(A) All municipalities of the State may provide by ordinance a procedure for the collection of delinquent real and personal property taxes, except taxes on motor vehicles. The municipal governing body may provide for a penalty not exceeding fifteen percent of the taxes levied for nonpayment of these taxes payable when the taxes become delinquent. The property taxes levied, with any penalty added for nonpayment when due and costs of execution, are a lien upon the property upon which the tax is levied until paid. The lien is paramount to all other liens except the lien for county and state taxes. Payment of a lien for state or county taxes, without payment of a lien for municipal taxes, does not extinguish a lien for municipal taxes. For those municipalities that, as of the effective date of this sentence collect their delinquent municipal taxes without an agreement as to collection with a county, such payment makes the municipal lien a first lien on the property which shall continue in full force and effect until legally discharged.

(B) For the purpose of collecting delinquent real and personal property taxes, the municipal governing body may enforce payment against the property of delinquent property taxpayers to the same extent, and substantially in the same manner, as is provided by law for the collection of county property taxes and penalties, except that a municipal governing body may determine the municipality's tax year, penalty dates, and the amount of penalty to be added on the penalty dates. Executions to enforce the payment of the taxes and penalties must be issued under the seal of the municipality and directed to the person designated by the municipal governing body for that purpose. All sales under and by virtue of that execution must take place at a public place in the municipality designated by ordinance, unless otherwise provided in subsection (D) if the sale is held in conjunction with the delinquent tax sale of the county.

(C) All expense of the levy, seizure, and sale must be added and collected as additional execution costs, and includes, but is not limited to, the expense of taking possession of real or personal property, advertising, storage, identifying the boundaries of the property, and mailing certified notices.

(D) A municipality may contract with the county for the collection of municipal taxes or for the collection of delinquent municipal taxes upon terms and conditions mutually agreeable to both the municipality and the county. If a municipality contracts with a county for collection of municipal taxes or delinquent municipal taxes, the provisions of state law that prescribe the procedure for collection of property taxes by counties must be followed. A delinquent tax sale for the purpose of collecting municipal taxes and held in conjunction with a delinquent tax sale for the purpose of collecting county taxes may take place at the public place in the county that is designated by the county.

(E) A municipality may contract by ordinance with an individual, firm, or organization to assist the municipality in collecting property or business license taxes.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 19 Section 1; 1988 Act No. 419; 2002 Act No. 179, Section 1; 2006 Act No. 238, Section 1, eff March 15, 2006.

Effect of Amendment

The 2006 amendment, in subsection (A), added the fifth and sixth sentences relating to municipal taxes and making a municipal lien a first lien.