(1)(a) The interest of the state in any land which was acquired by the state under chapter 18296, Laws of Florida, 1937, but which is listed on a county tax assessment roll as being owned by a person other than the state and on which ad valorem taxes have been paid at least since January 1, 1971, is hereby released to such person. The rights that are released under this subsection are all rights in the land, including state-held subsurface rights.

(b) Upon request by any person, the county tax collector shall record in the official records of the county in which the land is located a certificate that the taxes have been paid since January 1, 1971, by the landowner or the landowner’s predecessor in title, if in fact the taxes have been paid. Such certificate is conclusive evidence of that fact.

(2)(a) The title to any land which was acquired by the state under chapter 18296, Laws of Florida, 1937, except those parcels which have been sold, conveyed, dedicated, or released by the state pursuant to subsection (1), is hereby vested in the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund.

(b) Land to which title is vested in the board of trustees by paragraph (a) shall be treated in the same manner as other nonsovereignty lands owned by the board. However, any parcel of land the title to which is vested in the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund pursuant to this section which is 10 acres or less in size and has a market value of $250,000 or less is hereby declared surplus, except for lands determined to be needed for state use, and may be sold in any manner provided by law. All proceeds from the sale of such land shall be deposited into the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund is authorized to adopt rules to implement the provisions of this subsection.

(c) The holder of a claim or lien against land vested in the board of trustees by paragraph (a), including a municipality or special taxing district, has until October 1, 1985, to institute suit in a court of competent jurisdiction to establish or enforce the claim or lien. The failure to institute suit by October 1, 1985, is conclusive evidence of abandonment of the claim or lien, and such claim or lien will become unenforceable. This paragraph shall not operate to revive any claim or lien previously extinguished by operation of law.

(3) Any person who has a claim to Murphy Act lands based upon a defect in a deed executed by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund has until October 1, 1985, to institute suit in a court of competent jurisdiction to establish the claim, or it will be forever barred.

(4) This section does not affect marketability of title established pursuant to chapter 712 prior to October 1, 1984.

(5) This section does not affect the validity of previous conveyances of Murphy Act lands by the board of trustees or previous reservations or restrictions in such conveyances made prior to July 1, 1991.

History.—s. 2, ch. 84-197; s. 6, ch. 91-56; s. 144, ch. 95-148; s. 5, ch. 2001-275; s. 8, ch. 2008-229.