(a) The cost of abatement in front of or upon each parcel of property, and the cost incurred by the city or county, as the case may be, in enforcing abatement upon the parcels, including investigation, boundary determination, measurement, clerical, and other related costs, are a special assessment against that parcel. After the assessment is made and confirmed, a lien attaches on the parcel upon recordation of the order confirming the assessment in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the property is situated. However, if any real property to which the lien would attach has been transferred or conveyed to a bona fide purchaser for value, or if a lien of a bona fide encumbrancer for value has been created and attaches thereon, prior to the date on which the first installment of the assessment would become delinquent, the lien which would otherwise be imposed by this section shall not attach to the real property and the costs of abatement and the costs of enforcing abatement, as confirmed, relating to the property shall be transferred to the unsecured roll for collection.

(b) After confirmation of the report, a copy shall be given to the city or county assessor and the tax collector, who shall add the amount of the assessment to the next regular tax bill levied against the parcel for municipal purposes.

(c) If the county assessor and the tax collector assess property and collect taxes for the city, the city shall file a certified copy of the report with the county auditor on or before August 10. The description of the parcels reported shall be those used for the same parcels on the county assessor’s map books for the current year.

(d) The county auditor shall enter each assessment on the county tax roll opposite the parcel of land.

(e) The amount of the assessment shall be collected at the time and in the manner of ordinary municipal taxes. If delinquent, the amount is subject to the same penalties and procedures of foreclosure and sale provided for ordinary municipal taxes.

The legislative body may determine that, in lieu of collecting the entire assessment at the time and in the manner of ordinary municipal taxes, assessments of fifty dollars ($50) or more may be made in annual installments, not to exceed five, and collected one installment at a time at the time and in the manner of ordinary municipal taxes in successive years. If any installment is delinquent, the amount thereof is subject to the same penalties and procedure for foreclosure and sale provided for ordinary municipal taxes. The payment of assessments so deferred shall bear interest on the unpaid balance at a rate to be determined by the legislative body, but not to exceed 6 percent per annum.

(f) As an alternative method, the county tax collector, at his or her discretion, may collect the assessments without reference to the general taxes by issuing separate bills and receipts for the assessments.

(g) Laws relating to the levy, collection, and enforcement of county taxes apply to these special assessments.

(h) The lien of the assessment has the priority of the taxes with which it is collected.

(Added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 1281, Sec. 6.)