Public Debts

Miss. Code Ann. tit. 31, ch. 19
in effect

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-1 Serial payment bonds only may be issued.

No county or municipality shall issue any bonds except on the serial payment plan.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-3 Penalty on officials for violations.

For failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter by any officer, any taxpayer may institute a suit for damages on the bond of such official who is required to give a bond; and in addition thereto, such official may be punished for such failure as for a misdemeanor, and on conviction be fined not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or imprisoned in the county jail for six (6) months, or both.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-5 Investment of certain funds.

Any funds received from the sale of bonds, notes, or certificates of indebtedness heretofore or hereafter sold by the State of Mississippi or any agency or department thereof or by any county, municipality, road district, levee district, development district, utility district, school district, drainage district or other entity authorized by law to issue bonds, notes, or certificates of indebtedness, which are not immediately required for disbursement for the purpose for which issued, may be invested by the proper authorities in any direct obligation issued by or guaranteed in full as to principal and interest by the United States of America or in certificates of deposit issued by or through a qualified depository of the State of Mississippi as approved by the State Treasurer, maturing or being redeemable by the holder on or prior to the date upon which such funds will be required for disbursement and bearing interest at a rate per annum not less than a simple interest rate numerically equal to the average bank discount rate on United States Treasury bills of comparable maturity or the current rate of interest paid on certificates of deposit or on United States Treasury obligations of comparable maturities, whichever is the higher, provided, however, that the proceeds from the sale of bonds issued pursuant to Sections 57-1-131 through 57-1-145, Mississippi Code of 1972, or Chapter 3 of Title 57, Mississippi Code of 1972, may be invested in certificates of deposit issued by or through qualified depositories of the State of Mississippi bearing interest at any rate per annum which may be mutually agreed upon, but in no case shall said rate be less than such average bank discount rate. Funds received pursuant to this section shall be invested as heretofore described or may be invested, pursuant to rules promulgated by the State Treasurer, in obligations described in Section 27-105-33(d), Mississippi Code of 1972; however, funds described in this section may not be invested in securities of, or interests in, any open-end or closed-end management-type investment company or investment trust, such as those described in Section 27-105-33(e).

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-7 Ratification of bonds signed by officials not in office at the time of sale or delivery.

Whenever, pursuant to statutory authority, bonds of the State of Mississippi, or of any county, municipality, road district, supervisors district, school district, drainage district, or other taxing district therein, have been or shall hereafter be prepared and signed by the officials designated to sign the bonds by statute or by the proceedings authorizing the issuance of the bonds, who were or are in office at the time of such signing but who may have ceased to be such officials prior to the sale and delivery of such bonds or who may not have been in office on the date such bonds may bear, the signatures of such officials upon such bonds and the coupons thereto attached are valid and sufficient for all purposes and shall have the same effect as if the persons so officially signing such bonds had remained in office until delivery of the same to the purchasers or had been in office on the date such bonds may bear, although the term of office of such persons or any of them may have expired or they may otherwise have ceased to be such officers before such delivery or although the term of office of such persons or any of them may not have commenced until a date subsequent to the date such bonds may bear. All such bonds heretofore or hereafter executed and heretofore or hereafter sold and delivered are hereby ratified, validated, and confirmed, notwithstanding any change in office which may have taken place subsequently to the execution of the bonds and coupons and prior to the delivery thereof or any change in office which may have taken place subsequently to the date which such bonds may bear and prior to the execution and delivery thereof; and such bonds shall be valid and binding obligations of said state, county, municipality, road district, supervisors district, school district, drainage district, or other taxing district, as the case may be.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-9 Payment of county bonds and coupons at maturity.

Whenever any county, road district, consolidated school district, rural school district, or other taxing districts controlled by the board of supervisors which has heretofore issued or shall hereafter issue bonds or other obligations of which principal and interest shall be payable at some bank or trust company, or at some office other than the county treasury, it shall be the duty of the clerk of the board of supervisors on the allowance of said board to issue a warrant against the proper fund for the amount of principal and interest due and to forward exchange to the paying agent. Said exchange shall be sufficient in amount to pay said principal and interest and a reasonable fee to said paying agent for handling same, said fee not to exceed one-half of one percent (1/2 of 1%) of the amount of coupons paid and one-eighth of one percent (1/8 of 1%) of the amount of bonds paid. Said exchange shall be forwarded in time to reach the paying agent at least five (5) days prior to the date on which said principal and interest shall become due, and the receipt of the paying agent for said remittance shall be sufficient voucher in the hands of said clerk for said remittance until the bonds or coupons shall have been paid and cancelled and returned to said clerk.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-11 Allowance for remittance.

Said allowance for said remittances shall be made by the board of supervisors at the regular meeting of said board held at least thirty (30) days preceding the date on which said bonds and coupons shall become due.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-13 Payment of municipal or drainage district bonds.

Where said obligations above referred to shall have been issued or shall hereafter be issued by a city, town, or village, or municipal separate school district, it shall be the duty of the board of mayor and aldermen or the board of commissioners, to make the allowance above referred to at least thirty (30) days prior to the maturity of such indebtedness; and the clerk of said board shall forward the funds as above provided for. In case of a drainage district, the commissioners shall make the allowance, and the secretary-treasurer of the district shall forward the funds as above provided for.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-15 Remedy of bondholders.

For failure or refusal to comply with the foregoing provisions, any official charged with any duties under Sections 31-19-9 through 31-19-13 shall be liable on his official bond to any holder of any bond or coupon for any and all expenses incident to the collection of same, and for all damages which may have accrued on account of the failure to pay same promptly at the place of payment at maturity.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-17 Outstanding bonds may be registered.

Any and all persons holding or owning any outstanding and unmatured State of Mississippi bonds may present the same to the auditor of public accounts, and it shall be the duty of such auditor to register such bonds in a book to be kept by him for that purpose in such a manner that the owner of said bonds may be identified if the said bonds should be lost or stolen; and in like manner to keep a record of all transfers of such bonds so reported to him.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-19 Repealed.

Repealed by Laws, 1986, ch. 317, eff from and after passage (approved March 13, 1986). § 31-19-19 . [Codes, 1942, § 4355; Laws, 1938, ch. 295; Laws, 1962, ch. 500, § 1] § 31-19-21 . [Codes, 1942, § 4356; Laws, 1938, ch. 295; Laws, 1962, ch. 500, § 2; Laws, 1970, ch. 319, § 1] § 31-19-23 . [Codes, 1942, § 4357; Laws, 1938, ch. 295; Laws, 1962, ch. 500, § 3] Editor’s Notes — Former § 31-19-19 provided for tabulation of bond issues filed with state auditor. Former § 31-19-21 required certain reprots to be furnished and auditor to maintain register. Former § 31-19-23 provided for penalties for failure to report.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-25 Sale of bonds to be advertised.

All bonds issued pursuant to any laws of this state and hereafter sold by the governing authority of or on behalf of any county, road district, school district, drainage district or other political subdivision or instrumentality of this state shall be advertised for sale on sealed bids or at public auction. Such advertisement shall be published at least two (2) times in a newspaper published in the county in which the political subdivision or instrumentality is situated, and if no newspaper is published in such county, then in a newspaper published in an adjoining county; with respect to a political subdivision or instrumentality which is composed of more than one (1) county, such advertisement shall be published at least two (2) times in a newspaper having a general circulation in each county all or a portion of which is part of the political subdivision or instrumentality. The first publication in each case shall be made at least ten (10) days preceding the date fixed for the reception of bids, and such notice shall give the time and place of sale. The governing authority may reject any and all bids, whether so stated in the notice of sale or not. If the bonds are not sold pursuant to such advertisement, they may be sold by the governing authority by private sale at any time within sixty (60) days after the date advertised for the reception of bids; but no such private sale shall be made at a price less than the highest bid which shall have been received pursuant to such advertisement. If not so sold at private sale, said bonds shall be readvertised in the manner herein prescribed. Every bid for the purchase of any of such bonds shall be accompanied by a cashier’s check, certified check or exchange, payable to the proper governing authority, issued or certified by a bank located in this state in the amount of not less than two percent (2%) of the par value of the bonds offered for sale, as a guaranty that the bidder will carry out his contract and purchase the bonds if the bid is accepted. If the successful bidder fails to purchase the bonds pursuant to his bid and contract, the amount of such good faith check shall be retained by the governing authority and covered into the proper fund as liquidated damages for such failure. This section shall not apply to the sale of bonds by the State of Mississippi through the State Bond Commission or the sale of bonds or any other indebtedness incurred by a county in connection with a project as defined under Section 57-75-5(f)(xxviii) or Section 57-75-5(f)(xxix). A failure to comply with any provision of this section shall not invalidate such bonds, but any member of the governing board, commission or other governing authority who shall willfully violate any of said provisions and shall willfully fail to give the notices herein required shall be liable personally and on his official bond for a penalty in each case of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) and, in addition thereto, for all financial loss that may result to the county, municipality, road district, school district, drainage district or other political subdivision or instrumentality of the state or county resulting from such willful failure to comply herewith. Such penalty and damages may be recovered by suit of the Attorney General, a district attorney or of any citizen of such county or other political subdivision in any court of competent jurisdiction, for the use and benefit of the county or other such political subdivision or instrumentality.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-27 Doubtful claims defined.

A doubtful claim of the state, or of the county, city, town, village, or levee board is one for which judgment has been rendered and for the collection of which the ordinary process of law has been ineffectual; debts due by drainage districts or other taxing districts or sinking funds to counties under the Rehabilitation Act of 1928, being Chapter 88 of the Laws of 1928, and Chapter 16 of the Acts of the Special Session of 1931; those debts due counties by drainage districts, which the reconstruction finance corporation has heretofore refused to refinance; debts due for sixteenth section township school fund loans made to churches, where the board of supervisors finds that the value of the security given therefor is insufficient or inadequate to pay or satisfy the principal and interest of said loan, and when the church repays the principal of said loan; and debts due by counties and townships to drainage districts for drainage district assessments or taxes levied and assessed upon sixteenth section lands.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-29 Compromise of doubtful claims.

The Governor, on the advice of the Attorney General or chairman of the State Tax Commission, may, upon application of the defendant or debtor proposing a compromise, settle and compromise any doubtful claim of the state, or of any county, city, town, or village, or of any levee board against such defendant or debtor, upon such terms as he may deem proper, the board of supervisors in the case of a county, and the municipal authorities in the case of a city, town or village, and the levee board in the case of a claim of a levee board, concurring therein. The Governor, upon application of a drainage district having obligations outstanding to a county under the provisions of Chapter 88, Laws of 1928, and Chapter 16, Laws of the Extraordinary Session of 1931, or obligations which the reconstruction finance corporation has heretofore refused to refinance, may settle and compromise any claim, debt or obligation that said drainage district may owe any county in the State of Mississippi for money loaned said district under the provisions of said Chapter 88, Laws of 1928, or any other claim, debt or obligation that said drainage district may owe the county which the reconstruction finance corporation has heretofore refused to finance, if the board of supervisors of said county concurs in the application of the drainage district. The Governor, upon application by the board of supervisors for any taxing districts of said county or sinking funds of said county under the control and supervision of said board of supervisors having obligations outstanding and due to said county under the provisions of Chapter 88, Laws of 1928, and Chapter 16, Laws of the Extraordinary Session of 1931, may settle and compromise any claim, debt, or obligation that said taxing districts or sinking funds may owe said county for money loaned said taxing districts or sinking funds under the provisions of said Chapter 88, Laws of 1928; and provided that the Governor, on the advice of the Attorney General, and upon application of a church owing a sixteenth section township school fund loan, may settle and compromise such debt or obligation if the board of supervisors of the said county concurs in the application of the said church. The Governor may, on the advice of the Attorney General, in like manner compromise and settle a claim of a drainage district for unpaid assessments or taxes upon sixteenth section lands upon application of the board of supervisors wherein such sixteenth section is situated, if the commissioners of the drainage district concur therein.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-31 Bonds to the federal government for state hospitals.

Any bonds hereafter issued to the United States of America to finance in part the construction, erection, or equipment of any state hospital of the State of Mississippi, or any series, class, or installment of such bonds may bear interest at such rate or rates of interest not exceeding four per centum (4%) per annum and may be subject to such terms of redemption with or without premium as the commission or officials authorized to issue such bonds may determine, notwithstanding that such bonds may be part of a series, class, or installment of bonds bearing a greater or less rate of interest, and notwithstanding that such bonds may be a part of any series, class, or installment containing other and different terms of redemption.

Miss. Code Ann. § 31-19-33 Limitation of actions for payment of bonds and coupons.

Action against the state or any county, municipality, school district or political subdivision of the State of Mississippi for the payment of any bond issued thereby or for the payment of any coupon representing interest on such bond shall be commenced within twenty (20) years after the maturity date of such bond.

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