduced under this section. At the time of each semi-annual settlement of real property taxes between the county auditor and county treasurer, the board of county commissioners shall pay to the auditor one-half of that total amount. Upon receipt of the payment, the county auditor shall distribute it among the various taxing districts in the county as if it had been levied, collected, and settled as real property taxes. The board of county commissioners shall make the payment from the county general fund or from any other county revenue that may be used for that purpose. In making the payment, the board may use revenue from taxes levied by the county to provide additional general revenue under sections 5739.021 and 5741.021 of the Revised Code or to provide additional revenue for the county general fund under sections 5739.026 and 5741.023 of the Revised Code.

(E) The partial exemption under this section shall not directly or indirectly affect the determination of the principal amount of notes that may be issued in anticipation of a tax levy or the amount of securities that may be issued for any permanent improvements authorized in conjunction with a tax levy.

(F) At any time, the board of county commissioners may adopt a resolution amending or repealing the partial exemption granted under this section. Upon adopting a resolution amending or repealing the partial exemption, the board shall certify copies of it to the county auditor and the tax commissioner. The resolution shall specify the tax year in which the amendment or repeal first applies, which may be the tax year in which the resolution takes effect as long as the resolution takes effect before the county auditor certifies the tax duplicate of real and public utility property for that tax year to the county treasurer.

(G) If a person files a late application for a tax reduction under division (B) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code for the preceding year, and is granted the reduction, the person also shall receive the reduction under this section for the preceding year. The county auditor shall credit the amount of the reduction against the person's current year taxes, and shall include the amount of the reduction in the amount certified to the board of county commissioners under division (D) of this section.

Section 323.159 | Applying homestead exemption to nonprofit corporation that owns and operates housing cooperatives.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 130 - 127th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Applicant" means the person who occupies a homestead in a housing cooperative.

(2) "Homestead" has the same meaning as in division (A)(1)(b) of section 323.151 of the Revised Code.

(B) Not later than the first day of May each year, any nonprofit corporation that owns and operates a housing cooperative shall determine the amount of property taxes it paid for the housing cooperative for the preceding tax year and shall attribute to each homestead in the housing cooperative a portion of the total property taxes as if the homestead's occupant paid the taxes. The taxes attributed to each homestead shall be based on the percentage that the square footage of the homestead is of the total square footage of the housing cooperative and on other reasonable factors that reflect the value of the homestead. Not later than the fifteenth day of May each year, the corporation shall file this information with the county auditor, along with any applications submitted to it under division (A) of section 323.153 of the Revised Code. No nonprofit corporation that owns and operates a housing cooperative shall fail to file with the county auditor the information required by this division and division (A) of section 323.153 of the Revised Code.

(C) The county auditor shall approve or deny an application for reduction under division (A) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code and, not later than the first Monday in October, shall so notify the applicant and the nonprofit corporation that owns and operates the housing cooperative. Notification shall be provided on a form prescribed by the tax commissioner. If the application is approved, upon issuance of the notification the county auditor shall record the amount of reduction in taxes in the appropriate column on the general tax list and duplicate of real and public utility property.

(D) On receipt of the notice from the county auditor under division (C) of this section, the nonprofit corporation that owns and operates the housing cooperative shall reduce the monthly maintenance fee for each homestead for which an application for reduction was approved for the year following the year for which the application was approved. The reduction in the monthly maintenance fee shall equal one-twelfth of the reduction in taxes attributed to the homestead by the county auditor under division (C) of this section.

(E) If an application, late application, or continuing application is not approved, or if the county auditor otherwise determines that a homestead does not qualify for a reduction in taxes under division (A) of section 323.152 of the Revised Code, the auditor shall notify the applicant, and the nonprofit corporation that owns and operates the housing cooperative, of the reasons for denial not later than the first Monday in October. If the applicant believes that the application for reduction has been improperly denied, or the nonprofit corporation that owns and operates the housing cooperative believes that the reduction is for less than that to which the housing cooperative is entitled, the applicant or housing cooperative, respectively, may file an appeal with the county board of revision not later than the date of closing of the collection for the first half of real and public utility property taxes. The appeal shall be treated in the same manner as a complaint relating to the valuation or assessment of real property under Chapter 5715. of the Revised Code.

Section 323.16 | Partial real property tax exemption for child care center.

• Effective: October 17, 2019
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 166 - 133rd General Assembly

(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Qualifying child care center" means real property on which a licensed child care program operates. For purposes of this division, "licensed child care program" means a licensed child care program, as defined in section 5104.01 of the Revised Code, that meets all of the following requirements:

(a) The program only serves children under six years of age;

(b) At least twenty-five per cent of the children in the program reside in a household that receives public assistance;

(c) The program is not operated from the permanent residence of the licensee or administrator or from a location that is also used for a separate commercial purpose.

(2) "Public assistance" means benefits or assistance provided under any of the following government programs:

(a) The publicly funded child care program authorized by Chapter 5104. of the Revised Code;

(b) Medicaid.

(3) The Ohio works first program established by Chapter 5107. of the Revised Code;

(4) The supplemental nutrition assistance program administered by the department of job and family services under section 5101.54 of the Revised Code;

(5) The special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children administered by the department of health under section 3701.132 of the Revised Code.

(B) A partial real property tax exemption is allowed to a qualifying child care center for each tax year for which an application for the partial exemption has been approved. The partial exemption shall take the form of a percentage reduction in the real property taxes levied on the qualifying child care center. That percentage shall equal one of the following:

(1) Twenty-five per cent, if at least twenty-five per cent, but less than fifty per cent, of the children that attend the qualifying child care center reside in a household that receives public assistance;

(2) Seventy-five per cent, if at least fifty per cent of the children that attend the qualifying child care center reside in a household that receives public assistance.

After complying with section 319.301 of the Revised Code, the county auditor shall reduce the remaining sum to be levied against a qualifying child care center by the applicable percentage. The auditor shall certify the amount of taxes remaining after the reduction to the county treasurer for collection as the real property taxes charged and payable on the qualifying child care center.

(C)(1) To obtain the partial exemption, the owner of a qualifying child care center shall file an application each year with the county auditor of the county in which the center is located. The application shall be filed on or before the thirty-first day of December of the year for which the partial exemption is sought. The tax commissioner shall prescribe the form of the application, which shall contain a statement that conviction of willfully falsifying information to obtain the partial exemption results in the revocation of the right to the partial exemption for a period of three years.

(2) The county auditor shall approve or deny an application for the partial exemption within thirty days after receiving the application. Notification shall be provided on a form prescribed by the tax commissioner. If the application is approved, upon issuance of the notification the county auditor shall record the partial exemption in the appropriate column on the general tax list and duplicate of real and public utility property. If the application is denied, the notification shall inform the applicant of the reasons for the denial.

If an applicant believes that the application for the partial exemption has been improperly denied for a tax year, the applicant may file an appeal with the county board of revision on or before the last day of March of the ensuing tax year. The appeal shall be treated in the same manner as a complaint relating to the valuation or assessment of real property under Chapter 5715. of the Revised Code.

Section 323.17 | Extending time for delivery of tax duplicate.

• Effective: April 7, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 458 - 134th General Assembly

When any taxing authority in the county has certified to the board of elections a resolution that would serve to place upon the ballot at a general election or at any special election held prior to the general election but subsequent to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May the question of a tax to be levied on the current tax list and duplicate for any purpose, or if the auditor has not received the certified reduction factors as required by division (D)(2) of section 319.301 of the Revised Code, the time for delivery of the tax duplicate of the county treasurer by the county auditor as provided in section 319.28 of the Revised Code shall be extended to the first Monday in December. When delivery of the tax duplicate has been so delayed, the times for payment of taxes as fixed by section 323.12 of the Revised Code may be extended to the thirty-first day of January and the twentieth day of July. In case of emergency the tax commissioner may, by journal entry, extend the times for delivery of the duplicate in any county for an additional fifteen days upon receipt of a written application from the county auditor, in the case of a delay in the delivery of the tax duplicate, or from the treasurer regarding an extension of the time for the billing and collection of taxes.

When a delay in the closing of a tax collection period becomes unavoidable, the tax commissioner, upon application of the county auditor and county treasurer, may extend the time for payment of taxes if the commissioner determines that penalties have accrued or would otherwise accrue for reasons beyond the control of the taxpayers of the county. The order so issued by the commissioner shall prescribe the final extended date for the payment of taxes for that collection period.

"Emergency," as used in this section, includes death or serious illness, any organized work stoppage, mechanical failure of office equipment or machinery, or a delay in complying with section 5715.24 or 5715.26 of the Revised Code which will cause an unavoidable delay in the delivery of duplicates or in the billing or collection of taxes. Such application shall contain a statement describing the emergency that will cause the unavoidable delay. Any application from the county auditor for an extension of time for delivery of the duplicate due to an emergency must be received by the tax commissioner on or before the last day of the month preceding the date required for such delivery. When an extension of time for delivery of the duplicate is so granted, the time for payment of taxes shall be extended for a like period of time.

Whenever taxable real property has been destroyed or damaged by fire, flood, tornado, or otherwise, in an amount not less than twenty-five per cent of the value as listed and assessed for taxation but in no event less than two thousand dollars of taxable value, the county board of revision, by resolution, may extend the time for payment of taxes on such property not more than one year after the time fixed by section 323.12 of the Revised Code. The board shall file a copy of such resolution with the county auditor and county treasurer, stating the name of the owner and description as it appears on the tax list, the taxing district, the type and kind of property destroyed or damaged, and the board's estimate of the amount of such destruction or damage.

Last updated January 24, 2023 at 3:53 PM

Section 323.25 | Enforcing tax lien.

• Effective: October 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly

(A) When taxes charged against an entry on the tax duplicate, or any part of those taxes, are not paid within sixty days after delivery of the delinquent land duplicate to the county treasurer as prescribed by section 5721.011 of the Revised Code, the county treasurer shall enforce the lien for the taxes by civil action in the treasurer's official capacity as treasurer, for the sale of such premises in the same way mortgage liens are enforced or for the transfer of such premises to an electing subdivision pursuant to section 323.28 or 323.78 of the Revised Code, in the court of common pleas of the county, in a municipal court with jurisdiction, or in the county board of revision with jurisdiction pursuant to section 323.66 of the Revised Code. Nothing in this section prohibits the treasurer from instituting such an action before the delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list that includes the premises has been published pursuant to division (B) of section 5721.03 of the Revised Code if the list is not published within the time prescribed by that division.

(B) After the civil action has been instituted, but before the expiration of the applicable redemption period, any person entitled to redeem the land may do so by tendering to the county treasurer an amount sufficient, as determined by the court or board of revision, to pay the taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and charges then due and unpaid, and the costs incurred in the civil action, and by demonstrating that the property is in compliance with all applicable zoning regulations, land use restrictions, and building, health, and safety codes.

(C) If the delinquent land duplicate lists minerals or rights to minerals listed pursuant to sections 5713.04, 5713.05, and 5713.06 of the Revised Code, the county treasurer may enforce the lien for taxes against such minerals or rights to minerals by civil action, in the treasurer's official capacity as treasurer, in the manner prescribed by this section, or proceed as provided under section 5721.46 of the Revised Code.

(D) If service by publication is necessary, instead of as provided by the Rules of Civil Procedure, such publication shall either be made (1) once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or (2) once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county and, beginning one week thereafter, on a web site of the county or of the court, as selected by the clerk of the court. Publication on the web site shall continue until one year after the date a finding is entered under section 323.28 of the Revised Code with respect to such property. Any notices published on a web site shall identify the date the notice is first published on the web site. If proceeding under division (D)(1) of this section, the second and third publication of the notice may be abbreviated as authorized under section 7.16 of the Revised Code.

Service shall be complete, if proceeding under division (D)(1) of this section, at the expiration of three weeks after the date of the first publication or, if proceeding under division (D)(2) of this section, the date that is two weeks after the clerk causes the notice to be published on the selected web site. If the prosecuting attorney determines that service upon a defendant may be obtained ultimately only by publication, the prosecuting attorney may cause service to be made simultaneously by certified mail, return receipt requested, ordinary mail, and publication.

(E) The county treasurer shall not enforce the lien for taxes against real property to which any of the following applies:

(1) The real property is the subject of an application for exemption from taxation under section 5715.27 of the Revised Code and does not appear on the delinquent land duplicate;

(2) The real property is the subject of a valid delinquent tax contract under section 323.31 of the Revised Code for which the county treasurer has not made certification to the county auditor that the delinquent tax contract has become void in accordance with that section;

(3) A tax certificate respecting that property has been sold under section 5721.32 or 5721.33 of the Revised Code; provided, however, that nothing in this division shall prohibit the county treasurer or the county prosecuting attorney from enforcing the lien of the state and its political subdivisions for taxes against a certificate parcel with respect to any or all of such taxes that at the time of enforcement of such lien are not the subject of a tax certificate.

(F) Upon application of the plaintiff, the court shall advance such cause on the docket, so that it may be first heard.

The court may order that the proceeding be transferred to the county board of revision if so authorized under section 323.691 of the Revised Code.

Last updated September 18, 2023 at 8:46 AM

Section 323.251 | Authority of tax commissioner relative to actions of local authorities.

• Effective: July 1, 1985
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 201 - 116th General Assembly

The tax commissioner shall exercise the authority provided by law relative to the actions of the local authorities as provided in sections 323.25, 323.49, and 5721.18 of the Revised Code if any act or proceedings required by such sections are not done or instituted within the time limited by such sections. In the event of the failure of such authorities to so act or proceed, the commissioner shall cause such act to be done or such proceedings instituted in the name of such officer whose duty it is to perform such act or to institute such proceedings, and the act and proceedings of the commissioner in such behalf shall be considered valid and effectual to the same extent as if done or instituted within the time limited in such sections and by the officer required to perform or institute the same. The attorney general shall, on the written request of the commissioner, institute and prosecute any such proceedings. The commissioner may retain special counsel and other personnel to perform the functions of the county auditor. All expenses incurred in a county by the commissioner under this section shall be borne by the county. Such expenses shall be certified and paid and the proceeds of such payments shall be used in the manner provided by this section.

Section 323.26 | Allegations in petition - evidence.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 353 - 127th General Assembly

Having made the proper parties in a suit under section 323.25 of the Revised Code, it shall be sufficient for the county treasurer to allege in the treasurer's petition that the taxes are charged on the tax duplicate against lands, lots, or parcels thereof, the amount of the taxes, and that the taxes are unpaid, and the treasurer shall not be required to set forth in the petition any other or further special matter relating to such taxes. A certified copy of the entry on the tax duplicate shall be prima-facie evidence of such allegations and the validity of the taxes. In the petition, the county treasurer of a county in which a county land reutilization corporation is organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code may invoke the alternative redemption period provided under section 323.78 of the Revised Code. Notwithstanding the provisions for sale of property foreclosed under Chapters 323. and 5721. of the Revised Code, if the treasurer's petition invokes the alternative redemption period, upon the expiration of the alternative redemption period, title to the parcels may be transferred by deed to a municipal corporation, county, township, school district, or a county land reutilization corporation in accordance with section 323.78 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.27 | Joinder of causes of action.

• Effective: October 1, 1953
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 100th General Assembly

In the proceedings provided by section 323.25 of the Revised Code the county treasurer may join in one action any number of lots or lands, but the decree shall be rendered severally or separately, and any proceedings may be severed, in the discretion of the court, for the purpose of trial or appeals, where an appeal is allowed, and the court shall make such order for the payment of costs as is equitable and proper.

Section 323.28 | Finding and decree - appraisal and sale of property - proceeds of sale.

• Effective: September 4, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 172 - 130th General Assembly

(A) A finding shall be entered in a proceeding under section 323.25 of the Revised Code for taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and charges due and payable at the time the deed of real property sold or transferred under this section is transferred to the purchaser or transferee, plus the cost of the proceeding. For purposes of determining such amount, the county treasurer may estimate the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, penalties, charges, and costs that will be payable at the time the deed of the property is transferred to the purchaser or transferee.

The court of common pleas, a municipal court with jurisdiction, or the county board of revision with jurisdiction pursuant to section 323.66 of the Revised Code shall order such premises to be transferred pursuant to division (E) of this section or shall order such premises to be sold for payment of the finding, but for not less than either of the following, unless the county treasurer applies for an appraisal:

(1) The total amount of such finding;

(2) The fair market value of the premises, as determined by the county auditor, plus the cost of the proceeding.

If the county treasurer applies for an appraisal, the premises shall be appraised in the manner provided by section 2329.17 of the Revised Code, and shall be sold for at least two-thirds of the appraised value.

Notwithstanding the minimum sales price provisions of divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section to the contrary, a parcel sold pursuant to this section shall not be sold for less than the amount described in division (A)(1) of this section if the highest bidder is the owner of record of the parcel immediately prior to the judgment of foreclosure or a member of the following class of parties connected to that owner: a member of that owner's immediate family, a person with a power of attorney appointed by that owner who subsequently transfers the parcel to the owner, a sole proprietorship owned by that owner or a member of the owner's immediate family, or partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, or association in which the owner or a member of the owner's immediate family owns or controls directly or indirectly more than fifty per cent. If a parcel sells for less than the amount described in division (A)(1) of this section, the officer conducting the sale shall require the buyer to complete an affidavit stating that the buyer is not the owner of record immediately prior to the judgment of foreclosure or a member of the specified class of parties connected to that owner, and the affidavit shall become part of the court records of the proceeding. If the county auditor discovers within three years after the date of the sale that a parcel was sold to that owner or a member of the specified class of parties connected to that owner for a price less than the amount so described, and if the parcel is still owned by that owner or a member of the specified class of parties connected to that owner, the auditor within thirty days after such discovery shall add the difference between that amount and the sale price to the amount of taxes that then stand charged against the parcel and is payable at the next succeeding date for payment of real property taxes. As used in this paragraph, "immediate family" means a spouse who resides in the same household and children.

(B) From the proceeds of the sale the costs shall be first paid, next the amount found due for taxes, then the amount of any taxes accruing after the entry of the finding and before the deed of the property is transferred to the purchaser following the sale, all of which taxes shall be deemed satisfied, though the amount applicable to them is deficient, and any balance shall be distributed according to section 5721.20 of the Revised Code. No statute of limitations shall apply to such action. Upon sale, all liens for taxes due at the time the deed of the property is transferred to the purchaser following the sale, and liens subordinate to liens for taxes, shall be deemed satisfied and discharged unless otherwise provided by the order of sale.

(C) If the county treasurer's estimate of the amount of the finding under division (A) of this section exceeds the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, penalties, and costs actually payable when the deed is transferred to the purchaser, the officer who conducted the sale shall refund to the purchaser the difference between the estimate and the amount actually payable. If the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, penalties, and costs actually payable when the deed is transferred to the purchaser exceeds the county treasurer's estimate, the officer shall certify the amount of the excess to the treasurer, who shall enter that amount on the real and public utility property tax duplicate opposite the property; the amount of the excess shall be payable at the next succeeding date prescribed for payment of taxes in section 323.12 of the Revised Code, and shall not be deemed satisfied and discharged pursuant to division (B) of this section.

(D) Premises ordered to be sold under this section but remaining unsold for want of bidders after being offered for sale on two separate occasions, not less than two weeks apart, or after being offered for sale on one occasion in the case of abandoned land as defined in section 323.65 of the Revised Code, shall be forfeited to the state or to a political subdivision, school district, or county land reutilization corporation pursuant to Chapter 5722. or section 5723.01 of the Revised Code, and shall be disposed of pursuant to Chapter 5722. or 5723. of the Revised Code.

(E) Notwithstanding section 5722.03 of the Revised Code, if the complaint alleges that the property is delinquent vacant land as defined in section 5721.01 of the Revised Code, abandoned lands as defined in section 323.65 of the Revised Code, or lands described in division (F) of section 5722.01 of the Revised Code, and the value of the taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and all other charges and costs of the action exceed the auditor's fair market value of the parcel, then the court or board of revision having jurisdiction over the matter on motion of the plaintiff, or on the court's or board's own motion, shall, upon any adjudication of foreclosure, order, without appraisal and without sale, the fee simple title of the property to be transferred to and vested in an electing subdivision as defined in division (A) of section 5722.01 of the Revised Code. For purposes of determining whether the taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and all other charges and costs of the action exceed the actual fair market value of the parcel, the auditor's most current valuation shall be rebuttably presumed to be, and constitute prima-facie evidence of, the fair market value of the parcel. In such case, the filing for journalization of a decree of foreclosure ordering that direct transfer without appraisal or sale shall constitute confirmation of the transfer and thereby terminate any further statutory or common law right of redemption.

(F) Whenever the officer charged to conduct the sale offers any parcel for sale, the officer first shall read aloud a complete legal description of the parcel, or in the alternative, may read aloud only a summary description and a parcel number if the county has adopted a permanent parcel number system and if the advertising notice published prior to the sale includes a complete legal description or indicates where the complete legal description may be obtained.

Section 323.29 | Partial payment of delinquent taxes.

• Effective: October 27, 2000
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 493 - 123rd General Assembly

The partial payment of delinquent taxes charged on the tax duplicate against any entry of real property, as authorized by section 323.133 or 323.31 of the Revised Code, shall not prevent such real property from being certified as delinquent; however, partial payment of such taxes under section 323.133 of the Revised Code shall preclude the commencement of foreclosure proceedings unless the tax commissioner subsequently certifies to the county auditor that partial payment under such section is no longer authorized. Partial payment of delinquent taxes in accordance with the terms of a delinquent tax contract under section 323.31 of the Revised Code shall preclude the commencement of foreclosure proceedings unless the county treasurer subsequently certifies to the county auditor that the delinquent tax contract has become void.

Section 323.30 | Receipt for installment payment - contents - entry by county treasurer.

• Effective: July 1, 1985
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 201 - 116th General Assembly

When any part of the delinquent taxes charged on the tax duplicate is paid as an installment under section 323.31 of the Revised Code, the county treasurer shall enter the amount of such payment on the tax duplicate, crediting it as required by such section, an shall give a receipt for the amount paid to the person paying it. Such receipt shall show the application of the payment made and the amount of delinquent taxes remaining unpaid.

Section 323.31 | Delinquent tax contract with treasurer.

• Effective: September 13, 2018
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 292 - 132nd General Assembly

(A)(1) A person who owns agricultural real property or owns and occupies residential real property or a manufactured or mobile home that does not have an outstanding tax lien certificate or judgment of foreclosure against it, and a person who is a vendee of such property under a purchase agreement or land contract and who occupies the property, shall have at least one opportunity to pay any delinquent or unpaid current taxes, or both, charged against the property by entering into a written delinquent tax contract with the county treasurer in a form prescribed or approved by the tax commissioner. Subsequent opportunities to enter into a delinquent tax contract shall be at the county treasurer's sole discretion.

(2) The treasurer may enter into a delinquent tax contract in accordance with division (A) of this section with an owner or vendee of real property, other than residential real property or a manufactured or mobile home that is occupied by the owner, and other than agricultural real property.

(3) The delinquent tax contract described in division (A) of this section may be entered into at any time prior to an adjudication of foreclosure pursuant to proceedings by the county treasurer and the county prosecuting attorney pursuant to section 323.25 or 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code or by the county prosecuting attorney pursuant to section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, the adjudication of foreclosure pursuant to proceedings by a private attorney pursuant to section 5721.37 of the Revised Code, the commencement of foreclosure and forfeiture proceedings pursuant to section 5721.14 of the Revised Code, or the commencement of collection proceedings pursuant to division (H) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code by the filing of a civil action as provided in that division. A duplicate copy of each delinquent tax contract shall be filed with the county auditor, who shall attach the copy to the delinquent land tax certificate, delinquent vacant land tax certificate, or the delinquent manufactured home tax list, or who shall enter an asterisk in the margin next to the entry for the tract or lot on the master list of delinquent tracts, master list of delinquent vacant tracts, or next to the entry for the home on the delinquent manufactured home tax list, prior to filing it with the prosecuting attorney under section 5721.13 of the Revised Code, or, in the case of the delinquent manufactured home tax list, prior to delivering it to the county treasurer under division (H)(2) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code. If the delinquent tax contract is entered into after the certificate or the master list has been filed with the prosecuting attorney, the treasurer shall file the duplicate copy with the prosecuting attorney.

(4) A delinquent tax contract entered into under division (A) of this section shall provide for the payment of any delinquent or unpaid current taxes, or both, in installments over a period, beginning on the date of the first payment made under the contract, not to exceed one of the following:

(a) Five years for a person entering into a contract on the basis of residential real property the person owns and occupies, except the period shall be not less than two years if the person so requests;

(b) Ten years for a person entering into a contract on the basis of a qualifying athletic complex, as defined in section 5709.57 of the Revised Code;

(c) Five years for a person entering into a contract on the basis of property other than that described in division (A) (4)(a) or (b) of this section.

(5) For each delinquent tax contract entered into under division (A) of this section, the county treasurer shall determine and shall specify in the delinquent tax contract the number of installments, the amount of each installment, and the schedule for payment of the installments. Except as otherwise provided for taxes, penalties, and interest under division (B) of section 319.43 of the Revised Code, the part of each installment payment representing taxes and penalties and interest thereon shall be apportioned among the several taxing districts in the same proportion that the amount of taxes levied by each district against the entry in the preceding tax year bears to the taxes levied by all such districts against the entry in the preceding tax year. The part of each payment representing assessments and other charges shall be credited to those items in the order in which they became due. Each payment made to a taxing district shall be apportioned among the taxing district's several funds for which taxes or assessments have been levied.

(6) When an installment payment is not received by the treasurer when due under a delinquent tax contract entered into under division (A) of this section or any current taxes or special assessments charged against the property become unpaid, the delinquent tax contract becomes void unless the treasurer permits a new delinquent tax contract to be entered into; if the treasurer does not permit a new delinquent tax contract to be entered into, the treasurer shall certify to the auditor that the delinquent tax contract has become void.

(7) Upon receipt of certification described in division (A)(6) of this section, the auditor shall destroy the duplicate copy of the voided delinquent tax contract. If such copy has been filed with the prosecuting attorney, the auditor immediately shall deliver the certification to the prosecuting attorney, who shall attach it to the appropriate certificate and the duplicate copy of the voided delinquent tax contract or strike through the asterisk entered in the margin of the master list next to the entry for the tract or lot that is the subject of the voided delinquent tax contract. The prosecuting attorney then shall institute a proceeding to foreclose the lien of the state in accordance with section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code or, in the case of delinquent vacant land, a foreclosure proceeding in accordance with section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, or a foreclosure and forfeiture proceeding in accordance with section 5721.14 of the Revised Code. In the case of a manufactured or mobile home, the county treasurer shall cause a civil action to be brought as provided under division (H) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code.

(B) If there is an outstanding tax certificate respecting a delinquent parcel under section 5721.32 or 5721.33 of the Revised Code, a written delinquent tax contract may not be entered into under this section. To redeem a tax certificate in installments, the owner or other person seeking to redeem the tax certificate shall enter into a redemption payment plan under division (C) of section 5721.38 of the Revised Code.

(C) As used in this section, "unpaid current taxes" means any current taxes charged on the general tax list and duplicate of real and public utility property or the manufactured home tax list and duplicate that remain unpaid after the last day prescribed for payment of the first installment of such taxes without penalty, and any penalties associated with such taxes.

Section 323.32 | Payments received in settlement of claims arising from delinquent property tax charges and ordered to be paid by railroad company under plan of reorganization.

• Effective: December 31, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly

As used in this section, "railroad note" means a note issued pursuant to a court order in the reorganization of a railroad company under section 77 of the Bankruptcy Act.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, with respect to all payments received in settlement of claims arising from delinquent property tax charges and ordered to be paid by a railroad company under a plan of reorganization as ordered by a federal district court in accordance with provisions of Chapter VIII of the "Federal Bankruptcy Act," 11 U.S.C.A. 201-208, the following provisions shall apply:

(A) Except as provided in division (H) of this section, all of such payments shall be made payable, and delivered, to the county in which the taxing district sharing in a claim for delinquent taxes is located. Any notes included in such payment shall be issued to such county treasurer, who shall be the custodian of all of said notes, and who shall be liable therefor upon the treasurer's bond until such time as said notes mature, are sold, or otherwise lawfully pass from the treasurer's custody.

(B) Upon receipt of a payment by cash or check, the county treasurer shall immediately cause such funds to be paid into the county treasury and credited to a special fund established for this purpose, which shall be known as the "undivided bankruptcy claims fund." All of such moneys so received, including any earned interest, shall be credited to said fund.

(C) When the total claim for each county has been satisfied by the receipt of cash or notes, or both, the county auditor shall remit from the tax list and duplicate of real and public utility property in each county, all charges appearing thereon in the name of the railroad company for which such payment has been made, which are delinquent and unpaid from any year previous to the tax year 1977.

(D) At any time that funds are present in the undivided bankruptcy claims fund, either upon initial settlement or at any later time, the county auditor shall, forthwith, distribute by auditors' warrant, such funds to the various taxing districts of the county, in which the property taxes, from which the claim in bankruptcy has derived, were originally charged. The funds so distributed shall be apportioned among the various taxing authorities within each taxing district in the same proportions as the said taxes were originally levied, taking into account the various rates of taxation levied for different purposes for each year in which such taxes were charged and remained unpaid, and any unpaid special assessments, including compound interest thereon at the rate of six per cent per annum to January 1, 1978.

In making such distribution, the auditor shall, first, deduct an amount equal to one per cent of the total amount to be distributed, as fees for services of the county auditor and treasurer in making collection and distribution of the claim in bankruptcy. Such deduction shall be in lieu of all fees provided for in sections 319.54 and 321.26 of the Revised Code. The amount so deducted shall be credited to the general fund of the county.

If any funds received pursuant to this section represent taxes which, if collected, would have resulted from any general or emergency levy which has since expired, such funds may be credited to the general operating fund and expended as though they are proceeds from a current levy, and if any of such funds represent taxes from any current general bond retirement levy or one which has since expired, said funds may be credited to the current bond retirement fund and used to service any current bond indebtedness, or may be credited to the general operating fund of the district, if so designated by a majority of the members of the taxing authority of the taxing district.

(E) Except as provided in division (H) of this section, when, as a part of the settlement of a claim in bankruptcy of a reorganized railroad company a county receives notes on behalf of a taxing authority in partial payment of said claim, the county treasurer shall, within a reasonable length of time, notify the taxing authority of each taxing district sharing in the claim that such notes are in the treasurer's custody. Within sixty days of receipt of such notice, each taxing authority shall decide by a resolution approved by a majority of its members whether:

(1) The notes shall remain in custody of the county treasurer, as issued, and allowed to mature according to the terms presented on their face with the proceeds to be distributed upon maturity pursuant to division (D) of this section; or

(2) The railroad notes shall be exchanged for several new notes in denominations equal to the proportionate share, or portion thereof, of the taxing district having a share in the claim in bankruptcy as determined in division (D) of this section. The new notes shall be distributed, upon receipt, to each taxing authority in full satisfaction of its claim or in full satisfaction of the portion of its claim represented by the notes so received. If notes cannot be issued in denominations equal to the taxing district's proportionate share, the treasurer shall certify to the taxing authority of the district the amount of notes held by the treasurer on behalf of the district and for which notes cannot be issued pursuant to the taxing authority's decision under this subdivision. Upon receipt of such certification, the taxing authority may borrow money and issue notes against such certification in the same manner as is provided by division (F) of this section.

If a taxing authority elects the option provided under division (E)(1) of this section, it may at any subsequent time elect instead the option provided under division (E)(2) of this section by resolution approved by a majority of its members. The election of the option provided under division (E)(2) of this section becomes final upon receipt by the taxing authority of the new notes or certification distributed by the county treasurer under such division.

Each taxing authority shall certify a copy of any resolution adopted under this division to the county treasurer who shall take appropriate action as directed by each taxing authority.

(F) A taxing authority having possession of any railroad note or a treasurer's certification issued under division (E)(2) of this section may, by approval of a majority of its members, borrow money and issue its note in anticipation of the revenue payable on maturity of the railroad note and pledge the railroad note or the proceeds thereof. Such anticipation note shall mature no later than the railroad note and shall be in an amount no greater than seventy per cent of the face amount of said railroad note. By like action a taxing authority may sell any railroad note in its possession at public or private offering for not less than the prevailing market price. Such a sale or borrowing shall be exempt from all other requirements and limitations of the Revised Code, including the requirements of the Uniform Bond Law.

(1) If a taxing authority desires to issue delinquent tax bonds pursuant to section 131.23 of the Revised Code prior to either receipt of any payment from a railroad in bankruptcy or utilization of the authority granted in this section, the taxing authority may determine whether or not the net amount of delinquent taxes unpledged for purposes of division (B)(5) of section 131.23 of the Revised Code shall include all or part of the delinquent taxes owed by a railroad, or, if notes have been received pursuant to this section, the unpaid principal amount of such notes. If the taxing authority determines that any such railroad delinquencies or note amount shall be included under section 131.23 of the Revised Code, the amount which may be borrowed pursuant to this section may not exceed seventy per cent of the total face amount of railroad notes remaining after deducting the amount so included.

(2) If a taxing authority desires to issue delinquent tax bonds pursuant to section 131.23 of the Revised Code after utilization of the authority granted in this section, the net amount of delinquent taxes unpledged for purposes of division (B)(5) of section 131.23 of the Revised Code may not include the principal amount of railroad notes which have been borrowed against or sold pursuant to this section.

(G) When a taxing authority receives a railroad note, the face amount of such note shall not be considered as revenue for any purpose in the year in which the note is received. Upon sale or maturity of the note, any proceeds not pledged pursuant to division (F) of this section shall be considered as unanticipated revenue from a new source and all of the provisions of law pertaining to such revenue, including section 5705.36 of the Revised Code, shall apply.

(H) When there are present in a county nonrepresented taxing districts as provided in amended substitute house bill 336 of the 112th general assembly, all of the provisions of this section shall apply to such districts, except as follows:

(1) Payments by cash or check may be made payable, and delivered, directly to the treasurer of the taxing district. Any notes included in the settlement of the district's claim may be issued, and delivered, directly to said treasurer.

Upon receipt of any of such payments, the treasurer of the taxing district shall certify, to the county treasurer of the county in which the district is located, the fact of such receipt and the amounts so received.

(2) If the claim of a nonrepresented taxing district is not paid directly to the treasurer of the district but is included with payments for the remainder of the county, cash payments included in the initial settlement shall be distributed as provided in divisions (B) and (D) of this section. Any notes received as payment shall be exchanged and distributed to nonrepresented taxing districts upon receipt.

Section 323.33 | Delinquent amounts most likely uncollectible except through foreclosure or through foreclosure and forfeiture.

• Effective: May 25, 1994
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 404 - 120th General Assembly

If a county treasurer determines, for a tract or lot of real property on the delinquent land list and duplicate on which no taxes have been paid for at least five years, that the delinquent amounts are most likely uncollectible except through foreclosure or through foreclosure and forfeiture, he may certify that determination together with his reasons for it to the county board of revision and the prosecuting attorney. If the board of revision and the prosecuting attorney determine that the delinquent amounts are most likely uncollectible except through foreclosure or through foreclosure and forfeiture, they shall certify that determination to the county auditor. Upon receipt of the determination, the county auditor shall place the tract or lot on the real property tax suspension list maintained under section 319.48 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.41 | Duty of holder of land to pay taxes - agents - liability of guardian.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

Each person holding lands shall pay the tax assessed thereon each year, but an agent or attorney shall not be required to pay such taxes unless he has sufficient money of his principal to pay them.

Each person shall pay the tax on lands or town lots of which he is seized for life, or in dower, or which he has care of as guardian. He shall also pay the tax on lands or town lots which he has care of as agent or attorney, if he has sufficient funds of the principal.

Each person holding lands as a guardian who fails to list or pay the taxes thereon as provided in this section shall be liable to his ward for any damage he sustains because of such failure.

Each person having the care of lands as agent or attorney who has funds of the principal and who fails to pay the taxes on such lands shall be liable to his principal for any damage the principal sustains because of such failure.

Section 323.42 | Recovering advances or expenses.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

Each attorney, agent, guardian, or executor seized or having the care of lands who is subjected to any trouble or expense in paying the taxes thereon, or advances his own money for listing or paying the taxes thereon, shall be allowed a reasonable compensation for the time spent, the expenses incurred, and the money advanced, which shall be a just charge against the person for whose benefit it was advanced.

Section 323.43 | Authorizing or consenting to payment by taxes by another.

• Effective: January 30, 2014
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 72 - 130th General Assembly

Each person owning lands may authorize or consent to the payment by another of the taxes levied upon those lands or the surface owner of lands may pay the taxes levied upon coal under the land if the taxes are delinquent, without consent of the owner of the coal. A person paying those taxes shall first obtain from the owner of the lands, except in the case of coal, a certificate of authority to pay them that is signed and acknowledged before an officer authorized to administer oaths. The certificate shall contain an accurate description of the property as shown by the tax duplicate, the amount of the taxes levied on the property, the year for which they were levied, the name of the person authorized to pay them, and the date of the payment of the taxes.

If the tax on coal has been paid by the surface owner, the certificate shall contain an accurate description of the property as shown by the tax duplicate, the amount of the taxes levied on the coal, the year for which they were levied, and the date of the payment of the taxes.

The person paying those taxes shall file the certificate in the office of the county recorder for record within ten days from the date of the payment of the taxes. When the certificate has been filed, the amount of the tax, with interest at eight per cent per annum from the date of the payment of the tax, shall become a lien upon such real estate in preference to all liens thereafter attaching to the property, and in preference to all pre-existing liens the holders of which have executed and acknowledged that certificate of authority. The money paid, with the interest thereon, may be recovered from the person legally liable for the payment of the tax. An action may be brought by the person paying the tax at any time after the expiration of one year from the date of the payment. If the surface owner has paid taxes on coal under this section, the surface owner may bring an action in foreclosure in the same manner provided by law for the foreclosure of mortgages on land. The surface owner shall have the option after judgment in the foreclosure action to purchase the coal at the appraised amount or to have the coal sold at public sale in accordance with law. The certificate filed with the recorder shall be recorded and canceled in the same manner as mortgages on real estate in the official records of the county recorder. The county recorder shall receive the fees prescribed by law for recording real estate mortgages.

Section 323.44 | Forfeiture of life estate for failure to pay taxes.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

If any person seized of lands in dower or for life fails to pay the taxes thereon so that such lands are sold for the payment thereof, and such person does not redeem them according to law within one year after such sale, he shall forfeit to the person next entitled to such lands in remainder or reversion all the estate which he has in such lands. The remainder man or reversioner may redeem the lands in the same manner as other lands are redeemed after being sold for taxes. The person who failed to pay such taxes shall be liable to the person next entitled to the estate for all damages such person has sustained by such failure.

Section 323.45 | Lien for taxes paid by lienholder.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

A person having a lien upon real estate may pay the taxes which are a lien thereon, and the amount paid shall be a lien upon such real estate from the time of payment in preference to all other liens. The money paid may be recovered from the person liable for the payment of the taxes.

Section 323.46 | Rights of joint owner who pays his portion of tax - liability of nonpaying joint owner.

• Effective: April 4, 1985
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 201 - 115th General Assembly

If a tract of land is owned by two or more persons as joint tenants pursuant to a joint tenancy created prior to the effective date of this amendment, or as tenants with a right of survivorship, coparceners, or tenants in common, and one of them has paid the tax, interest, and penalty charged or chargeable on his proportion of such tract, and one of those remaining has failed to pay his proportion of the tax, interest, and penalty charged or chargeable on that land, and partition of the land is made between them, the tax, interest, and penalty so paid shall be deemed paid on the proportion of such tract set off to the person who paid his proportion of the tax, interest, and penalty.

The person paying the tax, interest, and penalty shall hold the proportion of such tract set off to him free from the residue of the tax, interest, and penalty charged on the tract before partition. The proportion of the tract set off to the person who has not paid his proportion of the tax, interest, and penalty shall be charged with the portion of the tax, interest, and penalty remaining unpaid, the same as if partition had been made before the tax, interest, and penalty had been assessed, and such proportion of the tract had been originally listed for taxation in the name of the delinquent person.

Section 323.47 | Lien on land to be discharged out of proceeds of sale.

• Effective: April 6, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 463 - 131st General Assembly

(A) If land held by tenants in common is sold upon proceedings in partition, or taken by the election of any of the parties to such proceedings, or real estate is sold by administrators, executors, guardians, or trustees, the court shall order that the taxes, penalties, and assessments then due and payable, and interest on those taxes, penalties, and assessments, that are or will be a lien on such land or real estate as of the date of the sale or election, be discharged out of the proceeds of such sale or election, but only to the extent of those proceeds. For purposes of determining such amount, the county treasurer may estimate the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties that will be payable as of the date of the sale or election. If the county treasurer's estimate exceeds the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties actually payable as of that date, the plaintiff in the action resulting in a sale or election, may request that the county treasurer refund that excess to holders of the next lien interests according to the confirmation of sale or election or, if all liens are satisfied, that the treasurer remit that excess to the court for distribution. If the amount of taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties actually payable at the time of the sale or election exceeds the county treasurer's estimate, or the proceeds are insufficient to satisfy that estimate, the officer who conducted the sale shall certify the amount of the excess to the treasurer, who shall enter that amount on the real and public utility property tax duplicate opposite the property; the amount of the excess shall be payable at the next succeeding date prescribed for payment of taxes in section 323.12 of the Revised Code.

If the plaintiff in an action that results in a sale or election in accordance with this division is the land's or real estate's purchaser or electing party, the court shall not order a deduction for the taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties, the lien for which attaches before the date of sale or election but that are not yet determined, assessed, and levied from the proceeds of the sale or election, unless such deduction is approved by that purchaser or electing party. The officer who conducted the sale shall certify that such amount was not paid from the proceeds to the county treasurer, who shall enter that amount on the real and public utility property tax duplicate opposite the property; this amount shall be payable at the next succeeding date prescribed for payment of taxes in section 323.12 of the Revised Code.

Taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties that are not paid on the date of that sale or election, including any amount that becomes due and payable after the date of the sale or election or that remains unpaid because proceeds of a sale or election are insufficient to pay those amounts, continue to be a lien on the property as provided under section 323.11 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) Except as provided in division (B) (2) or (3) of this section, if real estate is sold at judicial sale, the court shall order that the total of the following amounts shall be discharged out of the proceeds of the sale but only to the extent of such proceeds:

(a) Taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties, the lien for which attaches before the date of sale but that are not yet determined, assessed, and levied for the year that includes the date of sale, apportioned pro rata to the part of that year that precedes the date of sale;

(b) All other taxes, assessments, penalties, and interest the lien for which attached for a prior tax year but that have not been paid on or before the date of sale.

(2) The county treasurer may estimate the amount in division (B)(1)(a) of this section before the confirmation of sale or an amended entry confirming the sale is filed. If the county treasurer's estimate exceeds the amount in division (B) (1)(a) of this section, the judgment creditor may request that the county treasurer refund that excess to holders of the next lien interests according to the confirmation of sale or, if all liens are satisfied, that the treasurer remit that excess to the court for distribution. If the actual amount exceeds the county treasurer's estimate, the officer who conducted the sale shall certify the amount of the excess to the treasurer, who shall enter that amount on the real and public utility property tax duplicate opposite the property; the amount of the excess shall be payable at the next succeeding date prescribed for payment of taxes in section 323.12 of the Revised Code.

If the judgment creditor in an action that results in a sale in accordance with division (B) of this section is the real estate's purchaser, the court shall not order a deduction for the taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties, the lien for which attaches before the date of sale but that are not yet determined, assessed, and levied from the proceeds of the sale unless such deduction is approved by that purchaser. The officer who conducted the sale shall certify that such amount was not paid from the proceeds to the county treasurer, who shall enter that amount on the real and public utility property tax duplicate opposite the property; this amount shall be payable at the next succeeding date prescribed for payment of taxes in section 323.12 of the Revised Code.

Taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties that are not paid on the date of that sale, including any amount that becomes due and payable after the date of the sale, continue to be a lien on the property as provided under section 323.11 of the Revised Code.

(3) The amounts described in division (B)(1) of this section shall not be discharged out of the proceeds of a judicial sale, but shall instead be deemed to be satisfied and extinguished upon confirmation of sale, if both of the following conditions apply:

(a) The real estate is sold pursuant to a foreclosure proceeding other than a tax foreclosure proceeding initiated by the county treasurer under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or Chapter 5721. of the Revised Code.

(b) A county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code is both the purchaser of the real estate and the judgment creditor or assignee of all rights, title, and interest in the judgment arising from the foreclosure proceeding.

Section 323.48 | Lien of part owner who pays tax.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

A part owner who pays the tax on the whole tract of which he is part owner shall have a lien on the shares or parts of the other part owner for the tax paid on their shares or parts. Such owner may receive such amount, paid with interest thereon, on the sale or partition of such lands, and he may enforce the collection of such amount with interest, as any other lien or charge.

Section 323.49 | Power of county treasurer to become receiver of land - procedure - exception.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 353 - 127th General Assembly

(A) In addition to all other means provided by law for collecting taxes and assessments charged upon real estate specifically as such and penalties and interest charged on any tax list and duplicate or delinquent land list in any county against any entry of real estate, the county treasurer at any time after any installment of such taxes and assessments has been delinquent for more than six months and remains due and unpaid shall apply by petition to the court of common pleas to be appointed receiver ex officio of the rents, issues, and income of the real property against which such taxes and assessments are charged, for the purpose of satisfying out of such rents, issues, and income the taxes and assessments upon such real property, together with the penalties, interest, and costs charged or thereafter becoming chargeable on any tax list and duplicate, or otherwise collectible in respect thereof, and such costs and expenses of the receivership as are allowed by the court.

(B) If the proper parties are before the court, it shall be sufficient for the treasurer to allege in such petition the description of such real property that appears on the tax list and duplicate, that the money appearing to be due and unpaid by the tax list and duplicate or by the delinquent land list has been due and unpaid for more than six months, and that the treasurer believes that collection thereof can be made by applying the rents, issues, and income of such real property thereto, without setting forth in the petition any other or special matter relating thereto. The prayer of the petition shall be that the court make an order that the rents, issues, and income of such real property be applied to the payment of the amount set forth in the petition, and if a penalty is otherwise chargeable by law on all or any part of such amount, to the payment of such penalty to the date of final entry in such action, and that the plaintiff be appointed receiver ex officio of such rents, issues, and income for that purpose.

(C) In such proceedings the treasurer may join in one action any number of lots or lands, but the decree and any orders shall be rendered separately, and any proceedings may be severed in the decision of the court for the purpose of trial or appeal, where an appeal is allowed, and the court shall make such order for payment of costs as it deems equitable.

(D) The tax duplicate or the delinquent land tax certificate or master list of delinquent tracts filed by the auditor with the prosecuting attorney shall be prima-facie evidence on the trial of such action of the amount and validity of the taxes, assessments, and charges appearing due and unpaid thereon and of the nonpayment thereof. The petition of the treasurer shall be verified and shall be prima-facie evidence of all other facts therein stated.

(E) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Real property entirely used and occupied in good faith by the owner thereof as a private residence;

(2) The collection of delinquent taxes and assessments charged against real property, the payment of which is subject to a delinquent tax contract entered into pursuant to section 323.31 of the Revised Code, so long as the delinquent tax contract remains in effect;

(3) The collection of delinquent taxes charged against real property that is the subject of an application for exemption from taxation pursuant to section 5715.27 of the Revised Code.

(F) A county treasurer appointed under this section as receiver ex officio of the rents, issues, and income of the real property against which the delinquent taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and charges are charged, with the consent of the court, may enter into a written agreement with a county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code for the corporation, acting as the treasurer's agent, to exercise all powers granted to the treasurer under this section and the order of appointment as receiver ex officio.

Section 323.50 | Decision of court - rental value of commercial property - ability to collect taxes from income - discharge of receiver.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 353 - 127th General Assembly

In proceedings brought under section 323.49 of the Revised Code, a finding shall be entered of the amount of taxes and assessments found due and unpaid, of the penalty, interest, costs, and charges, and of the probable annual amount of the rents, issues, and income of such real property, together with the probable costs and expenses of the receivership. If such real property is used in whole or in part by the owner thereof for manufacturing, mercantile, industrial, commercial, or other business purposes, the court of common pleas shall find the annual rental value thereof, which shall be considered as rents, issues, and income of such real property for the purposes of this section. If the court finds that the amount due and unpaid, together with penalty, interest, costs, and other charges, and the costs and expenses of the receivership applied for can be so collected, the court shall order the same to be satisfied out of the rents, issues, and income of such property, shall appoint the county treasurer receiver ex officio thereof, and may consent to the agency of a county land reutilization corporation if requested by the treasurer in a petition filed under division (F) of section 323.49 of the Revised Code; provided that if the court finds that the aggregate probable annual amount of the rents, issues, and income of such real property joined in any one such action is less than two thousand dollars, it shall be conclusively presumed that the amount due and unpaid, together with penalty, interest, costs, and other charges, cannot be collected, and in such event no such order shall be made and the proceedings shall be dismissed, but the court in such event shall adjudge the costs of the proceedings against the defendant unless it is found that the action was improvidently filed, in which event the costs may be adjudged against the treasurer, and the treasurer shall pay the same from an appropriation made for such purposes by the board of county commissioners. Such receiver or the receiver's agent shall not be required to give bond other than the treasurer's official bond. Upon application of any proper party, the court shall, after a full hearing, order the receiver or the receiver's agent to pay out of the rents, issues, and income collected by the receiver or the receiver's agent from such property such expenses in connection with the maintenance and operation of the property as the court finds necessary to secure the greatest income from such property, and shall from such rents, issues, and income order the payment of premiums for fire, windstorm, and public liability insurance. If the real property is used in whole or in part by the owner thereof for manufacturing, mercantile, industrial, commercial, or other business purposes, the court shall order such owner to pay to the receiver or the receiver's agent in equal monthly installments, in advance, the annual rental value of such real property, as found by the court, until the amount for the satisfaction of which such appointment was made, together with costs and expenses of the receivership have been paid in full. If any such installment of rent is not paid when due, such order shall have the effect of a writ authorizing the receiver or the receiver's agent summarily to evict such owner from such real property and to exclude such owner from the use and occupation thereof until such order is complied with. Whenever the amount for the satisfaction of which such appointment has been made, has been fully satisfied out of the rents, issues, and income collected by the receiver or the receiver's agent from such property, and the discharge of the receiver or the receiver's agent has been decreed by the court, the proceedings shall be dismissed, and the owner or any person interested in the real property may upon presentation of a certified copy of the final decree of the court to the treasurer receive receipted tax bills for the payment of the taxes so satisfied.

Section 323.51 | Prosecuting attorney shall represent county treasurer.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

The prosecuting attorney shall represent the county treasurer in all proceedings authorized by sections 323.49 and 323.50 of the Revised Code. Upon motion of the prosecuting attorney, any such proceeding shall be taken out of its order upon the docket and assigned for trial at the earliest practicable day. Neither the treasurer nor the prosecuting attorney shall be entitled to any additional compensation for the services performed under said sections.

Section 323.61 | Tax receiving offices - location.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

The county treasurer may open as many tax receiving offices as are necessary for the expedient collection of taxes. The treasurer or his deputies may attend at such offices and receive payment of all taxes, or if adequate security protection is afforded all county funds involved, he may appoint a bank or bank cashier, without compensation, as his agent or deputy for the collection of taxes.

The reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by the treasurer in the collection of taxes at such tax receiving offices and the cost of publication of notices concerning same may be paid as other expenses of the county treasurer's office from funds appropriated for such purposes, provided that neither a bank nor a bank employee may receive compensation or fees for providing such services.

Section 323.611 | Contracting with financial institution to process payments, checks and fees.

• Effective: April 9, 2001
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 672 - 123rd General Assembly

At the request of the county treasurer, a board of county commissioners may enter into a contract with any financial institution under which the financial institution, in accordance with the terms of the contract, receives real property and manufactured home tax payments at a post office box, opens the mail delivered to that box, processes the checks and other payments received in such mail and deposits them into the treasurer's account, and provides the county treasurer daily receipt information with respect to such payments. The contract shall not be entered into unless:

(A) There is attached to the contract a certification by the auditor of state that the financial institution and the treasurer have given assurances satisfactory to the auditor of state that the records of the financial institution, to the extent that they relate to tax payments covered by the contract, shall be subject to audit by the auditor of state to the same extent as if the services for which the financial institution has agreed to perform were being performed by the treasurer;

(B) The contract is awarded in accordance with sections 307.86 to 307.92 of the Revised Code;

(C) The treasurer's surety bond includes within its coverage any loss that might occur as the result of the contract;

(D) The provisions of the contract do not conflict with accounting and reporting requirements prescribed by the auditor of state.

Section 323.62 | Notice to taxpayer.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

The county treasurer may fix the time and place at which taxes will be received, as provided in section 323.61 of the Revised Code. Notice of such time and place shall be given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipal corporation within which the tax receiving office is located or, if no such newspaper exists, in a newspaper of general circulation within the county.

Section 323.63 | Depositing money received in payment of taxes.

• Effective: September 21, 1982
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 379 - 114th General Assembly

The county treasurer may deposit in any bank of deposit located at a place of collection any money received in the payment of taxes, as provided by section 323.61 of the Revised Code. A bank receiving any such deposits shall deposit with or pledge to the treasurer such securities as he deems sufficient to meet the requirements of section 135.37 of the Revised Code. The liability of the treasurer for any losses of money so collected or deposited shall be the same as provided in section 135.39 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.65 | Expedited foreclosure on unoccupied land definitions.

• Effective: September 4, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 172 - 130th General Assembly

As used in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Abandoned land" means delinquent lands or delinquent vacant lands, including any improvements on the lands, that are unoccupied and that first appeared on the list compiled under division (C) of section 323.67 of the Revised Code, or the delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list compiled under section 5721.03 of the Revised Code, at whichever of the following times is applicable:

(1) In the case of lands other than agricultural lands, at any time after the county auditor makes the certification of the delinquent land list under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code;

(2) In the case of agricultural lands, at any time after two years after the county auditor makes the certification of the delinquent land list under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code.

(B) "Agricultural land" means lands on the agricultural land tax list maintained under section 5713.33 of the Revised Code.

(C) "Clerk of court" means the clerk of the court of common pleas of the county in which specified abandoned land is located.

(D) "Delinquent lands" and "delinquent vacant lands" have the same meanings as in section 5721.01 of the Revised Code.

(E) "Impositions" means delinquent taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, costs, reasonable attorney's fees of a certificate holder, applicable and permissible costs of the prosecuting attorney of a county, and other permissible charges against abandoned land.

(F)(1) "Unoccupied," with respect to a parcel of land, means any of the following:

(a) No building, structure, land, or other improvement that is subject to taxation and that is located on the parcel is physically inhabited as a dwelling;

(b) No trade or business is actively being conducted on the parcel by the owner, a tenant, or another party occupying the parcel pursuant to a lease or other legal authority, or in a building, structure, or other improvement that is subject to taxation and that is located on the parcel;

(c) The parcel is uninhabited and there are no signs that it is undergoing a change in tenancy and remains legally habitable, or that it is undergoing improvements, as indicated by an application for a building permit or other facts indicating that the parcel is experiencing ongoing improvements.

(2) For purposes of division (F)(1) of this section, it is prima-facie evidence and a rebuttable presumption that may be rebutted to the county board of revision that a parcel of land is unoccupied if, at the time the county auditor makes the certification under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code, the parcel is not agricultural land, and two or more of the following apply:

(a) At the time of the inspection of the parcel by a county, municipal corporation, or township in which the parcel is located, no person, trade, or business inhabits, or is visibly present from an exterior inspection of, the parcel.

(b) No utility connections, including, but not limited to, water, sewer, natural gas, or electric connections, service the parcel, or no such utility connections are actively being billed by any utility provider regarding the parcel.

(c) The parcel or any improvement thereon is boarded up or otherwise sealed because, immediately prior to being boarded up or sealed, it was deemed by a political subdivision pursuant to its municipal, county, state, or federal authority to be open, vacant, or vandalized.

(d) The parcel or any improvement thereon is, upon visible inspection, insecure, vacant, or vandalized.

(G) "Community development organization" means a nonprofit corporation that is formed or organized under Chapter 1702. or 1724. of the Revised Code and to which both of the following apply:

(1) The organization is in good standing under law at the time the county auditor makes the certification under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code and has remained in good standing uninterrupted for at least the two years immediately preceding the time of that certification or, in the case of a county land reutilization corporation, has remained so from the date of organization if less than two years.

(2) As of the time the county auditor makes the certification under section 5721.011 of the Revised Code, the organization has received from the county, municipal corporation, or township in which abandoned land is located official authority or agreement by a duly authorized officer of that county, municipal corporation, or township to accept the owner's fee simple interest in the abandoned land and to the abandoned land being foreclosed, and that official authority or agreement had been delivered to the county treasurer or county board of revision in a form that will reasonably confirm the county's, municipal corporation's, or township's assent to transfer the land to that community development organization under section 323.74 of the Revised Code. No such official authority or agreement by a duly authorized officer of a county, municipal corporation, or township must be received if a county land reutilization corporation is authorized to receive tax-foreclosed property under its articles of incorporation, regulations, or Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code.

(H) "Certificate holder" has the same meaning as in section 5721.30 of the Revised Code.

(I) "Abandoned land list" means the list of abandoned lands compiled under division (A) of section 323.67 of the Revised Code.

(J) "Alternative redemption period," in any action to foreclose the state's lien for unpaid delinquent taxes, assessments, charges, penalties, interest, and costs on a parcel of real property pursuant to section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, means twenty-eight days after an adjudication of foreclosure of the parcel is journalized by a court or county board of revision having jurisdiction over the foreclosure proceedings. Upon the expiration of the alternative redemption period, the right and equity of redemption of any owner or party shall terminate without further order of the court or board of revision. As used in any section of the Revised Code and for any proceeding under this chapter or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code, for purposes of determining the alternative redemption period, the period commences on the day immediately following the journalization of the adjudication of foreclosure and ends on and includes the twenty-eighth day thereafter.

(K) "County land reutilization corporation" means a corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code.

Section 323.66 | Expedited foreclosure by board of revision on unoccupied land.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 353 - 127th General Assembly

(A) In lieu of utilizing the judicial foreclosure proceedings and other procedures and remedies available under sections 323.25 to 323.28 or under Chapter 5721., 5722., or 5723. of the Revised Code, a county board of revision created under section 5715.01 of the Revised Code, upon the board's initiative, expressed by resolution, may foreclose the state's lien for real estate taxes upon abandoned land in the county and, upon the complaint of a certificate holder or county land reutilization corporation, foreclose the lien of the state or the certificate holder held under sections 5721.30 to 5721.43 of the Revised Code. The board shall order disposition of the abandoned land by public auction or by other conveyance in the manner prescribed by sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) A county board of revision may adopt rules as are necessary to administer cases subject to its jurisdiction under Chapter 5715. or adjudicated under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, as long as the rules are consistent with rules adopted by the tax commissioner under Chapter 5715. of the Revised Code. Rules adopted by a board shall be limited to rules relating to hearing procedure, the scheduling and location of proceedings, case management, and practice forms.

(2) A county board of revision, upon any adjudication of foreclosure under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, may prepare final orders of sale and deeds. For such purposes, the board may create its own order of sale and deed forms. The sheriff or clerk of court shall execute and deliver any forms prepared under this division in the manner prescribed in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.

(C) In addition to all other duties and functions provided by law, under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code the clerk of court, in the same manner as in civil actions, shall provide summons and notice of hearings, maintain an official case file, docket all proceedings, and tax as costs all necessary actions in connection therewith in furtherance of the foreclosure of abandoned land under those sections. The county board of revision shall file with the clerk of court all orders and adjudications of the board, and the clerk shall docket, as needed, and journalize all orders and adjudications so filed by the board. The clerk may utilize the court's existing journal or maintain a separate journal for purposes of sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. Other than notices of hearings, the orders and adjudications of the board shall not become effective until journalized by the clerk. Staff of the board of revision may schedule and execute, and file with the clerk of courts, notices of hearings.

(D) For the purpose of efficiently and promptly implementing sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, the prosecuting attorney of the county, the county treasurer, the clerk of court of the county, the county auditor, and the sheriff of the county may promulgate rules, not inconsistent with sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, regarding practice forms, forms of notice for hearings and notice to parties, forms of orders and adjudications, fees, publication, and other procedures customarily within their official purview and respective duties.

Section 323.67 | List of parcels of abandoned land.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 353 - 127th General Assembly

(A) The county treasurer, county auditor, a county land reutilization corporation, or a certificate holder, from the list compiled under division (C) of this section or the delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list compiled under section 5721.03 of the Revised Code, may identify and compile a list of the parcels in the county that the treasurer, auditor, corporation, or certificate holder determines to be abandoned lands suitable for disposition under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. The list may contain one or more parcels and may be transmitted to the board of revision in such a form and manner that allows the board to reasonably discern that the parcels constitute abandoned lands.

(B)(1) From the list of parcels compiled under division (A) of this section, the county treasurer or prosecuting attorney, for purposes of collecting the delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and charges levied on those parcels and expeditiously restoring them to the tax list, may proceed to foreclose the lien for those impositions in the manner prescribed by sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.

(2) If a certificate holder or county land reutilization corporation compiles a list of parcels under division (A) of this section that the certificate holder determines to be abandoned lands suitable for disposition under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, the certificate holder or corporation may proceed under sections 323.68 and 323.69 of the Revised Code.

(C) For purposes of sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, the county auditor or county treasurer may compile or certify a list of abandoned lands in any manner and at such times as will give effect to the expedited foreclosure of abandoned land.

Section 323.68 | Title search to identify persons with interest in land.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 353 - 127th General Assembly

(A)(1) For each parcel subject to foreclosure under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, the prosecuting attorney shall cause a title search to be conducted for the purpose of identifying any lienholders or other persons having a legal or equitable ownership interest or other security interest of record in such abandoned land.

(2) If a certificate holder or a county land reutilization corporation compiles a list of the parcels that the certificate holder or corporation determines to be abandoned land under division (A) of section 323.67 of the Revised Code, the certificate holder or corporation shall cause a title search to be conducted for the purpose of identifying any lienholders or other persons having a legal or equitable ownership interest or other security interest of record in the abandoned land.

(B) Notwithstanding section 5301.252 of the Revised Code, an affidavit of a type described in that section shall not be considered a lien or encumbrance on the abandoned land, and the recording of an affidavit of a type described in that section shall not serve in any way to impede the bona fide purchaser status of the purchaser of any abandoned land sold at public auction under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code or of any other recipient of abandoned land transferred under those sections. However, any affiant who records an affidavit pursuant to section 5301.252 of the Revised Code shall be given notice and summons under sections 323.69 to 323.79 of the Revised Code in the same manner as any lienholder.

Section 323.69 | Complaint for foreclosure - dismissal by board.

• Effective: October 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly

(A) Upon the completion of the title search required by section 323.68 of the Revised Code, the prosecuting attorney, representing the county treasurer, the county land reutilization corporation, or the certificate holder may file with the clerk of court a complaint for the foreclosure of each parcel of abandoned land appearing on the abandoned land list, and for the equity of redemption on each parcel. The complaint shall name all parties having any interest of record in the abandoned land that was discovered in the title search. The prosecuting attorney, county land reutilization corporation, or certificate holder may file such a complaint regardless of whether the parcel has appeared on a delinquent tax list or delinquent vacant land tax list published pursuant to division (B) of section 5721.03 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) In accordance with Civil Rule 4, the clerk of court promptly shall serve notice of the summons and the complaint filed under division (A) of this section to the last known address of the record owner of the abandoned land and to the last known address of each lienholder or other person having a legal or equitable ownership interest or security interest of record identified by the title search. The notice shall inform the addressee that delinquent taxes stand charged against the abandoned land; that the land will be sold at public auction or otherwise disposed of if not redeemed by the owner or other addressee; that the sale or transfer will occur at a date, time, and place, and in the manner prescribed in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code; that the owner or other addressee may redeem the land by paying the total of the impositions against the land at any time before confirmation of sale or transfer of the parcel as prescribed in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code or before the expiration of the alternative redemption period, as may be applicable to the proceeding; that the case is being prosecuted by the prosecuting attorney of the county in the name of the county treasurer for the county in which the abandoned land is located or by a certificate holder, whichever is applicable; of the name, address, and telephone number of the county board of revision before which the action is pending; of the board case number for the action, which shall be maintained in the official file and docket of the clerk of court; and that all subsequent pleadings, petitions, and papers associated with the case and filed by any interested party must be filed with the clerk of court and will become part of the case file for the board of revision.

(2) The notice required by division (B)(1) of this section also shall inform the addressee that any owner of record may, at any time on or before the fourteenth day after service of process is perfected, file a pleading with the clerk of court requesting that the board transfer the case to a court of competent jurisdiction to be conducted in accordance with the applicable laws.

(C) Subject to division (D) of this section, subsequent pleadings, motions, or papers associated with the case and filed with the clerk of court shall be served upon all parties of record in accordance with Civil Rules 4 and 5, except that service by publication in any case requiring such service shall require that any such publication shall be advertised in the manner, and for the time periods and frequency, prescribed in section 5721.18 of the Revised Code. Any inadvertent noncompliance with those rules does not serve to defeat or terminate the case, or subject the case to dismissal, as long as actual notice or service of filed papers is shown by a preponderance of the evidence or is acknowledged by the party charged with notice or service, including by having made an appearance or filing in relation to the case. The county board of revision may conduct evidentiary hearings on the sufficiency of process, service of process, or sufficiency of service of papers in any proceeding arising from a complaint filed under this section. Other than the notice and service provisions contained in Civil Rules 4 and 5, the Rules of Civil Procedure shall not be applicable to the proceedings of the board. The board of revision may utilize procedures contained in the Rules of Civil Procedure to the extent that such use facilitates the needs of the proceedings, such as vacating orders, correcting clerical mistakes, and providing notice to parties. To the extent not otherwise provided in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, the board may apply the procedures prescribed by sections 323.25 to 323.28 or Chapters 5721., 5722., and 5723. of the Revised Code. Board practice shall be in accordance with the practice and rules, if any, of the board that are promulgated by the board under section 323.66 of the Revised Code and are not inconsistent with sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.

(D)(1) A party shall be deemed to be in default of the proceedings in an action brought under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code if either of the following occurs:

(a) The party fails to appear at any hearing after being served with notice of the summons and complaint by certified or ordinary mail.

(b) For a party upon whom notice of summons and complaint is required by publication as provided under section 5721.18 of the Revised Code and has been considered complete pursuant to that section, the party fails to appear, move, or plead to the complaint within twenty-eight days after service by publication is considered complete.

(2) If a party is deemed to be in default pursuant to division (D)(1) of this section, no further service of any subsequent pleadings, papers, or proceedings is required on the party by the court or any other party.

(E) At any time after a foreclosure action is filed under this section, the county board of revision may, upon its own motion, transfer the case to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code if it determines that, given the complexity of the case or other circumstances, a court would be a more appropriate forum for the action.

Last updated September 18, 2023 at 8:47 AM

Section 323.691 | Transfer of complaint to court of common pleas or municipal court.

• Effective: September 4, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 172 - 130th General Assembly

(A)(1) A county board of revision may order that a proceeding arising from a complaint filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code be transferred to the court of common pleas or to a municipal court with jurisdiction. The board may order such a transfer upon the motion of the record owner of the parcel or the county prosecuting attorney, representing the county treasurer, or upon its own motion.

(2) A court of common pleas or municipal court may order that a proceeding arising from a complaint filed under sections 323.25 to 323.28 or Chapter 5721. of the Revised Code be transferred to a county board of revision if the court determines that the real property that is the subject of the complaint is abandoned land, provided that the appropriate board of revision has adopted a resolution under section 323.66 of the Revised Code to adjudicate cases as provided under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. There is a rebuttable presumption that a parcel of land is unoccupied if any of the factors described in division (F)(2) of section 323.65 of the Revised Code apply to the parcel. The court may order a transfer under this division upon the motion of the record owner of the parcel or the county prosecuting attorney, representing the county treasurer, or upon its own motion.

(B) On or before the twenty-eighth day after the journalization of an order of transfer issued pursuant to division (A) of this section, the county prosecuting attorney shall file a copy of the journalized order of transfer and a notice of transfer and dismissal with the clerk of court and with the court or board to which the case was transferred. In any action transferred to a county board of revision, the prosecuting attorney shall serve the notice of transfer upon all parties to the action except any party that previously failed to answer, plea, or appear in the proceeding as required in Civil Rule 12. In any action transferred to a court, the prosecuting attorney shall serve the notice of transfer upon all parties to the action except those parties deemed to be in default under division (D) of section 323.69 of the Revised Code.

(C) Upon journalization of the order of transfer, the clerk of court shall proceed as if the transferred complaint had been filed with the court or board to which the proceeding was transferred, except that the clerk is not required to perfect a notice of summons and complaint to any party that had already been served such notice. When the prosecuting attorney files the notice of transfer as prescribed in division (B) of this section, the clerk shall stamp or otherwise indicate on the notice a new case number for the proceeding. The clerk shall assign the entire case file to the court or board to which the proceeding was transferred, including any preliminary or final reports, documents, or other evidence made available to the transferring court or board. All such reports, documents, and other evidence shall be received by the court or board to which the proceeding was transferred as competent evidence for the purposes of adjudicating the proceeding. That court or board shall accept all such reports, documents, and evidence in the case file unless otherwise required by law or unless the court or board determines that doing so would not be in the interests of justice.

The court or board to which the proceeding is transferred shall serve notice of the summons and the complaint as required in Civil Rule 4 or section 323.69 of the Revised Code, as applicable, upon any parties not yet served such notice in the proceeding.

(D) If a county prosecuting attorney does not file a notice of transfer as required under division (B) of this section on or before the twenty-eighth day after the journalization of an order of transfer issued under division (A) of this section, or upon the motion of the prosecuting attorney, court, or board before that date, the complaint that is the subject of the order of transfer shall be deemed to have been dismissed without prejudice by both the court and the board of revision.

(E) Upon the journalization of an order of transfer issued under division (A) of this section, the case shall be deemed to have been dismissed without prejudice by the transferring court or board.

Section 323.70 | Final hearing on complaint - dismissal on petition.

• Effective: September 4, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 172 - 130th General Assembly

(A) Subject to this section and to sections 323.71 and 323.72 of the Revised Code, a county board of revision shall conduct a final hearing on the merits of a complaint filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code, including the validity or amount of any impositions alleged in the complaint, not sooner than thirty days after the service of notice of summons and complaint has been perfected. If, after a hearing, the board finds that the validity or amount of all or a portion of the impositions is not supported by a preponderance of the evidence, the board may order the county auditor to remove from the tax list and duplicate amounts the board finds invalid or not supported by a preponderance of the evidence. The auditor shall remove all such amounts from the tax list and duplicate as ordered by the board of revision, including any impositions asserted under sections 715.26 and 715.261 of the Revised Code.

(B) If, on or before the fourteenth day after service of process is perfected under division (B) of section 323.69 of the Revised Code, a record owner files with the clerk of court a motion requesting that the county board of revision order the case to be transferred to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code, the board shall, without conducting a hearing on the matter, promptly transfer the case for foreclosure of that land to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code to be conducted in accordance with the applicable laws.

(C) A county board of revision, in accordance with the Rules of Civil Procedure, may issue subpoenas compelling the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers, books, accounts, and testimony as necessary to conduct a hearing under this section or to otherwise adjudicate a case under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.71 | Procedure where impositions exceed fair market value.

• Effective: September 4, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 172 - 130th General Assembly

(A)(1) If the county board of revision, upon its own motion or pursuant to a hearing under division (A)(2) of this section, determines that the impositions against a parcel of abandoned land that is the subject of a complaint filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code exceed the fair market value of that parcel as currently shown by the latest valuation by the auditor of the county in which the land is located, then the board may proceed to hear and adjudicate the case as provided under sections 323.70 and 323.72 of the Revised Code. Upon entry of an order of foreclosure, the parcel may be disposed of as prescribed by division (G) of section 323.73 of the Revised Code.

If the board of revision, upon its own motion or pursuant to a hearing under division (A)(2) of this section, determines that the impositions against a parcel do not exceed the fair market value of the parcel as shown by the county auditor's then-current valuation of the parcel, the parcel shall not be disposed of as prescribed by division (G) of section 323.73 of the Revised Code, but may be disposed of as otherwise provided in section 323.73, 323.74, 323.75, 323.77, or 323.78 of the Revised Code.

(2) By a motion filed not later than seven days before a final hearing on a complaint is held under section 323.70 of the Revised Code, an owner or lienholder may file with the county board of revision a good faith appraisal of the parcel from a licensed professional appraiser and request a hearing to determine whether the impositions against the parcel of abandoned land exceed or do not exceed the fair market value of that parcel as shown by the auditor's then-current valuation of that parcel. If the motion is timely filed, the board of revision shall conduct a hearing and shall make a factual finding as to whether the impositions against the parcel exceed or do not exceed the fair market value of that parcel as shown by the auditor's then-current valuation of that parcel. An owner or lienholder must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the impositions against the parcel do not exceed the auditor's then-current valuation of the parcel in order to preclude the application of division (G) of section 323.73 of the Revised Code.

(B) Notwithstanding sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code to the contrary, for purposes of determining in any proceeding under those sections whether the total of the impositions against the abandoned land exceed the fair market value of the abandoned land, it is prima-facie evidence and a rebuttable presumption that may be rebutted to the county board of revision that the auditor's then-current valuation of that abandoned land is the fair market value of the land, regardless of whether an independent appraisal has been performed.

Section 323.72 | Answer - hearing on or dismissal of complaint.

• Effective: September 4, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 172 - 130th General Assembly

(A)(1) At any time after a complaint is filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code, and before a decree of foreclosure is entered, the record owner or another person having a legal or equitable ownership interest in the abandoned land may plead only that the impositions shown by the notice to be due and outstanding have been paid in full or are invalid or inapplicable in whole or in part, and may raise issues pertaining to service of process and the parcel's status as abandoned land.

(2) At any time before a decree of foreclosure is filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code, a lienholder or another person having a security interest of record in the abandoned land may plead either of the following:

(a) That the impositions shown by the notice to be due and outstanding have been paid in full;

(b) Subject to division (C) of this section, that in order to preserve the lienholder's or other person's security interest of record in the land, the abandoned land should not be disposed of as provided in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code and the case should be transferred to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code.

(B) If the record owner or another person having a legal or equitable ownership interest in a parcel of abandoned land files a pleading with the county board of revision under division (A)(1) of this section, or if a lienholder or another person having a security interest of record in the abandoned land files a pleading with the board under division (A)(2) of this section that asserts that the impositions have been paid in full, the board shall schedule a hearing for a date not sooner than thirty days, and not later than ninety days, after the board receives the pleading. Upon scheduling the hearing, the board shall notify the person that filed the pleading and all interested parties, other than parties in default, of the date, time, and place of the hearing, and shall conduct the hearing. The only questions to be considered at the hearing are the amount and validity of all or a portion of the impositions, whether those impositions have in fact been paid in full, and, under division (A)(1) of this section, whether valid issues pertaining to service of process and the parcel's status as abandoned land have been raised. If the record owner, lienholder, or other person shows by a preponderance of the evidence that all impositions against the parcel have been paid, the board shall dismiss the complaint and remove the parcel of abandoned land from the abandoned land list, and that land shall not be offered for sale or otherwise conveyed under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. If the record owner, lienholder, or other person fails to appear, or appears and fails to show by a preponderance of the evidence that all impositions against the parcel have been paid, the board shall proceed in the manner prescribed in section 323.73 of the Revised Code. A hearing under this division may be consolidated with any final hearing on the matter under section 323.70 of the Revised Code.

If the board determines that the impositions have been paid, then the board, on its own motion, may dismiss the case without a hearing.

(C) If a lienholder or another person having a security interest of record in the abandoned land, other than the owner, timely files a pleading under division (A)(2)(b) of this section requesting that the abandoned land not be disposed of as provided in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code and the complaint be transferred to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code in order to preserve the lienholder's or other person's security interest, the county board of revision may approve the request if the board finds that the sale or other conveyance of the parcel of land under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code would unreasonably jeopardize the lienholder's or other person's ability to enforce the security interest or to otherwise preserve the lienholder's or other person's security interest. The board may conduct a hearing on the request and make a ruling based on the available and submitted evidence of the parties. If the board approves the request without a hearing, the board shall file the decision with the clerk of court, and the clerk shall send a notice of the decision to the lienholder or other person by ordinary mail. In order for a lienholder or other person having a security interest to show for purposes of this division that the parcel of abandoned land should not be disposed of pursuant to sections 323.65 to 323.78 of the Revised Code and the complaint should be transferred to a court pursuant to section 323.691 of the Revised Code in order "to preserve the lienholder's or other person's security interest," the lienholder or other person must first make a minimum showing by a preponderance of the evidence pursuant to section 323.71 of the Revised Code that the impositions against the parcel of abandoned land do not exceed the fair market value of the abandoned land as determined by the auditor's then-current valuation of that parcel, which valuation is presumed, subject to rebuttal, to be the fair market value of the land. If the lienholder or other person having a security interest makes the minimum showing, the board of revision may consider the request and make a ruling based on the available and submitted evidence of the parties. If the lienholder or other person having a security interest fails to make the minimum showing, the board of revision shall deny the request.

(D) If a pleading as described in division (B) or (C) of this section is filed and the county board of revision approves a request made under those divisions, regardless of whether a hearing is conducted under division (C) of this section, the board shall dismiss the complaint in the case of pleadings described in division (B) of this section or transfer the complaint to a court in the case of pleadings described in division (C) of this section.

If the county board of revision does not dismiss the complaint in the case of pleadings described in division (B) of this section or does not approve a request to transfer to a court as described in division (C) of this section after conducting a hearing, the board shall proceed with the final hearing prescribed in section 323.70 of the Revised Code and file its decision on the complaint for foreclosure with the clerk of court. The clerk shall send written notice of the decision to the parties by ordinary mail or by certified mail, return receipt requested. If the board renders a decision ordering the foreclosure and forfeiture of the parcel of abandoned land, the parcel shall be disposed of under section 323.73 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.73 | Disposal of abandoned land at public auction.

• Effective: September 28, 2016
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 390 - 131st General Assembly

(A) Except as provided in division (G) of this section or section 323.78 of the Revised Code, a parcel of abandoned land that is to be disposed of under this section shall be disposed of at a public auction scheduled and conducted as described in this section. At least twenty-one days prior to the date of the public auction, the clerk of court or sheriff of the county shall advertise the public auction in a newspaper of general circulation that meets the requirements of section 7.12 of the Revised Code in the county in which the land is located. The advertisement shall include the date, time, and place of the auction, the permanent parcel number of the land if a permanent parcel number system is in effect in the county as provided in section 319.28 of the Revised Code or, if a permanent parcel number system is not in effect, any other means of identifying the parcel, and a notice stating that the abandoned land is to be sold subject to the terms of sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.

(B) The sheriff of the county or a designee of the sheriff shall conduct the public auction at which the abandoned land will be offered for sale. To qualify as a bidder, a person shall file with the sheriff on a form provided by the sheriff a written acknowledgment that the abandoned land being offered for sale is to be conveyed in fee simple to the successful bidder. At the auction, the sheriff of the county or a designee of the sheriff shall begin the bidding at an amount equal to the total of the impositions against the abandoned land, plus the costs apportioned to the land under section 323.75 of the Revised Code. The abandoned land shall be sold to the highest bidder. The county sheriff or designee may reject any and all bids not meeting the minimum bid requirements specified in this division.

(C) Except as otherwise permitted under section 323.74 of the Revised Code, the successful bidder at a public auction conducted under this section shall pay the sheriff of the county or a designee of the sheriff a deposit of at least ten per cent of the purchase price in cash, or by bank draft or official bank check, at the time of the public auction, and shall pay the balance of the purchase price within thirty days after the day on which the auction was held. At the time of the public auction and before the successful bidder pays the deposit, the sheriff or a designee of the sheriff may provide notice to the successful bidder that failure to pay the balance of the purchase price within the prescribed period shall be considered a default under the terms of the sale and shall result in retention of the deposit as payment for the costs associated with advertising and offering the abandoned land for sale at a future public auction. If such a notice is provided to the successful bidder and the bidder fails to pay the balance of the purchase price within the prescribed period, the sale shall be deemed rejected by the county board of revision due to default, and the sheriff shall retain the full amount of the deposit. In such a case, rejection of the sale shall occur automatically without any action necessary on the part of the sheriff, county prosecuting attorney, or board. If the amount retained by the sheriff is less than the total costs of advertising and offering the abandoned land for sale at a future public auction, the sheriff or county prosecuting attorney may initiate an action to recover the amount of any deficiency from the bidder in the court of common pleas of the county or in a municipal court with jurisdiction.

Following a default and rejection of sale under this division, the abandoned land involved in the rejected sale shall be disposed of in accordance with sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code or as otherwise prescribed by law. The defaulting bidder, any member of the bidder's immediate family, any person with a power of attorney granted by the bidder, and any pass-through entity, trust, corporation, association, or other entity directly or indirectly owned or controlled by the bidder or a member of the defaulting bidder's immediate family shall be prohibited from bidding on the abandoned land at any future public auction for five years from the date of the bidder's default.

Notwithstanding section 321.261 of the Revised Code, with respect to any proceedings initiated pursuant to sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, from the total proceeds arising from the sale, transfer, or redemption of abandoned land, twenty per cent of such proceeds shall be deposited to the credit of the county treasurer's delinquent tax and assessment collection fund to reimburse the fund for costs paid from the fund for the transfer, redemption, or sale of abandoned land at public auction. Not more than one-half of the twenty per cent may be used by the treasurer for community development, nuisance abatement, foreclosure prevention, demolition, and related services or distributed by the treasurer to a land reutilization corporation. The balance of the proceeds, if any, shall be distributed to the appropriate political subdivisions and other taxing units in proportion to their respective claims for taxes, assessments, interest, and penalties on the land. Upon the sale of foreclosed lands, the clerk of court shall hold any surplus proceeds in excess of the impositions until the clerk receives an order of priority and amount of distribution of the surplus that are adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction or receives a certified copy of an agreement between the parties entitled to a share of the surplus providing for the priority and distribution of the surplus. Any party to the action claiming a right to distribution of surplus shall have a separate cause of action in the county or municipal court of the jurisdiction in which the land reposes, provided the board confirms the transfer or regularity of the sale. Any dispute over the distribution of the surplus shall not affect or revive the equity of redemption after the board confirms the transfer or sale.

(D) Upon the confirmation of sale or transfer of abandoned land pursuant to this section, the owner's fee simple interest in the land shall be conveyed to the purchaser. A conveyance under this division is free and clear of any liens and encumbrances of the parties named in the complaint for foreclosure attaching before the sale or transfer, and free and clear of any liens for taxes, except for federal tax liens and covenants and easements of record attaching before the sale.

(E) The county board of revision shall reject the sale of abandoned land to any person if it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the person is delinquent in the payment of taxes levied by or pursuant to Chapter 307., 322., 5737., 5739., 5741., or 5743. of the Revised Code or any real property taxing provision of the Revised Code. The board also shall reject the sale of abandoned land to any person if it is shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the person is delinquent in the payment of property taxes on any parcel in the county, or to a member of any of the following classes of parties connected to that person:

(1) A member of that person's immediate family;

(2) Any other person with a power of attorney appointed by that person;

(3) A sole proprietorship owned by that person or a member of that person's immediate family;

(4) A partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, association, or other entity in which that person or a member of that person's immediate family owns or controls directly or indirectly any beneficial or legal interest.

(F) If the purchase of abandoned land sold pursuant to this section or section 323.74 of the Revised Code is for less than the sum of the impositions against the abandoned land and the costs apportioned to the land under division (A) of section 323.75 of the Revised Code, then, upon the sale or transfer, all liens for taxes due at the time the deed of the property is conveyed to the purchaser following the sale or transfer, and liens subordinate to liens for taxes, shall be deemed satisfied and discharged.

(G) If the county board of revision finds that the total of the impositions against the abandoned land are greater than the fair market value of the abandoned land as determined by the auditor's then-current valuation of that land, the board, at any final hearing under section 323.70 of the Revised Code, may order the property foreclosed and, without an appraisal or public auction, order the sheriff to execute a deed to the certificate holder or county land reutilization corporation that filed a complaint under section 323.69 of the Revised Code, or to a community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township, whichever is applicable, as provided in section 323.74 of the Revised Code. Upon a transfer under this division, all liens for taxes due at the time the deed of the property is transferred to the certificate holder, community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township following the conveyance, and liens subordinate to liens for taxes, shall be deemed satisfied and discharged.

Section 323.74 | Disposition of abandoned land not sold at auction.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) If a public auction is held for abandoned land pursuant to section 323.73 of the Revised Code, but the land is not sold at the public auction, the county board of revision may order the disposition of the abandoned land in accordance with division (B) or (C) of this section.

(B) The abandoned land offered for sale at a public auction as described in section 323.73 of the Revised Code, but not sold at the auction, may be offered for sale in any usual and customary manner by the sheriff as otherwise provided by law. The subsequent public auction may be held in the same manner as the public auction was held under section 323.73 of the Revised Code, but the minimum bid at an auction held under this division shall be the lesser of fifty per cent of fair market value of the abandoned land as currently shown by the county auditor's latest valuation, or the sum of the impositions against the abandoned land plus the costs apportioned to the land under section 323.75 of the Revised Code. Notice of any subsequent sale pursuant to this section may be given in the original notice of sale listing the time, date, and place of the subsequent sale.

(C) Upon certification from the sheriff that abandoned land was offered for sale at a public auction as described in section 323.73 of the Revised Code but was not purchased, a community development organization or any school district, municipal corporation, county, or township in which the land is located may request that title to the land be transferred to the community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township at the time described in this division. The request shall be delivered to the board of revision at any time from the date the complaint for foreclosure is filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code, but not later than sixty days after the date on which the land was first offered for sale. The request shall include a representation that the organization, district, or political subdivision, not later than thirty days after receiving legal title to the abandoned land, will begin basic exterior improvements that will protect the land from further unreasonable deterioration. The improvements shall include, but are not limited to, the removal of trash and refuse from the exterior of the premises and the securing of open, vacant, or vandalized areas on the exterior of the premises. The representation shall be deemed to have been given if the notice is supplied by an electing subdivision as defined in section 5722.01 of the Revised Code.

(D) The county board of revision, upon any adjudication of foreclosure and forfeiture against the abandoned land, may order the sheriff to dispose of the abandoned land as prescribed in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. The order by the board shall include instructions to the sheriff to transfer the land to the specified community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township after payment of the costs of disposing of the abandoned land pursuant to section 323.75 of the Revised Code or, if any negotiated price has been agreed to between the county treasurer and the community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township, after payment of that negotiated price as certified by the board to the sheriff.

(E) Upon receipt of payment under this section, the sheriff shall convey by sheriff's deed the fee simple interest in, and to, the abandoned land. If the abandoned land is transferred pursuant to division (D) of this section and the county treasurer reasonably determines that the transfer will result in the property being occupied, the county treasurer may waive, but is not required to waive, some or all of the impositions against the abandoned land or costs apportioned to the land under section 323.75 of the Revised Code.

(F) Upon a transfer under this section, all liens for taxes due at the time the deed of the property is conveyed to a purchaser or transferred to a community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township, and liens subordinate to liens for taxes, shall be deemed satisfied and discharged.

(G) Any parcel that has been advertised and offered for sale pursuant to foreclosure proceedings and has not sold for want of bidders or been otherwise transferred under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code shall be forfeited or otherwise disposed of in the same manner as lands under section 323.25 or 5721.18 or Chapter 5723. of the Revised Code.

Section 323.75 | Apportionment of costs of sale at auction.

• Effective: September 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

(A) The county treasurer or county prosecuting attorney shall apportion the costs of the proceedings with respect to abandoned lands offered for sale at a public auction held pursuant to section 323.73 or 323.74 of the Revised Code among those lands according to actual identified costs, equally, or in proportion to the fair market values of the lands. The costs of the proceedings include the costs of conducting the title search, notifying record owners or other persons required to be notified of the pending sale, advertising the sale, and any other costs incurred by the county board of revision, county treasurer, county auditor, clerk of court, prosecuting attorney, or county sheriff in performing their duties under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.

(B) All costs assessed in connection with proceedings under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code may be paid after they are incurred, as follows:

(1) If the abandoned land in question is purchased at public auction, from the purchaser of the abandoned land;

(2) In the case of abandoned land transferred to a community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township under section 323.74 of the Revised Code, from either of the following:

(a) At the discretion of the county treasurer, in whole or in part from the delinquent tax and assessment collection funds created under section 321.261 of the Revised Code, allocated equally among the respective funds of the county treasurer and of the prosecuting attorney;

(b) From the community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township, whichever is applicable.

(3) If the abandoned land in question is transferred to a certificate holder, from the certificate holder.

(C) If a parcel of abandoned land is sold or otherwise transferred pursuant to sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code, the officer who conducted the sale or made the transfer, the prosecuting attorney, or the county treasurer may collect a recording fee from the purchaser or transferee of the parcel at the time of the sale or transfer and shall prepare the deed conveying title to the parcel or execute the deed prepared by the board for that purpose. That officer or the prosecuting attorney or treasurer is authorized to record on behalf of that purchaser or transferee the deed conveying title to the parcel, notwithstanding that the deed may not actually have been delivered to the purchaser or transferee prior to the recording of the deed. Receiving title to a parcel under sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code constitutes the transferee's consent to an officer, prosecuting attorney, or county treasurer to file the deed to the parcel for recording. Nothing in this division shall be construed to require an officer, prosecuting attorney, or treasurer to file a deed or to relieve a transferee's obligation to file a deed. Upon confirmation of that sale or transfer, the deed shall be deemed delivered to the purchaser or transferee of the parcel.

Section 323.76 | Termination of right of redemption on sale or transfer.

• Effective: April 7, 2009
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 353 - 127th General Assembly

Upon the sale of abandoned land at public auction pursuant to section 323.73 or 323.74 of the Revised Code, or upon the county board of revision's order to the sheriff to transfer abandoned land to a community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township under section 323.74 of the Revised Code, any common law or statutory right of redemption shall forever terminate upon the occurrence of whichever of the following is applicable:

(A) In the case of a sale of the land at public auction, upon the order of confirmation of the sale by the county board of revision and the filing of such order with the clerk of court, who shall enter it upon the journal of the court or a separate journal;

(B) In the case of a transfer of the land to a community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township under section 323.74 of the Revised Code, upon the filing with the clerk of court an order to transfer the parcel based on the adjudication of foreclosure by the county board of revision ordering the sheriff to transfer the land in fee simple to the community development organization, school district, municipal corporation, county, or township pursuant to such adjudication, which the clerk shall enter upon the journal of the court or a separate journal;

(C)(1) In the case of a transfer of the land to a certificate holder or county land reutilization corporation pursuant to division (G) of section 323.73 of the Revised Code, upon the filing with the clerk of court the county board of revision's order to the sheriff to execute a deed to the certificate holder or corporation based on the adjudication of foreclosure, which the clerk shall enter upon the journal of the court or a separate journal;

(2) In the case of an adjudication of foreclosure in which a court or board of revision has included in its adjudication decree that the alternative redemption period authorized in section 323.78 of the Revised Code applies, then upon the expiration of such alternative redemption period.

Section 323.77 | Notice by electing subdivision of desire to acquire land.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) As used in this section, "electing subdivision" has the same meaning as in section 5722.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) At any time from the date the complaint for foreclosure is filed under section 323.69 of the Revised Code, but not later than sixty days after the date on which the land was first offered for sale, an electing subdivision or a county land reutilization corporation may give the county treasurer, prosecuting attorney, or board of revision notice in writing that it seeks to acquire any parcel of abandoned land, identified by parcel number, from the abandoned land list. If any such parcel of abandoned land identified under this section is offered for sale pursuant to section 323.73 of the Revised Code, but is not sold for want of a minimum bid, the electing subdivision or a county land reutilization corporation that identified that parcel of abandoned land shall be deemed to have appeared at the sale and submitted the winning bid at the auction, and the parcel of abandoned land shall be sold to the electing subdivision or corporation for no consideration other than the costs prescribed in section 323.75 of the Revised Code or those costs to which the electing subdivision or corporation and the county treasurer mutually agree. The conveyance shall be confirmed, and any common law or statutory right of redemption forever terminated, upon the filing with the clerk of court the order of confirmation based on the adjudication of foreclosure by the county board of revision, which the clerk shall enter upon the journal of the court or a separate journal.

If a county land reutilization corporation and an electing subdivision both request to acquire the parcel, the electing subdivision shall have priority to acquire the parcel. Notwithstanding its prior notice to the county treasurer under this section that it seeks to acquire the parcel of abandoned land, if a county land reutilization corporation has also requested to acquire the parcel, the electing subdivision may withdraw the notice before confirmation of the conveyance, in which case the parcel shall be conveyed to the county land reutilization corporation.

Section 323.78 | Invocation of alternative redemption period.

• Effective: September 4, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 172 - 130th General Assembly

(A) Notwithstanding anything in Chapters 323., 5721., and 5723. of the Revised Code, a county treasurer may elect to invoke the alternative redemption period in any petition for foreclosure of abandoned lands under section 323.25, sections 323.65 to 323.79, or section 5721.18 of the Revised Code.

(B) If a county treasurer invokes the alternative redemption period pursuant to this section, and if a municipal corporation, township, county, school district, community development organization, or county land reutilization corporation has requested title to the parcel, then upon adjudication of foreclosure of the parcel, the court or board of revision shall order, in the decree of foreclosure or by separate order, that the equity of redemption and any statutory or common law right of redemption in the parcel by its owner shall be forever terminated after the expiration of the alternative redemption period and that the parcel shall be transferred by deed directly to the requesting municipal corporation, township, county, school district, community development corporation, or county land reutilization corporation without appraisal and without a sale, free and clear of all impositions and any other liens on the property, which shall be deemed forever satisfied and discharged. The court or board of revision shall order such a transfer regardless of whether the value of the taxes, assessments, penalties, interest, and other charges due on the parcel, and the costs of the action, exceed the fair market value of the parcel. No further act of confirmation or other order shall be required for such a transfer, or for the extinguishment of any statutory or common law right of redemption.

(C) If a county treasurer invokes the alternative redemption period pursuant to this section and if no community development organization, county land reutilization corporation, municipal corporation, county, township, or school district has requested title to the parcel, then upon adjudication of foreclosure of the parcel, the court or board of revision shall order the property sold as otherwise provided in Chapters 323. and 5721. of the Revised Code, and, failing any bid at any such sale, the parcel shall be forfeited to the state and otherwise disposed of pursuant to Chapter 5723. of the Revised Code.

Last updated October 2, 2024 at 10:23 AM

Section 323.79 | Appeal by aggrieved party in court of common pleas.

• Effective: September 4, 2014
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 172 - 130th General Assembly

Any party to any proceeding instituted pursuant to sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code who is aggrieved in any of the proceedings of the county board of revision under those sections may file an appeal in the court of common pleas pursuant to Chapters 2505. and 2506. of the Revised Code upon a final order of foreclosure and forfeiture by the board. A final order of foreclosure and forfeiture occurs upon confirmation of any sale or upon confirmation of any conveyance or transfer to a certificate holder, community development organization, county land reutilization corporation organized under Chapter 1724. of the Revised Code, municipal corporation, county, or township pursuant to sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code. An appeal as provided in this section shall proceed as an appeal de novo and may include issues raised or adjudicated in the proceedings before the county board of revision, as well as other issues that are raised for the first time on appeal and that are pertinent to the abandoned land that is the subject of those proceedings.

An appeal shall be filed not later than fourteen days after one of the following dates:

(A) The date on which the order of confirmation of the sale is filed with and journalized by the clerk of court;

(B) In the case of a direct transfer to a certificate holder, community development organization, county land reutilization corporation, municipal corporation, county, or township under section 323.78 or division (G) of section 323.73 of the Revised Code, the date on which an order of transfer or conveyance, whether included in the decree of foreclosure or a separate order, is first filed with and journalized by the clerk of court.

The court does not have jurisdiction to hear any appeal filed after the expiration of the applicable fourteen-day period. If the fourteenth day after the date on which the order is filed with the clerk of court falls upon a weekend or official holiday during which the court is closed, then the filing shall be made on the next day the court is open for business.

The expiration of the fourteen-day period in which an appeal may be filed with respect to an abandoned parcel under this section shall not extinguish or otherwise affect the right of a party to redeem the parcel as otherwise provided in sections 323.65 to 323.79 of the Revised Code.

Section 323.99 | Penalty.

• Effective: April 5, 2001
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 595 - 123rd General Assembly

Whoever violates division (D), (E), or (F) of section 323.153 or division (B) of section 323.159 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.