Sec. 27. (a) The assessment roll, upon final confirmation by the board, shall be delivered to the controller or clerk-treasurer, and from that time the respective amounts of benefits assessed shall severally be liens, superior to all other liens except taxes, against the respective lots or parcels of land upon which they are assessed. The duties of the controller or clerk-treasurer are those prescribed by statute in cities with regard to assessments for street improvements.

     (b) The assessments of benefits are due and payable to the controller or clerk-treasurer from the time of the delivery of the assessment roll to him. If not paid within thirty (30) days, the board’s attorney shall proceed to foreclose the liens in a court as mortgages are foreclosed with similar rights of redemption, and have them sold to pay the assessments. The board shall recover costs with reasonable attorney’s fees and interest at the rate of six percent (6%) per annum.

     (c) In all cases where the party against whom the assessment is made is a resident of the city, a notice of the assessment and demand for payment shall be delivered to him personally or mailed to his last usual place of residence. All persons assessed for local benefits may, within thirty (30) days after the confirmation of the assessments, avail themselves of the right to pay the assessment installments in the same manner as provided for the payment of assessments for street improvements in cities, except that the board may provide that the installments may be extended over a period of twenty (20) years, which privilege shall also be stated in the notice.

     (d) Statutes relating to the payment of street improvement assessments by installments, the issuance of bonds and coupons to anticipate assessments, and the rights of bondholders and landowners, when not inconsistent with this chapter, shall apply and be extended to assessments made under this chapter. When assessment bonds are issued, the city controller or clerk-treasurer shall sell the bonds promptly in the same manner and upon the same notice conditions as grade separation district bonds are authorized to be sold as provided in section 29 of this chapter, and the proceeds shall be kept in a separate fund as provided for in section 30 of this chapter. The assessment bonds shall be exempt from taxation for all purposes. All interest and penalties on delinquencies shall go into the special fund.

[Pre-Local Government Recodification Citation: 19-5-14-27.]

As added by Acts 1980, P.L.8, SEC.70.