FIRST REGULAR SESSION
94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE FRANZ.
Pre-filed December 14, 2006 and copies ordered printed.
D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 52.361, 52.370, 55.140, 55.190, 139.031, 139.140, 139.150, 139.210, 139.220, 140.050, 140.070, 140.080, 140.160, 140.730, and 165.071, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof fifteen new sections relating to collection of taxes.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 52.361, 52.370, 55.140, 55.190, 139.031, 139.140, 139.150, 139.210, 139.220, 140.050, 140.070, 140.080, 140.160, 140.730, and 165.071, RSMo, are repealed and fifteen new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 52.361, 52.370, 55.140, 55.190, 139.031, 139.140, 139.150, 139.210, 139.220, 140.050, 140.070, 140.080, 140.160, 140.730, and 165.071, to read as follows:
52.361. It shall be the duty of the county collector in all counties of the first class not having a charter form of government and in class two counties to prepare and keep in [his] the collector's office, electronically or otherwise, back tax books which shall contain and list all delinquent taxes on real and personal property levied and assessed in the county which remain due and unpaid after the first day of January of each year. Such back tax books shall replace and be in lieu of all "delinquent lists" and other back tax books heretofore prepared by the collector or other county officer.
52.370. All money disbursed by the county collector in counties of the first class not having a charter form of government and in counties of the second class by virtue of [his] the collector's office shall be paid by check signed by the collector [and countersigned by the auditor of the county] , except that the collector may disburse money by electronic transfer of funds from the collector's account into the accounts of the appropriate taxing entities.
55.140. The county auditor of each county of the first class not having a charter form of government and of each county of the second class shall [countersign] have access to and periodically examine all records, collections, and settlements for all licenses issued by the county [and shall keep a record of the number, date of issue, the name of the party or parties to whom issued, the occupation, the expiration thereof, and amount of money paid therefor, and to whom paid].
55.190. The county collector of revenue of each county of the first class not having a charter form of government and of each county of the second class shall make [a daily] available, electronically or otherwise, a report to the auditor of receipts, deposits, and balance in [his] the collector's hands[, and where deposited, and shall deliver to the auditor each day a deposit slip showing the day's deposit]. The collector shall, upon receiving taxes, give [duplicate] a numbered tax [receipts, which] receipt to the taxpayer [shall take to the auditor to be countersigned by him, one of which the auditor shall retain, and charge the amount thereof to the collector]. The collector shall also make available, electronically or otherwise, a [daily] report to the auditor of all other sums of money collected by [him] the collector from any source whatsoever, and in such report shall state [from whom collected, and] on what account[, which sums shall be charged by the auditor to the collector] collected. The collector shall[, upon turning] turn money over to the county treasurer[, take duplicate receipts therefor and file same immediately with the county auditor] under section 139.210, RSMo.
139.031. 1. Any taxpayer, upon total payment of the current tax bill, may protest all or any part of any current taxes assessed against the taxpayer, except taxes collected by the director of revenue of Missouri. Any such taxpayer desiring to pay any current taxes under protest shall, at the time of paying such taxes, file with the collector a written statement setting forth the grounds on which the protest is based. The statement shall include the true value in money claimed by the taxpayer if disputed.
2. Upon receiving payment of current taxes under protest pursuant to subsection 1 of this section or upon receiving notice of an appeal pursuant to section 138.430, RSMo, the collector shall disburse to the proper official all portions of taxes not disputed by the taxpayer and shall impound in a separate fund all portions of such taxes which are in dispute. Except as provided in subsection 3 of this section, every taxpayer protesting the payment of current taxes shall, within ninety days after filing his protest, commence an action against the collector by filing a petition for the recovery of the amount protested in the circuit court of the county in which the collector maintains his office. If any taxpayer so protesting his taxes shall fail to commence an action in the circuit court for the recovery of the taxes protested within the time prescribed in this subsection, such protest shall become null and void and of no effect, and the collector shall then disburse to the proper official the taxes impounded, and any interest earned thereon, as provided above in this subsection.
3. No action against the collector shall be commenced by any taxpayer who has, for the current tax year in issue, filed with the state tax commission a timely and proper appeal of the protested taxes. Such taxpayer shall notify the collector of the appeal in the written statement required by subsection 1 of this section. The taxes so protested shall be impounded in a separate fund and the commission may order all or any part of such taxes refunded to the taxpayer, or may authorize the collector to release and disburse all or any part of such taxes in its decision and order issued pursuant to chapter 138, RSMo.
4. Trial of the action in the circuit court shall be in the manner prescribed for nonjury civil proceedings, and, after determination of the issues, the court shall make such orders as may be just and equitable to refund to the taxpayer all or any part of the current taxes paid under protest, together with any interest earned thereon, or to authorize the collector to release and disburse all or any part of the impounded taxes, and any interest earned thereon, to the appropriate officials of the taxing authorities. Either party to the proceedings may appeal the determination of the circuit court.
5. All the county collectors of taxes, and the collector of taxes in any city not within a county, shall, upon written application of a taxpayer, refund or credit against the taxpayer's tax liability in the following taxable year and subsequent consecutive taxable years until the taxpayer has received credit in full for any real or personal property tax mistakenly or erroneously levied against the taxpayer and collected in whole or in part by the collector. Such application shall be filed within three years after the tax is mistakenly or erroneously paid. The governing body, or other appropriate body or official of the county or city not within a county, shall make available to the collector funds necessary to make refunds under this subsection by issuing warrants upon the fund to which the mistaken or erroneous payment has been credited, or otherwise.
6. No taxpayer shall receive any interest on any money paid in by the taxpayer erroneously.
7. All protested taxes shall be invested by the collector in the same manner as assets specified in section 30.260, RSMo, for investment of state moneys. A taxpayer who is entitled to a refund of protested taxes shall also receive the interest earned on the investment thereof. If the collector is ordered to release and disburse all or part of the taxes paid under protest to the proper official, such taxes shall be disbursed along with the proportional amount of interest earned on the investment of the taxes due the particular taxing authority.
8. Any taxing authority may request to be notified by the county collector of current taxes paid under protest. Such request shall be in writing and submitted on or before [March] February first next following the delinquent date of current taxes paid under protest, and the county collector shall [notify any] provide such information on or before March first of the same year to the requesting taxing authority of the taxes paid under protest which would be received by such taxing authority if the funds were not the subject of a protest. Any taxing authority may apply to the circuit court of the county or city not within a county in which a collector has impounded protested taxes under this section and, upon a satisfactory showing that such taxing authority would receive such impounded tax funds if they were not the subject of a protest and that such taxing authority has the financial ability and legal capacity to repay such impounded tax funds in the event a decision ordering a refund to the taxpayer is subsequently made, the circuit court shall order, pendente lite, the disbursal of all or any part of such impounded tax funds to such taxing authority. The circuit court issuing an order under this subsection shall retain jurisdiction of such matter for further proceedings, if any, to compel restitution of such tax funds to the taxpayer. In the event that any protested tax funds refunded to a taxpayer were disbursed to a taxing authority under this subsection instead of being held and invested by the collector under subsection 7 of this section, such taxing authority shall pay the taxpayer entitled to the refund of such protested taxes the same amount of interest, as determined by the circuit court having jurisdiction in the matter, such protested taxes would have earned if they had been held and invested by the collector.
9. No appeal filed shall stay any order of refund, but the decision filed by any court of last review modifying the circuit court's or state tax commission's determination pertaining to the amount of refund shall be binding on the parties, and the decision rendered shall be complied with by the party affected by any modification within ninety days of the date of such decision. No taxpayer shall receive any interest on any additional award of refund, and the collector shall not receive any interest on any ordered return of refund in whole or in part.
139.140. Except as provided in section 52.361, RSMo, the personal delinquent lists allowed to any collector shall be delivered to the collector and when [his] the collector's term of office expires then to [his] the successor, who shall be charged with the full amount thereof, and shall account therefor as for other moneys collected by [him] the collector. When [he] the collector makes [his] the next annual settlement [he] the collector shall return the lists to the clerk of the county commission, and in the city of St. Louis the lists and the uncollected tax bills to the comptroller of the city, and shall be entitled to credit for the amount [he] the collector has been unable to collect. The lists and bills shall be delivered to [his] the collector's successor, and so on until the whole are collected.
139.150. And in making collections on the said personal delinquent lists, the said collectors, except collectors in counties of the first or second classifications, shall give duplicate receipts therefor, one to be delivered to the person paying the same, and the other to be filed with the clerk of the county commission, who shall charge the collector therewith.
139.210. 1. Every county collector and [ex officio county collector] collector-treasurer, other than the county collector of revenue of each county of the first or second classifications and except in the city of St. Louis, shall, on or before the fifth day of each month, file with the county clerk a detailed statement, verified by affidavit of all state, county, school, road and municipal taxes, and of all licenses by [him] the collector collected during the preceding month, and shall, except for tax payments made pursuant to section 139.053, on or before the fifteenth day of the month, pay the same, less [his] the collector's commissions, into the county treasuries and to the director of revenue.
2. The county collector of revenue of each county of the first or second classifications shall, before the fifteenth day of each month, file with the county clerk and auditor a detailed statement, verified by affidavit, of all state, county, school, road, and municipal taxes and of all licenses collected by the collector during the preceding month, and shall, except for tax payments made under section 139.053, on or before the fifteenth day of the month, pay such taxes and licenses, less commissions, into the treasuries of the appropriate taxing entities and to the director of revenue.
3. It shall be the duty of the county clerk, and [he] the clerk is hereby required, to forward immediately a certified copy of such detailed statement to the director of revenue, who shall keep an account of the state taxes with the collector.
139.220. Every collector of the revenue having made settlement, according to law, of county revenue [by him] collected or received by the collector, shall pay the amount found due into the county treasury, and the treasurer shall give [him] the collector duplicate receipts therefor, one of which shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the county commission, who shall grant [him] the collector full quietus under the seal of the commission.
140.050. 1. Except as provided in section 52.361, RSMo, the county clerk shall file the delinquent lists in [his] the county clerk's office and within ten days thereafter make, under the seal of the commission, the lists into a back tax book as provided in section 140.060.
2. Except as provided in section 52.361, RSMo, when completed, the clerk shall deliver the book to the collector taking duplicate receipts therefor, one of which [he] the clerk shall file in [his] the clerk's office and the other [he] the clerk shall file with the director of revenue. The clerk shall charge the collector with the aggregate amount of taxes, interest, and clerk's fees contained in the back tax book.
3. The collector shall collect such back taxes and may levy upon, seize and distrain tangible personal property and may sell such property for taxes.
4. In the city of St. Louis, the city comptroller or other proper officer shall return the back tax book together with the uncollected tax bills within thirty days to the city collector.
5. If any county commission or clerk in counties not having a county auditor fails to comply with section 140.040, and this section, to the extent that the collection of taxes cannot be enforced by law, the county commission or clerk, or their successors in office, shall correct such omissions at once and return the back tax book to the collector who shall collect such taxes.
140.070. All back taxes, of whatever kind, whether state, county or school, or of any city or incorporated town, which return delinquent tax lists to the county collector to collect, appearing due upon delinquent real estates shall be extended in the back tax book made under this chapter or chapter 52, RSMo. In case the collector of any city or town has omitted or neglected to return to the county collector a list of delinquent lands and lots, as required by section 140.670, the present authorities of the city or town may cause the delinquent list to be certified, as by that section contemplated, and the delinquent taxes shall be by the county clerk put upon the back tax book and collected by the collector under authority of this chapter.
140.080. Except as provided in section 52.361, RSMo, the county clerk and the county collector shall compare the back tax book with the corrected delinquent land list made pursuant to sections 140.030 and 140.040 respectively, and the clerk shall certify on the delinquent land list on file in [his] the clerk's office that the list has been properly entered in the back tax book and shall attach a certificate at the end of the back tax book that it contains a true copy of the delinquent land list on file in [his] the collector's office.
140.160. 1. No proceedings for the sale of land and lots for delinquent taxes pursuant to this chapter or unpaid special assessments as provided in section 67.469, RSMo, relating to the collection of delinquent and back taxes and unpaid special assessments and providing for foreclosure sale and redemption of land and lots therefor, shall be valid unless initial proceedings therefor shall be commenced within three years after delinquency of such taxes and unpaid special assessments, and any sale held pursuant to initial proceedings commenced within such period of three years shall be deemed to have been in compliance with the provisions of said law insofar as the time at which such sales are to be had is specified therein; provided further, that in suits or actions to collect delinquent drainage and/or levee assessments on real estate such suits or actions shall be commenced within three years after delinquency, otherwise no suit or action therefor shall be commenced, had or maintained, except that the three-year limitation described in this subsection shall not be applicable if any written instrument conveys any real estate having a tax-exempt status, if such instrument causes such real estate to again become taxable real property and if such instrument has not been recorded in the office of the recorder in the county in which the real estate has been situated. Such three-year limitation shall only be applicable once the recording of the title has occurred.
2. [In order to enable county and city collectors to be able to collect delinquent and back taxes and unpaid special assessments,] The county auditor in all counties having a county auditor shall annually audit [and list all delinquent and back taxes and unpaid special assessments] collections, deposits, and supporting reports of the collector and provide a copy of such audit [and list] to the county collector and to the governing body of the county. A copy of the audit [and list] may be provided to [city collectors] all applicable taxing entities within the county at the discretion of the county collector.
140.730. 1. Tangible personal property taxes assessed on and after January 1, 1946, and all personal taxes delinquent at that date, shall constitute a debt, as of the date on which such taxes were levied for which a personal judgment may be recovered against the party assessed with such taxes before any court of this state having jurisdiction. Delinquent personal property taxes shall be subject to the same interest and penalties prescribed for delinquent real property taxes.
2. All actions commenced pursuant to this law shall be prosecuted in the name of the state of Missouri, at the relation and to the use of the collector and against the person or persons named in the tax bill, and in one petition and in one count thereof may be included the said taxes for all such years as may be delinquent and unpaid, and said taxes shall be set forth in a tax bill or bills of said personal back taxes duly authenticated by the certificate of the collector and filed with the petition; and said tax bill or tax bills so certified shall be prima facie evidence that the amount claimed in said suit is just and correct, and all notices and process in suits pursuant to this chapter shall be sued and served in the same manner as in civil actions, and the general laws of this state as to practice and proceedings and appeals and writs of error in civil cases shall apply, as far as applicable, to the above actions; provided, however, that in no case shall the state, county, city or collector be liable for any costs nor shall any be taxed against them or any of them.
3. For the purpose of this chapter, personal tax bills shall become delinquent on the first day of January following the year the taxes are due, and suits thereon may be instituted on and after the first day of February following, and within three years from said day. If the collector, after using due diligence, is unable to collect any personal property taxes charged in the delinquent tax list within three years following the year the taxes are due, the collector may remove such personal property taxes from the delinquent or back taxes books in the same manner as real estate is removed under section 137.260, RSMo. Such abated amounts shall be reported on the annual settlement made by a collector of revenue.
4. Said personal tax shall be presented and allowed against the estates of deceased or insolvent debtors, in the same manner and with like effect, as other indebtedness of said debtors. The remedy hereby provided for the collection of personal tax bills is cumulative, and shall not in any manner impair other methods existing or hereafter provided for the collection of the same.
165.071. 1. At least once in every month the county collector in all counties of the first
and second classifications and the collector-treasurer in counties having township organization shall pay over to the treasurer of the school board of all seven-director districts all moneys received and collected by the county collector and the collector-treasurer to which the board is entitled and take duplicate receipts from the treasurer, one of which the county collector and the collector-treasurer shall file with the secretary of the school board and the other the county collector and the collector-treasurer shall file in his or her settlement with the county commission.
2. The county collector in counties of the third and fourth classification, except in counties under township organization, shall pay over to the county treasurer at least once in every month all moneys received and collected by the county collector which are due each school district and shall take duplicate receipts therefor, one of which the county collector shall file in his or her settlement with the county commission. The county treasurer in such counties shall pay over to the treasurer of the school board of seven-director districts, at least once in every month, all moneys so received by the county treasurer to which the board is entitled. Upon payment the county treasurer shall take duplicate receipts from the treasurer of the school board, one of which the county treasurer shall file with the secretary of the school board, and the other [he] the county treasurer shall file in his or her settlement with the county commission.
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