Any owner of real estate for which a tax lien was sold for nonpayment of taxes pursuant to the provisions of article three of this chapter, when all taxes thereon had in fact been paid before the sale, his heirs and assigns, or the person who paid the taxes, may, before the expiration of three years following the sale, institute a civil action to set aside the sale and to enjoin the proper official from taking any further steps in the procedure provided in this and the following article, or, if a deed has been delivered to the purchaser, before the expiration of three years following the delivery of the deed, institute a civil action to set aside the deed. If such action is instituted by or on behalf of the owner of an undivided interest which was included in a group assessment but which was separately redeemed as provided in section eighteen, article two of this chapter, the sale or the deed shall be set aside only insofar as it affects his interest.