2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 30-A: MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES › Part 2: MUNICIPALITIES › Subpart 5: HEALTH, WELFARE AND IMPROVEMENTS › Chapter 161: SEWERS AND DRAINS › Subchapter 3: ASSESSMENTS AND FEES › 30-A §3444. Collection of assessments

§3444. Collection of assessments
Except for service charges established under section 3406 which shall be collected as provided in that section, all assessments and charges made under this chapter shall be certified by the municipal officers and filed with the tax collector for collection. A facsimile of the signatures of the municipal officers imprinted at their direction upon any certification of an assessment or charge under this chapter has the same validity as their signatures.   [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
1.  Payment over time.
The municipal officers of a municipality may adopt an order generally authorizing the assessors and the tax collector to assess and collect those assessments and charges over a period of time not exceeding 10 years, including expenses involved in the municipality's abatement of malfunctioning domestic waste water disposal units under section 3428, subsection 4.
A. The assessors and collector may exercise this authority only when the person assessed has agreed to that method of assessment and collection in writing and notice of that fact has been recorded in the appropriate registry of deeds.   [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
B. The municipal officers shall annually file with the collector a list of installment payments due the municipality, which must be collected with interest at a rate determined by the municipal officers. If, within 30 days after written notice of the total amount of the assessments and charges, or annual installment payment and interest, the person assessed fails, neglects or refuses to pay the municipality the expense incurred, the municipal assessors may assess a special tax, equal to the amount of the total unpaid assessment and charges, upon each lot or parcel of land so assessed and buildings upon the lot or parcel of land. This assessment must be included in the next annual warrant to the tax collector for collection and must be collected in the same manner as state, county and municipal taxes are collected.
(1) Interest at the same rate used for delinquent property taxes as established by Title 36, section 505, subsection 4 on the unpaid portion of assessments and charges due the municipality accrues from the 30th day after written notice to the person assessed and must be added to and becomes part of the special tax when committed to the tax collector.   [PL 1995, c. 91, §1 (AMD).]
[PL 1995, c. 91, §1 (AMD).]
2.  Action to recover unpaid assessments.
If assessments under this section are not paid, and the municipality does not proceed to collect the assessments by a sale of the lots or parcels of land upon which the assessments are made, or does not collect or is in any manner delayed or defeated in collecting the assessments by a sale of the real estate so assessed, then the municipality may maintain a civil action in its name against the party so assessed for the amount of the assessment in any court competent to try the action. In this action, the municipality may recover the amount of the assessment with 12% interest on the assessment from the date of the assessment and costs.
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1987, c. 737, §§A2,C106 (NEW). PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 104, §§C8,10 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 91, §1 (AMD).