Whenever any property shall be put up for public sale upon order of court, as provided in section 612,¹ the county commissioners are hereby authorized to bid up to and including one dollar over and above all costs, as prescribed in section 612, for said property at such sale and if the property is sold to them for the county, the county shall take and have an absolute title, free and clear of all tax and municipal claims, mortgages, liens and charges and estates of whatsoever kind, except ground rents, separately taxed in the same manner and to the same extent as a private purchaser would have taken. In such cases, the proportionate share of said costs shall be paid to the county by the respective taxing districts in proportion to the taxes due them on such property. An amount equal to such costs due the county from any taxing district may be deducted from any tax moneys thereafter payable to such district under the provisions of this act. Upon the sale thereafter of such property by the county, the proceeds from the sale shall be distributed to the taxing authorities in proportion to the taxes due them on such property at the time of the last tax sale.

Any property purchased at such sale by the county may thereafter by the county commissioners be (1) leased to any taxing district to be used for public purposes; (2) used for any suitable public purpose by the county; (3) sold in the same manner as any other real property owned in fee simple by the county; or (4) sold upon petition to the court of common pleas, which shall fix a day not more than thirty (30) days thereafter for a hearing and sale. At least five (5) days notice of such hearing and sale shall be given to all the taxing authorities having an interest therein, and notice shall also be given by publication at least two times, with approximately ten (10) days intervening, in at least one (1) newspaper of general circulation published in the county and the official legal journal of the county, setting forth the location of the property that was acquired at a public tax sale, giving the date and place, the terms of the proposed sale, and that the property will be sold clear and free of all tax and municipal claims, mortgages, liens, charges and estates, except separately taxed ground rents, and the lowest amount which the county is prepared to accept for the sale of the property.

If, after such hearing, the court is satisfied that the proposed sale is proper and to the advantage of the county and the other taxing districts interested, it shall allow any person to offer more than the minimum price fixed by the county, or other price, as the court may find proper, and enter a decree approving such sale and directing a conveyance of such property to the person or persons purchasing the same, upon the payment of the purchase price and all costs of the proceeding. The title conveyed shall be free and clear of all tax and municipal claims, mortgages, liens and charges and estates of whatever kind, except ground rents separately taxed.