§ 140.730 RSMo — Procedure for collection of personal taxes

1. Tangible personal property taxes assessed on and after January 1, 1946, and all personal taxes delinquent at that date, shall constitute a debt, as of the date on which such taxes were levied for which a personal judgment may be recovered against the party assessed with such taxes before any court of this state having jurisdiction.

2. All actions commenced pursuant to this law shall be prosecuted in the name of the state of Missouri, at the relation and to the use of the collector and against the person or persons named in the tax bill, and in one petition and in one count thereof may be included the said taxes for all such years as may be delinquent and unpaid, and said taxes shall be set forth in a tax bill or bills of said personal back taxes duly authenticated by the certificate of the collector and filed with the petition; and said tax bill or tax bills so certified shall be prima facie evidence that the amount claimed in said suit is just and correct, and all notices and process in suits pursuant to this chapter shall be sued and served in the same manner as in civil actions, and the general laws of this state as to practice and proceedings and appeals and writs of error in civil cases shall apply, as far as applicable, to the above actions; provided, however, that in no case shall the state, county, city or collector be liable for any costs nor shall any be taxed against them or any of them.

3. For the purpose of this chapter, personal tax bills shall become delinquent on the first day of January following the year the taxes are due, and suits thereon may be instituted on and after the first day of February following, and within three years from said day. If the collector, after using due diligence, is unable to collect any personal property taxes charged in the delinquent tax list within three years following the year the taxes are due, the collector may remove such personal property taxes from the delinquent or back taxes books in the same manner as real estate is removed under section 137.260 . Such abated amounts shall be reported on the annual settlement made by a collector of revenue.

4. Said personal tax shall be presented and allowed against the estates of deceased or insolvent debtors, in the same manner and with like effect, as other indebtedness of said debtors. The remedy hereby provided for the collection of personal tax bills is cumulative, and shall not in any manner impair other methods existing or hereafter provided for the collection of the same.