(a) The county assessor discovers personal property subject to assessment for taxation in any year and taxes imposed on the property in a prior year are delinquent; or

(b) In the opinion of the assessor it seems probable that personal property may be removed from the county, sold, dissipated or destroyed before the taxes on the property otherwise become due and payable and it further appears that the owner or person liable for the taxes had no property subject to taxation in the county during either of the two preceding tax years, or was delinquent in the payment of any tax imposed during the two preceding tax years in respect to property in any jurisdiction, whether within or without the state, or is not financially responsible or intends to depart from the state before the taxes become due.

(2) The assessor may, immediately after listing and valuing the personal property for assessment and taxation, levy, demand and collect for remittance to the tax collector, or the tax collector may collect, the taxes on the property as follows:

(a) If the assessor is able to compute the exact amount of taxes, special assessments, fees and charges, such amount shall be paid to the assessor for remittance to the tax collector or directly to the tax collector; or

(b) If the assessor is unable to compute the exact amount at the time, either:

(A) There shall be paid the amount that the assessor estimates is needed to pay the taxes, special assessments, fees and other charges to become due; or

(B) There shall be deposited with the tax collector a bond with a good and sufficient undertaking in the amount that the assessor considers adequate to ensure payment of the taxes to become due. In no event shall the bond amount exceed twice the amount of the taxes, special assessments, fees and other charges computed by the assessor under this paragraph.

(3) Taxes paid or bonded for under subsection (2) of this section shall be entitled to the discount provided by ORS 311.505. ORS 311.370 shall apply to the amounts assessed and collected under subsection (2) of this section. Any taxes collected under subsection (2) of this section, and subject to refund on order of the tax court under ORS 311.467, shall be held in the special account mentioned in ORS 311.370 by the county treasurer until the period for petitioning for review of the assessor’s action has expired, or, when a review is had, until the review is determined. If the tax court, upon review, orders a refund, the county treasurer shall make the refund from the special account within three days after entry of the department’s order.

(4) If the owner or person liable for the taxes on the personal property fails to pay the tax on demand by the assessor, the assessor shall certify the assessment and tax levies made under this section to the tax collector of the county. The taxes thereupon shall be collected by the tax collector in the manner of collecting delinquent taxes on personal property. The taxes when so certified by the assessor are delinquent and subject to the provisions of law for the collection of delinquent taxes on personal property. [Amended by 1955 c.710 §2; 1975 c.780 §12; 1979 c.350 §14; 1981 c.804 §89; 1995 c.650 §67; 1999 c.21 §29]