(a) (1) When severed mineral interests are forfeited to the state and conveyed by certification to the Commissioner of State Lands for nonpayment of property taxes, title to the severed mineral interests shall vest in the State of Arkansas in the care of the Commissioner of State Lands.
(2) The Commissioner of State Lands shall so notify the owner of record by certified mail at his or her last known address.
(3) (A) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the Commissioner of State Lands shall not sell the severed mineral interests but shall retain the severed mineral interests indefinitely for redemption.
(B) However, the severed mineral interests may be leased by the Commissioner of State Lands if he or she determines that a lease is in the best interest of the state.
(C) All benefits, including royalty and leasehold payments, accruing after title vests in the state and before redemption shall be payable to the Commissioner of State Lands.
(D) Upon receipt of any such benefits, the Commissioner of State Lands shall deposit the funds into financial institutions in this state.
(4) (A) The tax-delinquent severed mineral interests may be redeemed at any time in the manner prescribed for the redemption of tax-delinquent real property.
(B) However, upon redemption the owner shall not be entitled to any payments received by the Commissioner of State Lands before redemption.
(5) All funds derived from redemption shall be held in escrow by the Commissioner of State Lands for one (1) year, at which time they shall be distributed the same as funds derived from the redemption of real property.
(b) (1) After the expiration of the redemption period prescribed by this chapter, the Commissioner of State Lands shall sell the severed mineral interests to the surface owners if the surface owners opt to purchase the tax-delinquent severed mineral interests.
(2) The surface owner purchasing severed mineral interests under subdivision (b)(1) of this section shall be allowed to purchase the severed mineral interests for an amount equal to the delinquent taxes and shall not be required to pay any interest or penalties if the surface owner was not the owner of the severed mineral interests at the time the taxes became delinquent.
(c) All benefits, including royalty and leasehold payments, payable to the Commissioner of State Lands pursuant to this section are not subject to the provisions of § 18-28-201 et seq. and § 18-28-401 et seq.
(d) The provisions of this section shall be applicable to all tax-delinquent severed mineral interests currently forfeited to the state and certified to the Commissioner of State Lands as well as to all tax-delinquent severed mineral interests forfeited to the state in the future.
(e) (1) No deed issued under this section shall be void or voidable on the ground that the assessment of the property taxes on the severed mineral interests was not subjoined to the assessment of the property taxes on the surface realty.
(2) This subsection shall be retroactive to all certifications of delinquent severed mineral interests in the records of the office of the Commissioner of State Lands.
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