North Dakota Century Code Title 57. Taxation § 57-43.3-22. Lien of tax--Collection--Action authorized

1. When a taxpayer liable to pay a tax or penalty imposed refuses or neglects to pay the tax, the amount, including any interest, penalty, or addition to the tax, with the costs that may accrue in addition to the tax, is a lien in favor of the state of North Dakota upon all property and rights to property, whether real or personal, belonging to the taxpayer, and in the case of property in which a deceased taxpayer held an interest as joint tenant or otherwise with right of survivorship at the time of death, the lien continues as a lien against the property in the hands of the survivors to the extent of the deceased taxpayer's interest therein, which interest is determined by dividing the value of the entire property at the time of the taxpayer's death by the number of joint tenants or persons interested therein.

2. The lien attaches at the time the tax becomes due and payable and continues until the liability for the amount is satisfied. For the purposes of this section, the words “due” and “due and payable” mean the first instant at which the tax becomes due.

3. Any mortgagee, purchaser, judgment creditor, or lien claimant acquiring any interest in, or lien on, any property situated in the state, prior to the commissioner filing in the central indexing system maintained by the secretary of state a notice of the lien provided for in this section, takes free of, or has priority over, the lien.

4. The commissioner shall index in the central indexing system the following data:

5. The commissioner is exempt from the payment of the filing fees as otherwise provided by law for the filing of a lien or the satisfaction of a lien.

6. Upon payment of the tax as to which the commissioner has indexed notice in the central indexing system, the commissioner shall index a satisfaction of the lien in the central indexing system.

7. Upon the request of the commissioner, the attorney general shall bring an action at law or in equity, as the facts may justify, without bond to enforce payment of any taxes and any penalties, or to foreclose the lien in the manner provided for mortgages on real or personal property, and in the action the attorney general shall have the assistance of the state's attorney of the county in which the action is pending.

8. The foregoing remedies of the state are cumulative and no action taken by the commissioner or attorney general may be construed to be an election on the part of the state or any of its officers to pursue any remedy hereunder to the exclusion of any other remedy provided by law.