R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-9-17
Whenever a city or town shall have purchased real estate for payment of taxes, the lien of the city or town on the real estate, for all taxes assessed subsequently to the assessment for payment of which the estate was purchased, shall continue, and it shall be unnecessary for the city or town to sell the real estate for nonpayment of the subsequent taxes, costs, and interest; and on either redemption from or foreclosure of the right of redemption under that purchase, the subsequent taxes, costs, and interest shall be paid to the city or town, and the payment shall be made a part of the terms of redemption. A city or town which has assigned a tax title held by it shall, after the assignment, have all the rights and powers to sell the real estate affected by the tax title, for the nonpayment of taxes, which it would have possessed had the city or town never been the holder of the tax title.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-9-17