[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 18]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR400.5-1]

[Page 771-773]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 400_TEMPORARY REGULATIONS UNDER THE FEDERAL TAX LIEN ACT OF 1966
--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 400.5-1  Redemption by United States.

    (a) Scope. The purpose of this section is to prescribe rules with 
respect to the provisions contained in section 7425(d), relating to 
redemption of real property by the United States. Section 109 of the 
Federal Tax Lien Act of 1966 (80 Stat. 1141) amended the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1954 by adding a new section 7425, relating to the 
discharge of tax liens, effective after November 2, 1966.
    (b) Right to redeem--(1) In general. In the case of a nonjudicial 
sale of real property to satisfy a lien prior to the tax lien, the 
district director may redeem the property within the redemption period 
(as described in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph (b)). The right of 
redemption of the United States exists under section 7425(d) even though 
the district director has consented to the sale under section 7425(c)(2) 
and paragraph (d) of Sec. 400.4-1. For purposes of this section, the 
term ``nonjudicial sale'' shall have the same meaning as when used in 
paragraph (b)(1) of Sec. 400.4-1.
    (2) Redemption period. For purposes of this section, the redemption 
period shall be--
    (i) The period beginning with the date of the sale (as determined 
under paragraph (b)(1)(iv), (v), and (vi) of Sec. 400.4-1) and ending 
with the 120th day after such date, or
    (ii) The period for redemption of real property allowable, with 
resepct to other secured creditors, under local law of the place where 
the real property is located,

whichever is longer.
    (3) Limitations. In the event a sale does not ultimately discharge 
the property from the tax lien (whether by reason of local law or the 
provisions of section 7425(b)), the provisions of this section do not 
apply since the tax lien will continue to attach to the property after 
the sale. In a case in which the Internal Revenue Service is not 
entitled to a notice of sale under section 7425(b) and Sec. 400.4-1, 
the United States does not have a right of redemption under secton 
7425(d). However, in such a case, if a tax lien has attached to the 
property at the time of sale, the United States has the same right of 
redemption, if any, which is afforded to any secured creditor under the 
local law of the place in which the property is situated.
    (c) Amount to be paid--(1) In general. In any case in which a 
district director exercises the right to redeem real property, the 
amount to be paid is the sum of the following amounts--
    (i) The actual amount paid for the property being redeemed (which, 
in the case of a purchaser who is the holder of the lien being 
foreclosed, shall include the amount of the obligation secured by such 
lien to the extent legally satisfied by reason of the sale);
    (ii) Interest on the amount paid (described in subdivision (i) of 
this subparagraph) at the sale by the purchaser of the real property 
computed at the

[[Page 772]]

rate of 6 percent per annum for the period from the date of the sale (as 
determined under paragraphs (b)(1)(iv), (v), and (vi) of Sec. 400.4-1) 
to the date of redemption; and
    (iii) The amount, if any, equal to the excess of (a) the expenses 
necessarily incurred in connection with such property by the purchaser, 
over (b) the income from such property realized by the purchaser plus a 
reasonable rental value of such property (to the extent the property is 
used by or with the consent of the purchaser, or is rented at less than 
its reasonable rental value).
    (2) Examples. The provisions of subparagraph (1)(i) of this 
paragraph (b), may be illustrated by the following examples:

    Example 1. A, a delinquent taxpayer, owns Blackacre located in X 
State upon which B holds a mortgage. After the mortgage is properly 
recorded, a notice of tax lien is filed which is applicable to 
Blackacre. Subsequently, A defaults on the mortgage and B forecloses on 
the mortgage which has an outstanding obligation in the amount of 
$100,000. At the foreclosure sale, B bids $50,000 and obtains title to 
Blackacre as a result of the sale. At the time of the foreclosure sale, 
Blackacre has a fair market value of $75,000. Under the laws of X State, 
the mortgage obligation is fully satisfied as a result of the 
foreclosure sale and the mortgagee cannot obtain a deficiency judgment. 
Under subparagraph (1)(i) of this paragraph, the district director must 
pay $100,000 in order to redeem Blackacre.
    Example 2. Assume the same facts as in example 1, except that under 
the laws of X State, the fair market value of the property foreclosed is 
the amount of the obligation legally satisfied as a result of the 
foreclosure sale, and in a case in which the amount of the obligation 
exceeds the amount of the fair market value of the property, the 
mortgagee has the right to a judgment for the deficiency computed as the 
difference between the obligation and the fair market value of the 
property. In such a case the district director must, under subparagraph 
(1)(i) of this paragraph, pay $75,000 in order to redeem Blackacre, 
whether or not B seeks a judgment for the deficiency.
    Example 3. Assume the same facts as in example 1, except that under 
the laws of X State, the amount bid is the amount of the obligation 
legally satisfied as a result of the foreclosure sale, and in the case 
in which the amount of the obligation exceeds the amount bid, the 
mortgagee has the right to a judgment for the deficiency computed as the 
difference between the amount of the obligation and the amount bid. In 
such a case, the district director must under subparagraph (1)(i) of 
this paragraph, pay $50,000 in order to redeem Blackacre, whether or not 
B seeks a judgment for the deficiency.

    (d) Certificate of redemption--(1) In general. If a district 
director exercises the right of redemption of the United States 
described in paragraph (b) of this section, he shall apply to the 
officer designated by local law, if any, for the documents necessary to 
evidence the fact of redemption and to record title to the redeemed 
property in the name of the United States. If no such officer has been 
designated by local law or if the officer designated by local law fails 
to issue the necessary documents, the district director is authorized to 
issue a certificate of redemption for the property redeemed by the 
United States.
    (2) Filing. The district director shall, without delay, cause either 
the documents issued by the local officer or the certificate of 
redemption executed by the district director, described in subparagraph 
(1) of this paragraph (d), to be duly recorded in the proper registry of 
deeds. If a certificate of redemption is issued by the district director 
and if the State in which the real property redeemed by the United 
States is situated has not by law designated an office in which the 
certificate of redemption may be recorded, the district director shall 
file the certificate of redemption in the office of the clerk of the 
U.S. district court for the judicial district in which the redeemed 
property is situated.
    (3) Effect of certificate of redemption. A certificate of redemption 
executed pursuant to subparagraph (1) of this paragraph (d), shall 
constitute prima facie evidence of the regularity of the redemption. 
When a certificate of redemption is recorded, it shall transfer to the 
United States all the rights, title, and interest in and to the redeemed 
property acquired by the person from whom the district director redeemed 
the property by virtue of the sale of the property.
    (4) Application for release of right of redemption. Upon application 
of a party with a proper interest in the real property sold in a 
nonjudicial sale described in section 7425(b) and paragraph (b) of Sec. 
400.4-1, which real property is

[[Page 773]]

subject to the right of redemption of the United States described in 
this section, the district director may, in his discretion, release the 
right of redemption with respect to the property. The application for 
the release shall be submitted in writing to a district director and 
shall contain such information as the district director may require. If 
the district director determines that the right of redemption of the 
United States is without value, no amount shall be required to be paid 
with respect to the release of the right of redemption.

[T.D. 6944, 33 FR 737, Jan. 20, 1968]