§ 54:50-29 — Authority to sell, transfer, assign right, title, interest in State tax indebtedness, taxpayer rights.

1. a. The State Treasurer shall have the authority to sell, transfer or assign all right, title and interest in any State tax indebtedness and lien represented by any certificate of debt including any statutory fee for the cost of collection imposed pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1987, c.76 (C.54:49-12.1), issued pursuant to R.S.54:49-12 to any person for a fair, adequate and reasonable consideration; provided however, that the underlying State tax indebtedness and lien represented by the certificate is fixed and constitutes a final determination of the Director of the Division of Taxation not subject to protest or appeal pursuant to the provisions of the State Tax Uniform Procedure Law, R.S.54:48-1 et seq. b. After a sale pursuant to this section and for the purpose of the proper administration of this section and to prevent untimely protests or appeals of the underlying tax indebtedness, it shall be presumed that the tax indebtedness is fixed and constitutes a final determination of the director not subject to protest or appeal unless the taxpayer or the taxpayer's authorized representative can establish by clear and convincing evidence that the contrary is true. If the taxpayer contests the underlying tax indebtedness after the sale, transfer or assignment of the State tax indebtedness and lien represented by any certificate of debt, then the taxpayer shall first file a protest with the director pursuant to R.S.54:49-18 before bringing an appeal to the tax court pursuant to chapter 51A of Title 54 of the Revised Statutes; provided however, that the director shall be joined as the primary party in interest with the person to whom the State tax indebtedness and lien has been sold, transferred or assigned in any action or proceeding brought to challenge the underlying tax indebtedness. The director shall advise by written notice the clerk of the court which has entered the certificate on its record of docketed judgments that the sale, transfer or assignment has been made in the name and address of the purchaser. Thereupon, the clerk shall, without cost, enter a notation of the sale and the name and address of the purchaser in the record of docketed judgments. This written notice shall also be given by the director to the taxpayer in accordance with R.S.54:50-6. L.1998,c.39,s.1.