Real property taxes; delinquent tax sale; how conducted; sale of part; bid by land bank; effect

(b) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (c) of this subsection, the person who offers to pay the amount of taxes due on any real property for the smallest portion of the same shall be the purchaser, and when such person designates the smallest portion of the real property for which he or she will pay the amount of taxes assessed against any such property, the portion thus designated shall be considered an undivided portion.

(d) If no person bids for a less quantity than the whole and no land bank has given an automatically accepted bid pursuant to section 18-3417 , the treasurer may sell any real property to any one who will take the whole and pay the taxes and charges thereon.

(e) If the homestead is listed separately as a homestead, it shall be sold only for the taxes delinquent thereon.

(2)(a) This subsection applies beginning January 1, 2015.

(b) If a land bank gives an automatically accepted bid for real property pursuant to section 18-3417 , the land bank shall be the purchaser and no public or private auction shall be held under sections 77-1801 to 77-1863 .

(c) If no land bank has given an automatically accepted bid pursuant to section 18-3417 , the person who offers to pay the amount of taxes, delinquent interest, and costs due on any real property shall be the purchaser.

(d) The county treasurer or his or her designee shall announce bidding rules at the beginning of the public auction, and such rules shall apply to all bidders throughout the public auction.

(e) The sale, if conducted in a round-robin format, shall be conducted in the following manner:

(i) At the commencement of the sale, a count shall be taken of the number of registered bidders present who want to be eligible to purchase property. Each registered bidder shall only be counted once. If additional registered bidders appear at the sale after the commencement of a round, such registered bidders shall have the opportunity to participate at the end of the next following round, if any, as provided in subdivision (v) of this subdivision;

(ii) Sequentially enumerated tickets shall be placed in a receptacle. The number of tickets in the receptacle for the first round shall equal the count taken in subdivision (i) of this subdivision, and the number of tickets in the receptacle for each subsequent round shall equal the number of the count taken in subdivision (i) of this subdivision plus additional registered bidders as provided in subdivision (v) of this subdivision;

(iii) In a manner determined by the county treasurer or his or her designee, tickets shall be selected from the receptacle by hand for each registered bidder whereby each ticket has an equal chance of being selected. Tickets shall be selected until there are no tickets remaining in the receptacle;

(iv) The number on the ticket selected for a registered bidder shall represent the order in which a registered bidder may purchase property consisting of one parcel subject to sale from the list per round; and

(v) If property listed remains unsold at the end of a round, a new round shall commence until all property listed is either sold or, if any property listed remains unsold, each registered bidder has consecutively passed on the opportunity to make a purchase. Registered bidders who are not present when it is their turn to purchase property shall be considered to have passed on the opportunity to make a purchase. At the beginning of the second and any subsequent rounds, the county treasurer or his or her designee shall inquire whether there are additional registered bidders. If additional registered bidders are present, tickets for each such bidder shall be placed in a receptacle and selected as provided in subdivisions (ii) through (iv) of this subdivision. The second and any subsequent rounds shall proceed in the same manner and purchase order as the last preceding round, except that any additional registered bidders shall be given the opportunity to purchase at the end of the round in the order designated on their ticket.

(f) Any property remaining unsold upon completion of the public auction shall be sold at a private sale pursuant to section 77-1814 .

(g) A bidder shall (i) register with the county treasurer or his or her designee prior to participating in the sale, (ii) provide proof that it maintains a registered agent for service of process with the Secretary of State if the bidder is a foreign corporation, and (iii) pay a twenty-five-dollar registration fee. The fee is not refundable upon redemption.