Md. Code, TP § 14-817 Sale At Public Auction

• Library: Maryland Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through November 23, 2023
• Year: 2023
• Citation: Md. Code, TP § 14-817

(a)

(1)

(i) The sale shall be held on the day and at the place stated in the notice by advertising.

(ii) The sale shall be held in the county in which the land to be sold is located.

(iii) If the sale cannot be completed on that day, the collector shall continue the sale as determined by the collector and announced to the bidders at the sale until all property included in the sale is sold.

(2) All sales shall be at public auction to the person who makes the highest good faith accepted bid, in fee or leasehold, as the case may be.

(3)

(i) The collector shall retain any common law or other authority normally granted to an auctioneer conducting a public auction and may refuse to accept bids that are not made in good faith.

(ii) The collector may delegate this authority to an auctioneer.

(4) The conduct of the sale shall be according to terms set by the collector, and published with a reasonable degree of specificity in the public notice of the tax sale, to ensure the orderly functioning of the public auction and the integrity of the tax sale process, including requirements that potential bidders:

(i) establish their eligibility for bidding by presenting evidence of the legal existence of the bidding entity that is satisfactory to the collector;

(ii) limit their representation at a tax sale to no more than a single agent per bidding entity; and

(iii) refrain from any act, agreement, consent, or conspiracy to suppress, predetermine, rig, or fix the bidding at the sale.

(5)

(i) If determined by the collector to be in the best public interest and included in the required public notice of the sale, the collector may solicit and accept bids from the highest bidder for any group of properties to be sold at the tax sale.

(ii)

1. Upon the request of any individual or group, the collector may remove any individual property or properties from a group of properties to be sold at the tax sale.

2. Upon the request of the property owner at least 15 days before the date of the tax sale, the collector shall remove any individual property or properties from a group of properties to be sold at the tax sale.

(iii) The collector shall provide notice to the potential bidders of any alterations to a group of properties at the time the bidders become known.

(iv) The collector may conduct the sale of a group of properties under this paragraph by a sealed bid process.

(v) Except in Montgomery County, the collector shall establish a high-bid premium under subsection (b)(2) of this section for all properties to be sold: