Section 40-10-24

Officers not to be interested in purchase.

If the assessor, collector, judge of probate or any county tax assessor shall directly or indirectly be concerned or interested in the purchase of any real estate sold for taxes, the sale shall be void, and he and his sureties on his official bond shall be liable to a penalty of not exceeding $500 to be fixed by the jury, which may be recovered in an action in the circuit court, or court of like jurisdiction, brought on the relation of any taxpayer of the county, in the name of the state, one half of the amount recovered to be paid to the relator and the other half to the state.

(Acts 1935, No. 194, p. 256; Code 1940, T. 51, §271.)