522

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP. 292

or an insufficient cause be shown against such ratification,
the court shall, in one order, ratify and confirm the sale or

Ratification of
sale.

sales so made, and the purchaser or purchasers shall on pay-
ment of the purchase money have a good title to the property
sold; but if good cause, in the judgment of the court, be
shown in the premises in relation to any parcel of said land
sold, the said sale shall be set aside as to such parcel, in
which case the treasurer of said town shall upon surrender
of said tax certificate, repay to the purchaser the money paid
by him to the treasurer on said rejected sale, and all taxes
assessed on said real estate and paid by the purchaser since
said sale, and cost and expenses properly incurred in said
court, with interest on such sums from the time of pay-
ment, and said sale shall be cancelled upon the tax books,
but such sale shall not be set aside if the provisions of
law appear to have been substantially complied with, and
the burden of proof shall be on the exceptant to show
the same to be invalid. (b) Real property sold for taxes

Redemption of
property sold
for taxes.

may be redeemed by the owner or by any person having
an interest in or lien thereon, preference being given to the
record owner of said land, at any time within two years
from the date of the sale, by paying to the treasurer the.
sum of money paid by the tax purchaser at the sale, together
with interest at the rate of fifteen per centum per annum
from the day of the sale, and also the amount of all taxes,
general or special, paid by the purchaser, his heirs or
assigns, after the date of the sale, with interest at the same
rate from the date of such payment, (c) The treasurer shall

Certificate of
redemption.

deliver to the person making the redemption a certificate of
redemption, and shall enter the same with the name of the
person so redeeming on his record, and shall keep in a
separate fund all moneys received by way of redemption to
be paid without interest to the tax purchaser, their heirs or
assigns, upon the delivery to him of their certificates of
purchase, (d) If real property sold for taxes be not
redeemed within two years from the date of the sale, the
Mayor shall, on presentation of the certificate of purchase
and the payment of the amount of taxes then due, execute
in the name of the town and deliver a deed conveying to the
purchaser, his heirs or assigns, the property described in the
certificate; such deeds shall vest in the grantee an absolute
estate in fee simple, free from all liens or encumbrances