The following terms used in this Chapter shall have the definitions ascribed in this Section, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

(1)  “Acquiring person” means either of the following:

(a)  A person acquiring tax sale title to a tax sale property.

(b)  A political subdivision or any other person seeking to acquire or acquiring ownership of adjudicated property.

(2)  “Adjudicated property” means property of which tax sale title is acquired by a political subdivision pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 47:2196.

(3)  “Authenticate” means either of the following:

(a)  To sign.

(b)  To execute or otherwise adopt a symbol, or encrypt or similarly process a written notice in whole or in part, with the present intent of the authenticating person to identify the person and adopt or accept a written notice.

(4)  “Duly notified” means, with respect to a particular person, that an effort meeting the requirements of due process of law has been made to identify and to provide that person with a notice that meets the requirements of La. Rev. Stat. 47:2156, 2157, 2206, 2236, or 2275, or with service of a petition and citation in accordance with La. Rev. Stat. 47:2266, regardless of any of the following:

(a)  Whether the effort resulted in actual notice to the person.

(b)  Whether the one who made the effort was a public official or a private party.

(c)  When, after the tax sale, the effort was made.

(5)  “Governmental lien” means all liens imposed by law upon immovable property in favor of any political subdivision and filed in the mortgage records, including without limitation, those imposed under La. Rev. Stat. 13:2575, La. Rev. Stat. 33:1236, 4752, 4753, 4754, 4766, 5062, and 5062.1, other than statutory impositions.

(6)  “Ordinance” means:

(a)  An act of a political subdivision that has the force and effect of law, including but not limited to an ordinance, a resolution, or a motion; or

(b)  A rule or regulation promulgated by the State Land Office, the division of administration, or by another state agency with authority over adjudicated properties.

(7)  “Owner” means a person who holds an ownership interest that has not been terminated pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 47:2121(C).

(8)  “Payment nullity” means a nullity arising from payment of taxes prior to a tax sale, including payment based on dual assessment.

(9)  “Political subdivision” means any of the following to the extent it has the power to levy ad valorem taxes and conduct tax sales for failure to pay ad valorem taxes:

(a)  The state.

(b)  Any political subdivision as defined in Article VI, Section 44 of thethe Louisiana Constitution.

(c)  Any other agency, board, or instrumentality under Subparagraph (a) or (b) of this Paragraph.

(10)  “Redemption nullity” means the right of a person to annul a tax sale in accordance with La. Rev. Stat. 47:2286 because he was not duly notified at least six months before the termination of the redemptive period.

(11)  “Redemptive period” means the period in which a person may redeem property as provided in thethe Louisiana Constitution.

(12)  “Send” means either of the following:

(a)  To deposit in the mail or deliver for transmission by any other commercially reasonable means of communication with postage or cost of transmission provided for, and properly addressed to any address reasonable under the circumstances.

(b)  In any other way to cause to be received any written notice within the time it would have arrived if properly sent.

(13)  “Signed” includes using any symbol executed or adopted with present intention to adopt or accept a writing in tangible form.

(14)  “Statutory imposition” means ad valorem taxes and any imposition in addition to ad valorem taxes that are included on the tax bill sent to the tax debtor.

(15)  “Tax debtor” means, as of the date of determination, the person listed on the tax roll in accordance with La. Rev. Stat. 47:2126.

(16)  “Tax notice party” means, as of the date of determination, the tax debtor and any person requesting notice pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 47:2159.

(17)  “Tax sale” means the sale or adjudication of tax sale title to property pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 47:2154 and 2196.

(18)  “Tax sale certificate” means the written notice evidencing a tax sale to be filed in accordance with La. Rev. Stat. 47:2155 and 2196.

(19)  “Tax sale party” means the tax notice party, the owner of property, including the owner of record at the time of a tax sale, as shown in the conveyance records of the appropriate parish, and any other person holding an interest, such as a mortgage, privilege, or other encumbrance on the property, including a tax sale purchaser, as shown in the mortgage and conveyance records of the appropriate parish.

(20)  “Tax sale property” means property for which tax sale title is sold pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 47:2154.

(21)  “Tax sale purchaser” means the purchaser of tax sale property, his successors, and assigns.

(22)  “Tax sale title” means the set of rights acquired by a tax sale purchaser or, in the case of adjudicated property, on the applicable political subdivision, pursuant to this Chapter.

(23)  “Written notice”, “notice”, “written”, or “writing” means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or which is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.

Acts 2008, No. 819, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.