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March 19, 2024 Clouds | 35°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Section 43: Conduct of sale, etc.

Section 43. If the taxes are not paid, the collector shall, at the time and place appointed for the sale, sell by public auction, for the amount of the taxes and interest, if any, and necessary intervening charges, the smallest undivided part of the land which will bring said amount, or the whole for said amount, if no person offers to take an undivided part; and shall at such sale require of the purchaser an immediate deposit of such sum as he considers necessary to insure good faith in payment of the purchase money, and, on failure of the purchaser to make such deposit forthwith, the sale shall be void and another sale may be made as provided in this chapter. The word ''taxes'', as used in the provisions of this and the following sections of this chapter relating to collection by sale or taking of any parcel of land shall, so far as pertinent, include all taxes, assessments or portions thereof, rates and charges of every nature which constitute a lien upon such parcel and which have lawfully been placed upon the annual tax bill of a municipality or of a district wholly or partly located within its limits. The collector, on behalf of such municipality and district or either of them, shall make a single sale or taking of any parcel of land for all unpaid taxes as so defined. If the municipality purchases or takes the land in such case, the proceeds received upon redemption of the tax title or upon a sale following foreclosure of the right of redemption shall be applied first to taxes assessed on account of the municipality under chapter fifty-nine, including interest thereon, and all costs, charges and terms of redemption in any way resulting from such sale or taking, second to any district taxes, including interest thereon, in the order in which they were committed to the collector, and the balance to other assessments or portions thereof, rates and charges, including interest thereon, in the order in which they were committed to the collector.