§400.4-1. Notice required with respect to a nonjudicial sale.

In general. 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 liens. A tax lien of the United States, or a title derived from the enforcement of a tax lien of the United States, may be discharged or divested under local law only in the manner prescribed in section 2410 of title 28 of the United States Code or section 7425 of the Internal Revenue Code. Section 7425(a) contains provisions relating to the discharge of a lien or a title derived from the enforcement of a lien in the judicial proceedings described in subsection (a) of section 2410 of title 28 of the United States Code. These judicial proceedings are plenary in nature and proceed on formal pleadings. Section 7425(b) contains provisions relating to the discharge of a lien or a title derived from the enforcement of a lien in the event of a nonjudicial sale with respect to the property involved. Section 7425(c) contains special rules relating to the notice of sale requirements contained in section 7425(b). Paragraph (b) of this section of the regulations contains rules with respect to the nonjudicial sales described in section 7425(b). Paragraph (c) of this section of the regulations contains rules with respect to the notice of sale provisions of section 7425(c)(1). Paragraph (d) of this section of the regulations contains rules relating to the consent to sale provisions of section 7425(c)(2). Paragraph (e) of this section of the regulations contains rules relating to the sale of perishable goods provisions of section 7425(c)(3). Paragraph (f) of this section of the regulations contains the requirements with respect to the contents of a notice of sale.

Effective date of this section. The provisions of section 7425, as added by the Federal Tax Lien Act of 1966, are effective with respect to sales occurring after November 2, 1966. The notice of sale provisions of section 7425(c) (1) or (3) do not apply to sales occurring after November 2, 1966, if the seller of the property performed an act before November 3, 1966, which act at the time of performance was required and effective under local law with respect to the sale. An example of such an act is publication of a notice of the sale in a local newspaper before November 3, 1966, if local law requires such publication before a sale and the publication is effective under local law. Accordingly, in such a case, it is not necessary to notify the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to the provisions of section 7425(c) (1) or (3). With respect to a notice of sale required under section 7425(c) (1) or (3)—

In general. Section 7425(b) contains provisions with respect to the effect on the interest of the United States in property in which the United States has or claims a lien, or a title derived from the enforcement of a lien, when a sale is made pursuant to—

Examples. The provisions of subparagraph (1) of this paragraph (b), may be illustrated by the following examples:

In general. Except in the case of the sale of perishable goods described in paragraph (e) of this section, a notice (as described in paragraph (f) of this section) of a nonjudicial sale shall be given, in writing by registered or certified mail or by personal service, not less than 25 days prior to the date of sale (determined under the provisions of paragraph (b)(1) (iv), (v), and (vi) of this section), to the district director (marked for the attention of the chief, special procedures section) for the internal revenue district in which the sale is to be conducted. Thus, under this section, a notice of sale is not effective if it is given to a district director other than the district director for the internal revenue district in which the sale is to be conducted. The provisions of sections 7502 (relating to timely mailing treated as timely filing) and 7503 (relating to time for performance of acts where last day falls on Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday) apply in the case of notices required to be made under this section.

In general. Notwithstanding the notice of sale provisions of paragraph (c) of this section, a nonjudicial sale of property shall discharge or divest the property of the lien or title of the United States if the district director for the internal revenue district in which the sale occurs consents to the sale of the property free of the lien or title. Pursuant to section 7425(c)(2), where adequate protection is afforded the lien or title of the United States, a district director may, in his discretion, consent with respect to the sale of property in appropriate cases. Such consent shall be effective only if given in writing and shall be subject to such limitations and conditions as the district director may require. However, a district director may not consent to a sale of property under this section after the date of sale, as determined under paragraph (b)(1) (iv), (v), and (vi) of this section. For provisions relating to the authority of the district director to discharge property subject to a tax lien in the case where the proceeds of the sale are held as a fund subject to the liens and claims of the United States, see section 6325(b)(3) and § 400.2-1.

Application for consent. Any person desiring a district director's consent to sell property free of a tax lien or a title derived from the enforcement of a tax lien of the United States in the property shall submit to the district director for the internal revenue district in which the sale is to occur a written application in triplicate, declaring it is made under penalties of perjury, requesting that such consent be given. The application shall contain the information required in the case of a notice of sale, as set forth in paragraph (f)(1) of this section, and, in addition, shall contain a statement of the reasons why the consent is desired.

In general. A notice (as described in paragraph (f) of this section) of a nonjudicial sale of perishable goods (as defined in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph (e)) shall be given in writing, by registered or certified mail or delivered by personal service, at any time before the sale to the district director (marked for the attention of the chief, special procedures section) for the internal revenue district in which the sale is to be conducted. If a notice of a nonjudicial sale is timely given in the manner described in this paragraph, the nonjudicial sale shall discharge or divest the tax lien, or a title derived from the enforcement of a tax lien, of the United States in the property. The provisions of sections 7502 (relating to timely mailing treated as timely filing) and 7503 (relating to time for performance of acts where last day falls on Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday) apply in the case of notices required to be made under this paragraph. For example, where the sale of perishable goods is scheduled for 1 p.m. on November 1, 1968, and the notice is mailed by certified mail to the district director at 10 a.m. on November 1, 1968, the notice shall be considered as timely given for purposes of this paragraph. The seller of the perishable goods shall hold the proceeds (exclusive of costs) of the sale as a fund, for not less than 30 days after the date of the sale, subject to the liens and claims of the United States, in the same manner and with the same priority as the liens and claims of the United States had with respect to the property sold. If the seller fails to hold the proceeds of the sale in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph, the seller shall be personally liable to the United States for an amount equal to the value of the interest of the United States in the fund. However, even if the proceeds of the sale are not so held by the seller, but all the other provisions of this paragraph are satisfied, the buyer of the property at the sale takes the property free of the liens and claims of the United States. In the event of a postponement of the scheduled sale of perishable goods, the seller is not required to notify the district director of the postponement. For provisions relating to the authority of the district director to discharge property subject to a tax lien in the case where the proceeds of the sale are held as a fund subject to the liens and claims of the United States, see section 6325(b)(3) and § 400.2-1.

Definition of perishable goods. For the purpose of this paragraph, the term “perishable goods” means any personal property which, in the reasonable view of the person selling the property, is liable to perish or become greatly reduced in price or value by keeping, or cannot be kept without great expense.

In general. With respect to a notice of sale described in paragraph (c) or (e) of this section, the notice will be considered adequate if it contains the information described in subdivisions (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) of this subparagraph.

Inadequate notice. Except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, a notice of sale described in paragraph (c) of this section which does not contain the information described in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph (f), will not be considered adequate by a district director. If a district director determines that the notice is inadequate, he will give written notification of the items of information which are inadequate to the person who submitted the notice. In such event a notice complying with the provisions of this section (including the requirement that the notice be given 25 days prior to the sale in the case of a notice described in paragraph (c) of this section) must be given. However, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (d)(1) of this section, in such a case the district director may, in his discretion, consent to the sale of the property free of the lien or title of the United States even though notice of the sale is not given 25 days prior to the sale. In any case in which the person who submitted a timely notice does not receive, more than 5 days prior to the date of the sale, written notification from the district director that the notice is inadequate, the notice shall be considered adequate for the purposes of this section.

Acknowledgment of notice. If a notice of sale described in paragraph (c) or (e) of this section is submitted in duplicate to the district director with a written request that receipt of the notice be acknowledged and returned to the person giving the notice, this request will be honored by the district director. The acknowledgment by the district director will indicate the date and time of the receipt of the notice.

Disclosure of adequacy of notice. The district director for the internal revenue district in which the sale was held is authorized to disclose, to any person who has a proper interest, whether an adequate notice of sale was given under subparagraph (1) of this paragraph (f). Any person desiring this information should submit to the district director a written request which clearly describes the property sold, identifies the applicable notice of lien, gives the reasons for requesting the information, and states the name and address of the person making the request.