17-524. Streets and sidewalks; improvements; assessments; how made; collection.

Assessments made under sections 17-509 to 17-523 shall be made and assessed in the following manner:

(1) Such assessment shall be made by the city council or village board of trustees at a special meeting, by a resolution, taking into account the benefits derived or injuries sustained in consequence of such improvements, and the amount charged against the same, which, with the vote, shall be recorded in the minutes. Notice of the time of holding such meeting and the purpose for which it is to be held shall be published in a legal newspaper in or of general circulation in the city or village at least four weeks before the meeting is held or, in lieu of such notice, personal service may be made upon persons owning or occupying property to be assessed; and

(2) All such assessments shall be known as special assessments for improvements, shall be levied and collected as a separate tax, in addition to the taxes for general revenue purposes, and shall be placed on the tax roll for collection, subject to the same penalties and collected in like manner as other city or village taxes.

Source

Annotations

1. Authority to improve

2. Procedure for assessment

3. Review of proceedings

4. Enforcement

5. Miscellaneous

1. Authority to improve

Special assessments are levied on basis of benefits accruing to property and not on basis of cost of improvement immediately in front of property. Chicago & N. W. Ry. Co. v. City of Seward, 166 Neb. 662, 90 N.W.2d 282 (1958).

Property of railroad was taxable for all special benefits received. Chicago & N. W. Ry. Co. v. City of Seward, 166 Neb. 123, 88 N.W.2d 175 (1958).

Municipality cannot assess for public improvement adjacent property beyond the amount of the present benefit or its reasonably prospective benefit. Munsell v. City of Hebron, 117 Neb. 251, 220 N.W. 289 (1928).

City council has no authority to assess abutting lot owner with cost of paving that part of street taken by street railway. Wales v. Warren, 66 Neb. 455, 92 N.W. 590 (1902).

2. Procedure for assessment

Notice is provided by this section to taxpayer of levy of special assessments for paving. Elliott v. City of Auburn, 172 Neb. 1, 108 N.W.2d 328 (1961).

Assessments may be made by resolution. Chicago, St. P., M. & O. Ry. Co. v. City of Randolph, 163 Neb. 687, 81 N.W.2d 159 (1957).

This section designates the manner special assessments shall be made and does not give a village authority to reapportion or reassess special assessments. Village of Winside v. Brune, 133 Neb. 80, 274 N.W. 212 (1937).

The burden is on a person assailing an assessment as void for paving to prove the invalidating facts. City of Superior v. Simpson, 114 Neb. 698, 209 N.W. 505 (1926); Whitla v. Connor, 114 Neb. 526, 208 N.W. 670 (1926).

Where the board failed to find the value of the property or mention damages sustained but did find the benefits and levy tax in that amount, there was to that extent substantial compliance with this section and the assessment was not void. Biggerstaff v. City of Broken Bow, 112 Neb. 4, 198 N.W. 156 (1924).

Railroad properties are assessed on the same basis as other abutting property notwithstanding their use. Chicago & N. W. Ry. Co. v. City of Albion, 109 Neb. 739, 192 N.W. 233 (1923).

Where personal notice is relied upon, it must be given in such time as to allow property owner a reasonable time to prepare for the hearing. Hull v. City of Humboldt, 107 Neb. 326, 186 N.W. 78 (1921).

If it appears the board in levying the assessment did not take into account the benefits and damages resulting from the construction of the sidewalk and levied the total cost thereof without regard to such benefits and damages, the tax is void and may be enjoined. Schneider v. Plum, 86 Neb. 129, 124 N.W. 1132 (1910).

Provisions for engineers' estimates are jurisdictional and such estimates must be submitted and approved before council can levy special assessment for sidewalk against adjacent property. Moss v. City of Fairbury, 66 Neb. 671, 92 N.W. 721 (1902).

Notice of the time and purpose of holding of the meeting is jurisdictional, and equalization and levy, made without notice, is void. Cook v. Gage County, 65 Neb. 611, 91 N.W. 559 (1902).

3. Review of proceedings

This section does not provide for appeal to the district court from action of council sitting as a board of equalization in levying special assessments for paving, and review may be had only by error proceedings. Roberts v. City of Mitchell, 131 Neb. 672, 269 N.W. 515 (1936).

4. Enforcement

Property owner has option to pay assessment in installments as they accrue with interest or to pay balance of assessment at any time with interest to date of payment. State ex rel. Todd v. Thomas, 127 Neb. 891, 257 N.W. 265 (1934).

While there is a distinction between taxes levied for sidewalk construction and taxes for general revenue, there is no difference in the method of enforcement. Wilson v. City of Auburn, 27 Neb. 435, 43 N.W. 257 (1889).

5. Miscellaneous

Cited but not discussed. Campbell v. City of Ogallala, 183 Neb. 238, 159 N.W.2d 574 (1968).

A special assessment can only be enjoined when the record shows some jurisdictional defect in the proceedings. Bemis v. McCloud, 4 Neb. Unof. 731, 97 N.W. 828 (1903).

Where no levy has been made by the council for sidewalk, no lien will be created even though the tax be certified to county board and entered as a tax against the property. Hall v. Moore, 3 Neb. Unof. 574, 92 N.W. 294 (1902).