88.41 Payment of assessments for costs.

(1) All assessments for costs are due and payable 4 months after the date on which the order making the assessments is issued unless the drainage board by order directs that the assessments may be paid in installments. Assessments shall be paid to the county treasurer as treasurer of the drainage district.

(2) At the time of issuing an order making assessments for costs, or at any time after issuance of the order but before the issuance of bonds or notes which are a lien on the assessments, the drainage board may order the assessments for costs to be payable in annual installments. The drainage board shall order the installments to be payable in such amounts and at such times as will be convenient for the accomplishment of the proposed work or for the payment of the principal and interest of the notes or bonds of the drainage district, subject to the following limitations:

(a) The number of annual installments may not exceed 15 in the case of assessments for cost of construction or 3 in the case of assessments for cost of repairs.

(b) The first installment is due and payable on September 1 following the drainage board's order directing payment in installments and one installment, together with all accrued interest, is due and payable on September 1 of each succeeding year, except that the drainage board in its order may direct a delay in the commencement of the payment of installments for the cost of construction to September 1 of some year not more than 5 years after September 1 of the year in which the first payment otherwise would be due.

(3) Any owner of land assessed for costs may, at any time before the board contracts to borrow money upon notes or bonds based upon such assessment, pay to the county treasurer as treasurer of the drainage district the amount of the assessment against the owner's land or any tract thereof, together with any interest due thereon.

(4) The following rules govern interest on assessments for costs:

(a) All assessments for costs shall draw interest at the rate of 6 percent per year unless the drainage board orders a different rate.

(b) Interest shall run from the date of confirmation of the assessment unless the drainage board orders the interest to commence at a later date, but interest shall be waived if the assessment is paid within 60 days after the date of confirmation.

(c) If installment payments have been authorized pursuant to sub. (2), interest shall be computed as of September 1 and is payable annually on that date.

(e) Interest shall be collected in the same manner as the principal of the assessment.

(f) If it becomes necessary to certify past due assessments to the clerk of the town, village or city for collection, the provisions of s. 88.42 relating to interest also are applicable.

History: 1979 c. 110 s. 60 (13); 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 456; 1997 a. 27.