If the state treasurer or the treasurer of any county shall have reason to believe that any tax is due and unpaid under this act, after the refusal or neglect of the persons liable therefor to pay the same, he or she shall notify the attorney general in writing of that failure or neglect, and the attorney general may apply, or cause the prosecuting attorney of the county to apply, in behalf of the state, to the probate court for an order requiring the persons liable to pay the tax to appear before the court on a day specified, not more than 3 months after the date of the order, and show cause why the tax should not be paid. The judge of probate upon such application, and whenever it shall appear to him or her that any such tax accruing under this act has not been paid as required by law, shall issue a citation, and the service of a citation, and the time, manner, and proof of the citation and the hearing and determination of the citation, and the enforcement of the determination or order made by the judge of probate shall conform to the practice of the probate court in like cases made and provided for the service of citations out of the probate court, and the hearing and determination thereon and its enforcement, so far as the same may be applicable. In all cases where an estate has been declared closed without fixing or payment of the tax upon the transfers therein, and the attorney general believes that the transfers are subject to a tax and the real estate in the estate is subject to a lien and anticipates the institution of proceedings for the fixing and enforcing, or the enforcing of the lien when it has been fixed, he or she may file with the register of deeds of the county a notice setting forth the fact together with a description of the real estate claimed to be subject to the lien which shall operate with the same force and effect as a lis pendens under existing statutes. However, the failure to file such notice shall not in any manner prejudice the rights of the state. The judge of probate or the probate clerk or register shall, upon the request of the attorney general, prosecuting attorney, or treasurer of the county, furnish 1 or more transcripts of such decree which shall be docketed and filed by the county clerk of any county of the state without fees, in the same manner and with the same effect as provided by law for filing and docketing transcripts, judgments, and decrees of circuit courts in this state. As a cumulative remedy for the collection of the tax, the state may proceed by an action of assumpsit in any court of competent jurisdiction. Whenever the probate judge issues a citation and undertakes the proceedings specified in this section, he or she shall certify that fact to the county treasurer, together with an itemized bill of all expenses incurred for the services of the citation, and other lawful disbursements not otherwise paid. Upon receipt of the bill, the county treasurer shall pay the bill from the general or contingent fund of the county. In all proceedings to which any county treasurer, or the state treasurer, is cited to appear under section 11 and 12 of this act and all proceedings arising or instituted under this section, the attorney general shall represent the interests of the state, the compensation and expenses of necessary assistants and the expenses of the attorney general to be paid after approval by the attorney general on the warrant of the state treasurer out of the general fund in the state treasury.