Sec. 22.5. (a) After removal or remedial action is initiated under this chapter, the district may impose a lien on the property on which the removal or remedial action is undertaken. The lien may secure the payment to the district of an amount of money equal to the amount of money expended periodically by the district to finance the removal or remedial action.

(b) In order to perfect a lien arising under subsection (a), the district must file notice of the lien in the office of the county recorder. At least thirty (30) days before filing notice of the lien in the office of the county recorder, the district must provide by certified mail to:

(1) the owner of the real property that would be subject to the lien, at the owner's last known address; or

(2) the tenant or other person having control of the real property that would be subject to the lien, at the last known address of the tenant or other person, if the owner of record cannot be identified;

a written notice of the date on which the district intends to impose a lien under subsection (a). The district shall also provide the county recorder with a copy of the written notice required by this subsection.

(c) When a notice of a lien arising under subsection (a) is presented to the county recorder for filing, the county recorder shall enter the lien appropriately in the entry book and in the miscellaneous record. The entries made under this subsection must show the following:

(1) The date of filing.

(2) The book and page number or instrument number.

(3) The name of the person named in the notice.

(4) A legal description of the property if appropriate.

(5) A serial number or other identifying number given in the notice.

(d) After a notice of a lien is filed with the county recorder under subsection (c), the district shall provide notice of the filing of the lien by certified mail to:

(1) the owner of the property that is subject to the lien, at the owner's last known address; or

(2) the tenant or other person having control of the property that is subject to the lien, at the last known address of the tenant or other person, if the owner of record cannot be identified.

(e) Subject to subsection (f), when a certificate of discharge of a lien arising under this section is:

(1) issued by the board or its designated representative; and

(2) presented for filing in the office of the county recorder;

the county recorder shall record the certificate of discharge as a release of the lien.

(f) To be recorded under subsection (e), the certificate must refer to the county recorder's book and page number or instrument number under which the lien was recorded.

(g) When recording a release of a lien under subsection (e), the county recorder shall inscribe, in the margin of each entry made to record the lien under subsection (d), a reference to the place where the release is recorded.

(h) Upon:

(1) the recording of the certificate of discharge as a release under subsection (e); and

(2) the inscribing of the references to the release under this section;

a certificate of discharge of a lien arising under subsection (a) operates as a full discharge and satisfaction of the lien unless the references to the release inscribed under subsection (e) specifically note the release as a partial lien release.

(i) A lien created under subsection (a) continues until the earlier of the following:

(1) The full discharge and satisfaction of the lien.

(2) The expiration of a twenty (20) year period from the date of the creation of the lien, unless an action to foreclose the lien is pending.

As added by P.L.60-1999, SEC.1.