(a) Severance Upon Answer. In any action in the Superior Court to foreclose the right to redeem from the lien of a certificate for the nonpayment of taxes or other municipal lien, whether brought under the In Rem Tax Foreclosure Act or otherwise, if the defendant's answer sets up the defense of the invalidity of the tax or other lien, or the invalidity of the proceedings to sell, or the invalidity of the sale, those questions shall be tried in the action. Upon the filing of such answer, there shall be a severance of the proceedings as to the parcel or parcels of land which have been made the subject of such answer. In the event of such a severance, the plaintiff shall pay to theclerk fees due as on the commencement of a new action and the clerk shall so docket the severed proceeding cross-indexing it to the original action.
(b) Dismissal Upon Redemption. In such actions redemption shall be made in the action only, provided notice of the action has been filed in the tax collector's office. Redemption shall be ordered made to the tax collector of the municipality at the collector's official office during business hours but if the tax collector is a part-time official with no regular municipal office, the redemption shall be ordered made to the county clerk at the clerk's official office in the court house. Redemption may be made at any time until the entry of final judgment, and when made, plaintiff, plaintiff's attorney, or the tax collector shall file an affidavit with the clerk setting forth that redemption has been made as to any parcel of land described in the complaint. Upon the filing of the affidavit redemption shall be deemed to be made in the action and an order shall be entered dismissing the action as to the parcel redeemed.
