§ 37 — Lien of taxes on land; duration; sale; title

Section 37. Taxes assessed upon land, including those assessed under sections twelve, thirteen and fourteen of chapter fifty-nine, shall with all incidental charges and fees be a lien thereon from January first in the year of assessment. Except as provided in section sixty-one, such lien shall terminate at the expiration of three years and six months from the end of the fiscal year for which such taxes were assessed, if in the meantime the estate has been alienated and the instrument alienating the same has been recorded, otherwise it shall continue until a recorded alienation thereof, but if while such lien is in force a tax sale or taking is made, and the deed or instrument of taking has been duly recorded within sixty days, but the sale or taking is invalid by reason of any error or irregularity in the proceedings subsequent to the assessment, the lien and also the lien or liens for any subsequent taxes or charges which have been added to the tax title account under authority of section sixty-one shall continue for ninety days after a surrender and discharge under section forty-six or a release, notice or disclaimer under sections eighty-two to eighty-four, inclusive, has been duly recorded, or for ninety days after the sale or taking has been finally adjudged invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction. If at any time while a lien established by this section is in force, a sale or taking cannot in the opinion of the collector be legally made because of any federal or state law or because of any injunction or other action of, or proceeding in, any federal or state court or because of the action of any administrative body, the lien, if the statement provided for in section thirty-seven A is filed, shall continue as provided in said section thirty-seven A, subject, however, to any lawful action under any paramount authority conferred by the constitution or laws of the United States or the constitution of the commonwealth. Said taxes, if unpaid for fourteen days after demand therefor, may, with said charges and fees, be levied by sale or taking of the real estate, if the lien or liens thereon have not terminated. No tax title and no item included in a tax title account shall be held to be invalid by reason of any error or irregularity which is neither substantial nor misleading, whether such error or irregularity occurs in the proceedings of the collector or the assessors or in the proceedings of any other official or officials charged with duties in connection with the establishment of such tax title or the inclusion of such item in the tax title account.