AI-assisted research summary: The tax collector may seize movable property to collect taxes and may sell enough of it to cover the taxes, interest, penalties, and costs, subject to notice requirements.
§2143. Movable property; seizure and sale A. The tax collector is authorized to collect the taxes due or which may be due by any person, upon a movable property, for any year past or the current year, either by taking into his possession so much of the movable property as may be required, in his opinion, to realize the amount of the tax or taxes, or by placing a keeper upon the movable property subject to the tax until the day of sale, upon which day so much of the property as may be necessary to realize the tax or taxes, interest, penalties, and costs, for which it has been seized, shall be sold to the highest bidder, without appraisement and without redemption; however, after the tax collector has seized the movable property, as above set out, he shall ascertain the amount of taxes due for the past year by reference to the assessment roll, and for the current year by fixing the same value or percentage of value as was used by the state and the parish in the year preceding on like property, and by applying to that value the rate of taxation applied to property of the same class in the preceding year. B. When the tax collector proceeds under Subsection A of this Section, he shall give written notice immediately after actually taking the property into his possession or placing a keeper thereon. The notice shall state the amount of taxes, interest, costs, and penalties and contain a demand for payment within three days and a statement of his intention to sell in default of payment within the three days. The notice shall be served in the manner now provided for services of notice of seizure under writs of fieri facias, by the tax collector or deputy, and a return or statement in writing of the mode of service shall be made by the officer serving the notice and shall be filed in the office of the tax collector, and shall be received by the courts as prima facie evidence of notice. C. On the expiration of three days after the date of giving notice as provided in Subsection B of this Section, the tax collector shall advertise, in the manner provided for judicial sales of movable property, that he will sell so much of the property so seized as may be necessary to pay all the taxes, interest, penalties, and costs for which the seizure had been made. The sale shall be made without appraisement and without redemption. Acts 2008, No. 819, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2009, No. 507, §1; Acts 2025, No. 411, §4, eff. Jan. 1, 2026. NOTE: Redesignated from R.S. 47:2142. NOTE: Former R.S. 47:2143 redesignated as R.S. 47:2144 by Acts 2025, No. 411, §4.