West Virginia Code 11A-3-70 – Release of title to, and taxes on, lands on which all taxes paid for ten years
In view of the desirability of stable land titles and to encourage landowners to cause their lands to be assessed and pay the taxes thereon, it is the purpose and intent of the Legislature to release all of the state's title and claim and the authority and control of the Auditor to any real estate on which all taxes have been paid for ten consecutive years and release all taxes prior to such ten-year period. If, heretofore or hereafter, all taxes due on any parcel of land for ten consecutive years have been fully paid, all title to any such land acquired by the state prior to said ten-year period or all real property tax liens which subject the lands to the authority and control of the Auditor prior to said ten-year period shall be and is hereby released to the person who would be the owner thereof but for the title of the state or the real property tax liens which subject the lands to the authority and control of the Auditor so released and all unpaid taxes prior to said ten-year period are declared to be fully paid.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 11A-3-70
- Auditor: whenever used in this chapter in connection with delinquent, nonentered, escheated or waste and unappropriated lands, shall be construed to refer to the Auditor in his capacity as state commissioner of delinquent and nonentered lands. See West Virginia Code 11A-3-33
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- real property: include lands, tenements and hereditaments, all rights thereto and interests therein, except chattel interests. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
Nothing contained in this section shall affect or be held or construed to affect in any way the right or title of a person claiming to any land by transfer as provided in section three, article XIII of the Constitution of the State of West Virginia prior to the repeal of said Constitutional provision in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-two.
It is the intention of the Legislature that this section shall be both retroactive and prospective.