§ 153A-200.  Enforcement of assessments; interest; foreclosure; limitations.

(a) Any portion of an assessment that is not paid within 30 days after the day that notice of confirmation of the assessment roll is published shall, until paid, bear interest at a rate to be fixed in the assessment resolution. The maximum rate at which interest may be set is eight percent (8%) per annum.

(b) If an installment of an assessment is not paid on or before the due date, all of the installments remaining unpaid immediately become due, unless the board of commissioners waives acceleration. The board may waive acceleration and permit the property owner to pay all installments in arrears together with interest due thereon and the cost to the county of attempting to obtain payment. If this is done, any remaining installments shall be reinstated so that they fall due as if there had been no default. The board may waive acceleration and reinstate further installments at any time before foreclosure proceedings have been instituted.

(c) A county may foreclose assessment liens under any procedure provided by law for the foreclosure of property tax liens, except that (i) lien sales and lien sale certificates are not required and (ii) foreclosure may be begun at any time after 30 days after the due date. The county is not entitled to a deficiency judgment in an action to foreclose an assessment lien. The lien of special assessments is inferior to all prior and subsequent liens for State, local, and federal taxes, and superior to all other liens.

(d) No county may maintain an action or proceeding to foreclose any special assessment lien unless the action or proceeding is begun within 10 years from the date that the assessment or the earliest installment thereof included in the action or proceeding became due. Acceleration of installments under subsection (b) of this section does not have the effect of shortening the time within which foreclosure may be begun; in that event the statute of limitations continues to run as to each installment as if acceleration had not occurred. (1963, c. 985, s. 1; 1965, c. 714; 1973, c. 822, s. 1.)