Missouri Laws 204.660 – Hearing, procedure — notice to property owners — special assessments
1. At the hearing to consider the proposed improvements and assessments, the governing body shall hear and pass upon all objections to the proposed improvements and proposed assessments, if any, and may amend the proposed improvements, and the plans and specifications, or assessments as to any property, and thereupon by resolution, the governing body shall order that the improvement be made and direct that financing for the cost be obtained as provided in sections 204.650 to 204.672.
2. After the improvement has been completed in accordance with the plans and specifications, the governing body shall compute the final costs of the improvement and apportion the costs among the property benefitted by such improvement in such equitable manner as the governing body shall determine, charging each tract, lot, or parcel of property with its proportionate share of the costs, and by resolution, assess the final cost of the improvement, or the amount of revenue bonds issued or to be issued to pay for the improvement, as special assessments against the property described in the assessment roll.
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 204.660
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Property: includes real and personal property. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.
3. After the passage or adoption of the resolution assessing the special assessments, the district shall mail to each property owner within the district a notice that sets forth a description of each owner’s tract, lot, or parcel of real property to be assessed, the assessment assigned to such property, and a statement that the property owner may pay such assessment in full, together with interest accrued from the effective date of such resolution, on or before a specified date determined by the effective date of the resolution, or may pay such assessment in the form of user fees in periodic installments as provided in subsection 4 of this section. Notice of each assessment and imposition of the assessment lien, together with a legal description for each property assessed within the area, shall be filed with the recorder of deeds upon the effective date of the resolution. However, failure to record any such notice in a timely manner shall not affect the validity of the assessments or liens. The district shall record written notice of release of lien whenever an assessment is paid in full. The cost of recording assessment notices and release of liens shall be includable in the assessment.
4. The special assessments shall be assessed upon the property within the area. Those not paid in full as provided in subsection 3 of this section shall be payable in the form of user fees payable in periodic and substantially equal installments, as determined by the district, for a duration prescribed by the resolution establishing the special assessments. All assessments shall bear interest at such rate as the governing body determines, not to exceed the rate permitted for bonds by section 108.170. Interest on the assessment between the effective date of the resolution assessing the special assessments and the date the first installment of a user fee is payable shall be added to the first installment or prorated among all scheduled installments.
5. Assessments not paid in full shall be collected and paid over to the district in the form of user fees in the same manner as other district fees and charges are collected and paid, or by any other reasonable method determined by the district.