4920

MUNICIPAL CHARTERS

the case of sale of personal property, the sale shall at
once vest the title thereto in the purchaser. In the
case of sale of real or leasehold property upon
ratification of the sale as herein provided, it shall
vest the title in fee in the purchaser absolutely. In
the case of the sale of real estate, the purchaser shall
at the time pay an amount of the purchase money
sufficient to pay taxes, interest, costs and expenses and
no more, and shall execute to the clerk a bond or
obligation, with approved security, to pay the balance of
such purchase money upon ratification of the sale.]

[(e) Payment prior to sale. At any time before the
ratification of the sale of real or leasehold property,
the person charged with the taxes under which sale was
made, or such person's heirs, personal representatives or
assigns, or his, her or their agent or attorneys, or any
mortgagees or other lien holders, may pay to the
purchaser, his heirs or assigns, the amount paid to the
clerk for taxes, interest, costs and expenses as
aforesaid, with interest thereon from the day of sale at
the rate of fifteen per cent (15%), and such payment
shall render the sale null and void, and such payment
shall be an absolute bar to the ratification of the sale,
upon payment as aforesaid, the purchaser, his executors,
administrators or assigns, shall execute a deed or
release, which shall be recorded as a deed of real
estate.]

[(f) Ratification. Twelve months after the date of
sale, or as soon thereafter as may be reasonably
convenient, the clerk shall, under oath, report the said
sale, together with all the proceedings had in relation
thereto, to the Circuit Court for Dorchester County. The
court shall examine the said proceedings and, if the same
appear to be regular and the provisions of the law in
relation thereto have been substantially complied with,
the court shall order notice to be given by
advertisement, published in such newspaper or newspapers
as the court shall direct, warning all persons interested
in the property sold to be and appear by a certain day in
the said notice to be named, to show cause, if any they
have, why said sale shall not be ratified and confirmed;
and, if no cause or an insufficient cause be shown
against said ratification, the said sale shall, by order
of said court, be ratified and confirmed, and the
purchaser shall, on payment of the balance of the
purchase money, have a good title to the property sold;
and the clerk and president of the Board of Commissioners
shall execute an appropriate deed for such property and
all right, title and interest of all persons in said
property shall pass to the grantee in such deed, but if
good cause, in the judgment of said court, be shown, in
the premises, the said sale shall be set aside, in which