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HB1794 • 2026

Modifies provisions governing liens on property for unpaid bills

Modifies provisions governing liens on property for unpaid bills

Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Murphy, Jim (094)
Last action
2026-05-15
Official status
05/15/2026 - Referred: Emerging Issues(H)
Effective date
2026-08-28

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide detailed information on specific consequences for individuals who fail to pay property taxes or other bills, beyond the rules regarding liens and ownership transfer.

Changes Rules for Property Liens on Unpaid Bills

This bill modifies how liens are placed on property when bills go unpaid, affecting who can claim rights to the property after a sale.

What This Bill Does

  • Repeals old rules about liens on property for unpaid taxes and other bills.
  • Establishes new rules that if someone buys land at auction due to unpaid taxes, they receive full ownership unless there are federal tax liens or special tax bills involved.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who have unpaid property taxes or other bills.
  • Local governments and taxing authorities collecting these unpaid bills.
  • Courts handling property sales due to unpaid bills.

Terms To Know

lien
A legal claim on a piece of property that allows someone to take the property if an owed amount is not paid.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how special tax bills or federal tax liens are handled.
  • Does not clarify what happens if someone claims rights to land sold for unpaid taxes after a certain period.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-15 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Referred: Emerging Issues(H)

  2. 2026-01-08 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Read Second Time (H)

  3. 2026-01-07 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Read First Time (H)

  4. 2025-12-01 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Prefiled (H)

Official Summary Text

Modifies provisions governing liens on property for unpaid bills

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 1794
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE MURPHY .
4521H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o repeal sections 92.835 and 140.420, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections
relating to liens on property for unpaid bills.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 92.835 and 140.420, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections
2 enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 92.835 and 140.420, to read as follows:
92.835. 1. The title to any real estate which shall vest in the land reutilization
2 authority under the provisions of sections 92.700 to 92.920 shall be held by the land
3 reutilization authority of the city in trust for the tax bill owners and taxing authorities having
4 an interest in any tax liens which were foreclosed, as their interests may appear in the
5 judgment of foreclosure.
6 2. The title to any real estate which shall vest in any purchaser , upon confirmation of
7 such sale by the court, shall be an absolute estate in fee simple, subject to rights-of-way
8 thereon of public utilities on which tax has been otherwise paid, and subject to any tax lien
9 thereon of the United States of America, if any , and all persons other than a political
10 subdivision cr eated under Article VI, Section 30(a) of the Constitution of Missouri ,
11 including the state of Missouri, any taxing authority or tax district as defined herein, judgment
12 creditors, lienholders, minors, incapacitated and disabled persons, and nonresidents who may
13 have had any right, title, interest, claim, or equity of redemption in or to, or lien upon, such
14 lands shall be barred and forever foreclosed of all such right, title, interest, claim, lien or
15 equity of redemption, and the court shall order immediate possession of such real estate be
16 given to such purchaser . If such parcel of real estate is sold to the land reutilization authority
17 the title thereto shall be free of any liens to the extent of the interest of any taxing authority in
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
18 such real estate; provided further , that such title shall not be subject to the lien of special tax
19 bills.
140.420. If no person shall redeem the lands sold for taxes prior to the expiration of
2 the right to redeem, at the expiration thereof, and on production of the certificate of purchase
3 and upon proof satisfactory to the collector that a purchaser or the purchaser's heirs,
4 successors, or assigns are authorized to acquire the deed:
5 (1) The collector of the county in which the sale of such lands took place shall
6 execute to the purchaser or the purchaser's heirs or assigns, in the name of the state, a
7 conveyance of the real estate so sold, which shall vest in the grantee an absolute estate in fee
8 simple, subject, however , to all claims thereon for unpaid taxes except such unpaid taxes
9 existing at time of the purchase of said lands and the lien for which taxes was inferior to the
10 lien for taxes for which said tract or lot of land was sold; and
11 (2) The state of Missouri or any person, taxing authority , tax district, judgment
12 creditor , or lienholder other than a political subdivision creat ed under Article VI, Section
13 30(a) of the Constitution of Missouri that had a right, title, interest, claim, or equity of
14 redemption on or to the lands or that had a lien upon the lands shall be barred and forever
15 foreclosed of such unclaimed right, title, interest, claim, or equity of redemption in or to the
16 lands and of any lien upon the lands.
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HB 1794 2