A.  The authority may purchase adjudicated properties within its territorial jurisdiction from any political subdivision of the state of Louisiana.  No such purchase shall be construed to, or otherwise have the effect of, extending or suspending the period prescribed by law for the redemption of the property by the tax debtor or any other person.

B.  In addition to the authority set forth in Subpart B of Part IV of Chapter 5 of Subtitle III of Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, such purchases by the authority may be by a direct negotiated purchase and sale agreement between the authority and a political subdivision without any other requirement of a public sale prior to the transfer of such properties to the authority.  Such purchases by the authority shall not be considered the sale of surplus property or of property owned by the political subdivision.

C.  Effective upon the recordation of the transfer of an adjudicated property to the authority pursuant to a purchase and sale agreement, the rights of the authority in and to such property shall be the rights of a purchaser at a tax sale as contemplated by Chapter 5 of Subtitle III of Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, subject only to the rights of redemption of the property set forth in La. Const. Art. VII, § 25(B) , and the property shall no longer be deemed to be adjudicated property as of such recordation.  For purposes of the right of redemption in La. Const. Art. VII, § 25(B) , the redemptive period commences on the date of the recordation of the initial adjudication to the political subdivision and not on the date of transfer to the authority.

D.  Any such purchase and sale agreement shall set forth the total consideration to be paid by the authority and the method and timing of payment of such consideration by the authority.

E.  The state and any political subdivision with liens on the property may, pursuant to intergovernmental agreements with the authority, cancel such liens contemporaneously with or subject to the transfer of the property to the authority.

F.(1)  The authority shall have the right, subject to the provisions of this Section, to purchase properties at tax sales conducted in accordance with Part III of Chapter 5 of Subtitle III of Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, and any and all such purchases shall be a purchase pursuant to those provisions and not an adjudication to a political subdivision.

(2)  Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 5 of Subtitle III of Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, the authority may tender a bid at a tax sale which is a credit bid, consisting of the obligation of the authority to satisfy the component parts of the bid by payments to the respective political subdivisions and taxing entities in accordance with intergovernmental agreements between the authority and such political subdivisions and taxing entities.

(3)  A bid by the authority at a tax sale for the minimum amount shall take priority over all other bids for the same quantity of property, except for a higher bid submitted by a conventional mortgage holder holding a mortgage on the subject property.

G.  The authority shall submit annual reports to the House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs and the Senate Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs and each member of the Orleans Parish legislative delegation concerning property purchased by the authority.  Such report shall be filed by March first each year and shall cover the previous calendar year.  Each report shall include:

(1)  The legal description or other indication of the location of each property purchased.

(2)  The amount paid for each property.

(3)  The minimum bid that was set for the property and the appraised value of the property.

(4)  A general description of the authority’s plans for the property and how such plans advance the purposes for which the authority is created.

Acts 2012, No. 196, §1, eff. May 22, 2012; Acts 2013, No. 220, §12, eff. June 11, 2013.