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<section article="gen" article_name="Environment" number="9-713" title_number="9" title_name="Water, Ice, and Sanitary Facilities" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Regulation by Municipalities and Political Subdivisions">
  <level label="a">
    <text>To pay all or any part of the principal or interest on or to retire any outstanding bonds issued under Part II of this subtitle, the municipal authority may levy an annual front–foot assessment against any property that abuts on any street, road, alley, or right–of–way in which a water pipe, sewer, or drain is laid, or from which refuse is collected.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>To set front–foot assessment rates, the municipal authority may:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Classify any property according to its use;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Determine a fair and reasonable frontage length for:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Any corner lot fronting on more than one street;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Any irregular shaped lot fronting on more than one street;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Any shallow lot fronting on more than one street;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Any agricultural property; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Any small acreage; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Change the classifications or the front–foot assessment rates from year to year, but the rate for all property assessed in the municipality for any year shall be uniform within each classification.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The municipal authority shall notify each owner of assessed property in writing as to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The classification of the property;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The amount of the assessment; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The time and place for a hearing on the classification of the property and the benefit charges assessed against the property.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The classification of the property and the benefit charges assessed against the property shall be final, subject only to modification at the hearing.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The benefit charges are in default if not paid within 60 days after the date of levy.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The levy bears interest at the rate of 1 percent a month for each month after the time the benefit charges are in default.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The front–foot assessment charges are a first lien on the assessed property, subject only to prior State and county charges.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The municipal authority may enforce the lien by filing in an appropriate court a complaint for a judgment against the property owner and for execution on the judgment.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The municipal authority may provide terms for the extinguishment by property owners of annual front–foot benefit charges, if the extinguishment arrangement provides for the necessary payments on the outstanding bonds.</text>
  </level>
</section>
