77-1704.02.

Collection of taxes; partial payments; when authorized.

(1) Any county board may pass a resolution to allow payments for the discharge of current or delinquent real property taxes, personal property taxes, or both or any charges for interest, publication, penalties, or other charges by reason of the delinquency of such taxes to be held in escrow by the county treasurer or may contract with another party to hold such payments in escrow. Upon passage of such a resolution or such other effective date as the resolution may provide, the county treasurer shall accept payments in accordance with the resolution or any subsequent amendments thereto and hold such amounts until the accumulated payments are sufficient to pay at least one-half the taxes currently due on the property or the full amount of delinquency and any interest, penalties, or other charges due to the delinquency. The resolution of the county board may require a minimum, limited, or periodic payment amount as a condition for acceptance of payments to be held in escrow. The resolution may also require that an escrow agreement be executed between the person making payment and the county treasurer as a condition for accepting payments.

(2) Payments held in escrow under this section may be held in a designated bank account or may be commingled with other county funds. Such amounts are the property of the person making payment and shall be held in trust for the benefit of such person and be accounted for with respect to the property for which the current or delinquent taxes are to be paid. The county may pay interest on amounts held in escrow at a rate to be determined by the county board or may retain any interest received. Upon sale of the property, any amounts held in escrow with respect to that property shall be returned to the person that made the payment or applied as directed by such person.

(3) Payments held in escrow for payment of delinquent taxes shall be applied to the oldest delinquencies first. Payments held in escrow for payment of delinquent taxes shall not affect any collection procedure that is underway or available to the county until the delinquency is fully satisfied.