Sec. 5.4. (a) This section applies to the following:

(1) A foreign business association that:

(A) has not obtained a certificate of authority from, or registered with, the secretary of state in accordance with the procedures described in IC 23, as applicable; or

(B) has obtained a certificate of authority from, or registered with, the secretary of state in accordance with the procedures described in IC 23, as applicable, but is not in good standing in Indiana as determined by the secretary of state.

(2) A person who is an agent of a person described in this subsection.

(b) As used in this section, "foreign business association" means a corporation, professional corporation, nonprofit corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or limited partnership that is organized under the laws of another state or another country.

(c) A person subject to this section may not purchase a tract offered for sale under section 5 or 6.1 of this chapter. However, this section does not prohibit a person from bidding on a tract that is owned by the person and offered for sale under section 5 of this chapter.

(d) If a person purchases a tract that the person was not eligible to purchase under this section, the sale of the property is subject to forfeiture. If the county treasurer determines or is notified not more than six (6) months after the date of the sale that the sale of the property should be forfeited under this section, the county treasurer shall:

(1) notify the person in writing that the sale is subject to forfeiture within thirty (30) days of the notice if:

(A) the person does not obtain a certificate of authority, or register with, the secretary of state in accordance with the procedures described in IC 23, as applicable; or

(B) the person does not otherwise cure the noncompliance that is the basis of the person's failure to be in good standing in Indiana as determined by the secretary of state;

(2) if the person does not meet the conditions described in subdivision (1) within thirty (30) days after the notice, refund the surplus amount of the person's bid to the person; and

(3) notify the county auditor that the sale has been forfeited.

Upon being notified that a sale has been forfeited, the county auditor shall issue a certificate to the county executive under section 6 of this chapter.

(e) A county treasurer may decline to forfeit a sale under this section because of inadvertence or mistake, lack of actual knowledge by the bidder, substantial harm to other parties with interests in the tract or item of real property, or other substantial reasons. If the treasurer declines to forfeit a sale, the treasurer shall:

(1) prepare a written statement explaining the reasons for declining to forfeit the sale; and

(2) retain the written statement as an official record.

(f) If a sale is forfeited under this section and the tract or item of real property is redeemed from the sale, the county auditor shall deposit the amount of the redemption into the county general fund and notify the county executive of the redemption. Upon being notified of the redemption, the county executive shall surrender the certificate to the county auditor.

As added by P.L.66-2014, SEC.10.