As used in sections 5721.30 to 5721.43 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Tax certificate," "certificate," or "duplicate certificate" means a document that may be issued as a physical certificate, in book-entry form, or through an electronic medium, at the discretion of the county treasurer. Such document shall contain the information required by section 5721.31 of the Revised Code and shall be prepared, transferred, or redeemed in the manner prescribed by sections 5721.30 to 5721.43 of the Revised Code. As used in those sections, "tax certificate," "certificate," and "duplicate certificate" do not refer to the delinquent land tax certificate or the delinquent vacant land tax certificate issued under section 5721.13 of the Revised Code.

(B) "Certificate parcel" means the parcel of delinquent land that is the subject of and is described in a tax certificate.

(C) "Certificate holder" means a person, including a county land reutilization corporation, that purchases or otherwise acquires a tax certificate under section 5721.32, 5721.33, or 5721.42 of the Revised Code, or a person to whom a tax certificate has been transferred pursuant to section 5721.36 of the Revised Code.

(D) "Certificate purchase price" means, with respect to the sale of tax certificates under sections 5721.32, 5721.33, and 5721.42 of the Revised Code, the amount equal to delinquent taxes charged against a certificate parcel at the time the tax certificate respecting that parcel is sold or transferred, not including any delinquent taxes the lien for which has been conveyed to a certificate holder through a prior sale of a tax certificate respecting that parcel. Payment of the certificate purchase price in a sale under section 5721.33 of the Revised Code may be made wholly in cash or partially in cash and partially by noncash consideration acceptable to the county treasurer from the purchaser, and, in the case of a county land reutilization corporation, with notes. In the event that any such noncash consideration is delivered to pay a portion of the certificate purchase price, such noncash consideration may be subordinate to the rights of the holders of other obligations whose proceeds paid the cash portion of the certificate purchase price.

"Certificate purchase price" also includes the amount of the fee charged by the county treasurer to the purchaser of the certificate under division (H) of section 5721.32 of the Revised Code.

(E)

(1) With respect to a sale of tax certificates under section 5721.32 of the Revised Code, and except as provided in division (E)(2) of this section, "certificate redemption price" means the certificate purchase price plus the greater of the following:

(a) Simple interest, at the certificate rate of interest, accruing during the certificate interest period on the certificate purchase price, calculated in accordance with section 5721.41 of the Revised Code;

(b) Six per cent of the certificate purchase price.

(2) If the certificate rate of interest equals zero, the certificate redemption price equals the certificate purchase price plus the fee charged by the county treasurer to the purchaser of the certificate under division (H) of section 5721.32 of the Revised Code.

(F) With respect to a sale or transfer of tax certificates under section 5721.33 of the Revised Code, "certificate redemption price" means the amount equal to the sum of the following:

(1) The certificate purchase price;

(2) Interest accrued on the certificate purchase price at the certificate rate of interest from the date on which a tax certificate is delivered through and including the day immediately preceding the day on which the certificate redemption price is paid;

(3) The fee, if any, charged by the county treasurer to the purchaser of the certificate under division (J) of section 5721.33 of the Revised Code;

(4) Any other fees charged by any county office in connection with the recording of tax certificates.

(G) "Certificate rate of interest" means the rate of simple interest per year bid by the winning bidder in an auction of a tax certificate held under section 5721.32 of the Revised Code, or the rate of simple interest per year not to exceed eighteen per cent per year fixed pursuant to section 5721.42 of the Revised Code or by the county treasurer with respect to any tax certificate sold or transferred pursuant to a negotiated sale under section 5721.33 of the Revised Code. The certificate rate of interest shall not be less than zero per cent per year.

(H) "Cash" means United States currency, certified checks, money orders, bank drafts, electronic transfer of funds, or other forms of payment authorized by the county treasurer, and excludes any other form of payment not so authorized.

(I) "The date on which a tax certificate is sold or transferred," "the date the certificate was sold or transferred," "the date the certificate is purchased," and any other phrase of similar content mean, with respect to a sale pursuant to an auction under section 5721.32 of the Revised Code, the date designated by the county treasurer for the submission of bids and, with respect to a negotiated sale or transfer under section 5721.33 of the Revised Code, the date of delivery of the tax certificates to the purchasers thereof pursuant to a tax certificate sale/purchase agreement.

(J) "Certificate interest period" means, with respect to a tax certificate sold under section 5721.32 or 5721.42 of the Revised Code and for the purpose of accruing interest under section 5721.41 of the Revised Code, the period beginning on the date on which the certificate is purchased and, with respect to a tax certificate sold or transferred under section 5721.33 of the Revised Code, the period beginning on the date of delivery of the tax certificate, and in either case ending on one of the following dates:

(1) The date the certificate holder files a request for foreclosure or notice of intent to foreclose under division (A) of section 5721.37 of the Revised Code and submits the payment required under division (B) of that section;

(2) The date the owner of record of the certificate parcel, or any other person entitled to redeem that parcel, redeems the certificate parcel under division (A) or (C) of section 5721.38 of the Revised Code or redeems the certificate under section 5721.381 of the Revised Code.

(K) "Qualified trustee" means a trust company within the state or a bank having the power of a trust company within the state with a combined capital stock, surplus, and undivided profits of at least one hundred million dollars.

(L) "Tax certificate sale/purchase agreement" means the purchase and sale agreement described in division (C) of section 5721.33 of the Revised Code setting forth the certificate purchase price, plus any applicable premium or less any applicable discount, including, without limitation, the amount to be paid in cash and the amount and nature of any noncash consideration, the date of delivery of the tax certificates, and the other terms and conditions of the sale, including, without limitation, the rate of interest that the tax certificates shall bear.

(M) "Noncash consideration" means any form of consideration other than cash, including, but not limited to, promissory notes whether subordinate or otherwise.

(N) "Private attorney" means any attorney licensed to practice law in this state whose license has not been revoked and is not currently suspended, and who is retained to bring foreclosure proceedings pursuant to section 5721.37 of the Revised Code on behalf of a certificate holder.

(O) "Related certificate parcel" means, with respect to a certificate holder, the certificate parcel with respect to which the certificate holder has purchased and holds a tax certificate pursuant to sections 5721.30 to 5721.43 of the Revised Code and, with respect to a tax certificate, the certificate parcel against which the tax certificate has been sold pursuant to those sections.

(P) "Delinquent taxes" means delinquent taxes as defined in section 323.01 of the Revised Code and includes assessments and charges, and penalties and interest computed under section 323.121 of the Revised Code.

(Q) "Certificate period" means the period of time after the sale or delivery of a tax certificate within which a certificate holder must initiate an action to foreclose the tax lien represented by the certificate as specified under division (A) of section 5721.32 of the Revised Code or as negotiated under section 5721.33 of the Revised Code.

(R) "Internet identifier of record" has the same meaning as in section 9.312 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 34, §1, eff. 11/2/2018.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Effective Date: 06-15-2004; 2008 HB562 09-22-2008; 2008 SB353 04-07-2009 .