The annual sale must be conducted in the following manner:

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Terms Used In North Dakota Code 57-28-15

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. Source: OCC
  • Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Property: includes property, real and personal. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49

1.    Each parcel of land must be sold at auction to the highest qualified bidder for no less than the minimum sale price as fixed before the sale. The sale may be made either for cash or one-fourth of the purchase price in cash, and the balance in equal annual installments over a period of not more than ten years. The purchaser may pay any or all annual installments with interest before the agreed due date of the installments.

2.    If the sale is for cash, the purchaser shall promptly pay the amount bid to the county treasurer.

3.    If the purchase price is to be paid in installments, the purchaser shall pay the first installment to the county treasurer and be given a contract for deed setting forth the terms of the sale. The contract for deed must be executed by the purchaser, the    chairman of the board of county commissioners, and the county auditor. The contract must be in a form prescribed by the state tax commissioner. The contract must give the county the right to cancel the contract by resolution and due notice upon default by the purchaser.

4.    The original contract for deed must be filed with the county treasurer, who shall record upon it all payments made by the purchaser. The interest rate for the contract must be established by the board of county commissioners at no more than twelve percent.

5.    Upon completion of a cash sale or payments under a contract for deed, the county auditor shall execute and deliver a deed conveying to the purchaser the entire interest of the county in the property.

6.    Upon the execution and delivery of the deed or contract for deed, the property becomes taxable to the purchaser.

7.    A person is unqualified to be the highest bidder for property if the person owes delinquent taxes to any county.