(1) Except as provided in subsection (7) of this section, after the expiration of three years from the date of delinquency, when any property remains on the tax rolls for which no certificate of delinquency has been issued, the county treasurer must proceed to issue certificates of delinquency on the property to the county for all years' taxes, interest, and costs. However, the county treasurer, with the consent of the county legislative authority, may elect to issue a certificate for fewer than all years' taxes, interest, and costs to a minimum of the taxes, interest, and costs for the earliest year.

(2) Certificates of delinquency are prima facie evidence that:

(a) The property described was subject to taxation at the time the same was assessed;

(b) The property was assessed as required by law;

(c) The taxes or assessments were not paid at any time before the issuance of the certificate;

(d) Such certificate has the same force and effect as a lis pendens required under chapter 4.28 RCW.

(3) The county treasurer may include in the certificate of delinquency any assessments which are due on the property and are the responsibility of the county treasurer to collect. However, if the department of revenue has previously notified the county treasurer in writing that the property has a lien on it for deferred property taxes, the county treasurer must include in the certificate of delinquency any amounts deferred under chapters 84.37 and 84.38 RCW that remain unpaid, including accrued interest and costs.

(4) The treasurer must file the certificates when completed with the clerk of the court at no cost to the treasurer, and the treasurer must thereupon, with legal assistance from the county prosecuting attorney, proceed to foreclose in the name of the county, the tax liens embraced in such certificates. Notice and summons must be served or notice given in a manner reasonably calculated to inform the owner or owners, and any person having a recorded interest in or lien of record upon the property, of the foreclosure action to appear within thirty days after service of such notice and defend such action or pay the amount due. Either (a) personal service upon the owner or owners and any person having a recorded interest in or lien of record upon the property, or (b) publication once in a newspaper of general circulation, which is circulated in the area of the property and mailing of notice by certified mail to the owner or owners and any person having a recorded interest in or lien of record upon the property, or, if a mailing address is unavailable, personal service upon the occupant of the property, if any, is sufficient. If such notice is returned as unclaimed, the treasurer must send notice by regular first-class mail. The notice must include the legal description on the tax rolls, the year or years for which assessed, the amount of tax and interest due, and the name of owner, or reputed owner, if known, and the notice must include the local street address, if any, for informational purposes only. The certificates of delinquency issued to the county may be issued in one general certificate in book form including all property, and the proceedings to foreclose the liens against the property may be brought in one action and all persons interested in any of the property involved in the proceedings may be made codefendants in the action, and if unknown may be therein named as unknown owners, and the publication of such notice is sufficient service thereof on all persons interested in the property described therein, except as provided above. The person or persons whose name or names appear on the treasurer's rolls as the owner or owners of the property must be considered and treated as the owner or owners of the property for the purpose of this section, and if upon the treasurer's rolls it appears that the owner or owners of the property are unknown, then the property must be proceeded against, as belonging to an unknown owner or owners, as the case may be, and all persons owning or claiming to own, or having or claiming to have an interest therein, are hereby required to take notice of the proceedings and of any and all steps thereunder. However, prior to the sale of the property, the treasurer must order or conduct a title search of the property to be sold to determine the legal description of the property to be sold and the record titleholder, and if the record titleholder or holders differ from the person or persons whose name or names appear on the treasurer's rolls as the owner or owners, the record titleholder or holders must be considered and treated as the owner or owners of the property for the purpose of this section, and are entitled to the notice provided for in this section. Such title search must be included in the costs of foreclosure.

(5) If the title search required by subsection (4) of this section reveals a lien in favor of the state for deferred taxes on the property under RCW 84.37.070 or 84.38.100 and such deferred taxes are not already included in the certificate of delinquency, the county treasurer must issue an amended certificate of delinquency on the property to include the outstanding amount of deferred taxes, including accrued interest. The amended certificate of delinquency must be filed with the clerk of the court as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(6) The county treasurer may not sell property that is eligible for deferral of taxes under chapter 84.38 RCW but must require the owner of the property to file a declaration to defer taxes under chapter 84.38 RCW.

(7) Except those parcels where the local governing entity has declared and/or certified the parcel a nuisance affecting public peace, safety, and welfare, or other similar code provision, in no case may a certificate of delinquency be filed on property where the tax delinquency under chapter 84.56 RCW is one hundred dollars or less in total excluding interest and penalties.

Effective date—2019 c 332: See note following RCW 84.56.029.

Severability—1986 c 278: See note following RCW 36.01.010.