The failure of any county collector to obtain judgment shall not prevent him or her from presenting a statement of credits and making settlement for taxes, and special assessments in his or her hands, at the time required by this Code. If, from no fault of the collector, he or she fails to obtain judgment and sale of delinquent property, or judgment fixing the correct amount of any taxes paid under protest at the time required by this Code, he or she shall be allowed, in the settlements, a temporary credit for the amount of taxes and special assessments in the delinquent list and for the amount of those taxes paid under protest. The delinquent taxes and special assessments shall be accounted for and paid immediately after sale is held. The amount of any taxes paid under protest shall be distributed as provided for in Section 23-15 and 23-20 and any refund ordered by the court shall be accounted for and paid in accordance with the judgment of the court. Protested taxes not so distributed by a county collector, but withheld for the making of refunds ordered by the court, in any event, shall be distributed within 3 years from the date the protest was filed with the collector.