§ 8-19. Tax liens.

The tax levied by the city is hereby declared to be a lien, charge or encumbrance upon the property as of January 1st upon which the tax is due, which lien, charge or encumbrance the city is entitled to enforce and foreclose in any court having jurisdiction over the same and the lien, charge or encumbrance on the property is such as to give the state courts jurisdiction to enforce and foreclose said lien on the property on which the tax is due, not only as against any resident of this state or person whose residence is unknown, but also as against nonresidents. All taxes upon real estate shall especially be a lien and a charge upon the property on which the taxes are due, which lien may be foreclosed in any court having jurisdiction. Such lien shall be prior to all other claims, and no gift, sale, assignment, or transfer of any kind, or judicial writ of any kind, can ever defeat such lien.