Mo. Rev. Stat. § 140.410
In all cases where lands have been or may hereafter be sold for delinquent taxes, penalty, interest and costs due thereon, and a certificate of purchase has been or may hereafter be issued, it is hereby made the duty of such purchaser, his or her heirs or assigns, to cause all subsequent taxes to be paid on the property purchased prior to the issuance of any collector's deed, and the purchaser shall further cause a deed to be executed and placed on record in the proper county all within eighteen months from the date of said sale; provided, that on failure of said purchaser, his or her heirs or assigns so to do, then and in that case the amount due such purchaser shall cease to be a lien on said lands so purchased as herein provided. Upon the purchaser's forfeiture of all rights of the property acquired by the certificate of purchase issued, and including the nonpayment of all subsequent years' taxes as described in this section, it shall be the responsibility of the collector to record the cancellation of the certificate of purchase in the office of the recorder of deeds of the county. Certificates of purchase cannot be assigned to nonresidents or delinquent taxpayers. However, any person purchasing property at a delinquent land tax sale who meets the requirements of this section, prior to receiving a collector's deed, shall pay to the collector the fee necessary for the recording of such collector's deed to be issued. It shall be the responsibility of the collector to record the deed before delivering such deed to the purchaser of the property.
§ 140.410, RSMo
RSMo 1939 § 11137, A.L. 2003 S.B. 295, A.L. 2011 S.B. 117, A.L. 2015 H.B. 613