Sec. 33934.

(1) If default is made in the payment of taxes to the treasurer of the township, city, or village in which the lands leased are located, the same shall be returned to the county treasurer according to and subject to the provisions of law for the return and collection of unpaid taxes assessed upon real estate. The treasurer of the township, city, or village, at the same time that he or she makes returns to the county treasurer, shall make and transmit to the department a list of the lands so delinquent for taxes and the amount of taxes delinquent upon each description in the list. The county treasurer shall, at the same time he or she makes his or her return of delinquent lands to the department of treasury, make a similar return to the department of all such leasehold interests, the taxes upon which have not been collected, with a statement of the amount thereof. The county treasurer shall not receive payment of the amount of any taxes assessed upon such leasehold interests; but such taxes when returned delinquent by the township treasurer shall be payable only to the department. The department shall provide suitable books and enter in those books the description of every leasehold interest so returned and the taxes thereon. The person holding such interest in any parcel of this land may pay to the department at any time within 1 year after the same becomes a lien on the premises, the taxes assessed thereon, with interest at the rate of 1/2 of 1% per month or fraction thereof, with 4% as a collection fee, from the first day of March last preceding. However, if the taxes are not paid within this time period, the leasehold interest is forfeited because of the nonpayment of the taxes, and within its discretion the department may release the premises to any person for any term of years not exceeding 99 years, upon that person paying to the department all unpaid taxes on the land, together with such rental as may be determined upon under this part by the department.

(2) If the leasehold interest is owned by 2 or more persons, and any 1 or more of the persons neglect or refuse to pay his or her or their proportionate share of the taxes assessed against the leasehold at the date when the taxes become due and payable, then any 1 or more of the owners may pay his or her or their proportionate share of the taxes, and the county treasurer, in his or her return of delinquent lands to the department, shall indicate partial payments of taxes credited to the owner or owners making them. Any owner not having made payment of his or her proportionate share of the taxes may, at any time within 1 year after the taxes have become a lien on the premises, pay to the department his or her proportionate share of the taxes with interest at the rate of 1% per month or fraction thereof, from the first day of March last preceding. If the proportionate share of taxes of any such owner is not paid within this time period, the interest of the owner in the leasehold is forfeited because of the nonpayment of the taxes, and thereafter within 30 days, such of the owners as have paid their proportionate share of the taxes, upon payment to the department of the amount of the taxes remaining due with interest accrued to the date of forfeiture, shall be entitled to conveyances by the department of the interests in the leasehold that have been forfeited. The interest thus conveyed shall be allotted equally among those owners who shall pay the delinquent taxes with interest as provided in this section.

(3) If default is made by any lessee in the payment of taxes, he or she shall be notified in writing by the department at least 3 months before the date of final forfeiture of the amount due and the penalty for nonpayment and the date upon which forfeiture is to occur.

(4) Upon payment to the department of taxes and interest as provided in this section, the payment amount shall be credited to the county in which such leasehold interests were assessed, in the same manner as taxes and interest are now credited to counties on part-paid state lands.

(5) Immediately upon formal determination by the department that a lease has been forfeited under this part, a certificate of cancellation of the lease shall be executed under the seal of the department and shall be forwarded to the register of deeds of the county where the land is situated. Upon receipt of this certificate, the register of deeds shall at once cause it to be recorded in a suitable book to be provided by the register of deeds. If the lease is of record in the register of deeds, the register of deeds shall note on the lease the fact that a certificate of cancellation has been issued and shall also note the citation to the record of such certificate.

History: Add. 1995, Act 59, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1995 ;-- Am. 2002, Act 356, Imd. Eff. May 23, 2002 Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: NREPA