[Amended 2-16-1959]
The Commission shall have power to provide for the payment of all or any part of the cost of construction, re-construction, repair, operation, or maintenance of any structure or work in the nature of public improvement, by levying and collecting special assessments upon property specially benefitted. Any special assessment levied pursuant to the provisions of this chapter may be made payable in yearly installments for a period not exceeding 20 years.
[Adopted 2-16-1959]
The Commission shall have the power to levy and collect special assessments upon property specially benefitted by existing public improvements originally financed by revenue bonds, for the purpose of providing for the retirement of any such outstanding revenue bonds in whole or in part. Any such special assessment may include the amount of any premium to be paid upon the calling of the bonds to be retired.
[Amended 11-7-1950]
The Commission in order to ascertain whether or not a reasonable number of property owners to be assessed, desire a public improvement to be made under the provisions of this Chapter, may request that a petition therefore[1] be presented to it, or the property owners to be assessed, may of their own volition file such a petition, but in either of such cases the petition so filed shall be considered as advisory only and shall not be jurisdictional.
[1]
Editor's Note: So in original.
[Amended 9-12-1950]
When the Commission shall determine to make any public improvement, or repairs, alterations or additions to any public improvement, and defray the whole or any part of the cost and expenses thereof by special assessment, they shall so declare by resolution stating the nature of the improvement and what portion of the cost and expenses thereof shall be paid by special assessment, and what portion, if any, shall be borne by the City, and shall designate the district or lands and premises upon which the special assessments shall be levied.
Before ordering any public improvements or repairs, any part of the expenses of which is to be defrayed by special assessment, the Commission shall cause estimates of the expenses thereof, to be made, and also plats and diagrams, when practicable, of the work and of the locality to be improved, and deposit the same with the Clerk for public examination; and they shall give notice thereof and of the proposed improvements, and of the district to be assessed, and of the time and place when the Commission will meet and consider any objections thereto, by publication once at least five days prior to such meeting in a newspaper published and circulating in the City.
When any special assessment is to be made pro rata upon the lots and premises in any special assessment district, according to frontage or benefits, the Commission shall, by resolution, direct the same to be made by the City Assessor and shall state therein the amount to be assessed and whether according to frontage or benefit; and describe or designate an assessment district comprising the lands to be assessed.
Upon receiving such orders and direction, the City Assessor shall make out an assessment roll, entering and describing therein all the lots, premises, and parcels of land to be assessed, with the names of the persons, if known, chargeable with the assessment therein; and shall levy thereon and against such property the amount to be assessed, in the manner directed by the Commission and provisions of this Charter applicable to the assessment. In all cases where the ownership of any description is unknown to the City Assessor, he or she shall, in lieu of the name of the owner, insert the word "Unknown" and if by mistake or otherwise, any person shall be improperly designated as the owner of any lot, or parcel of land or premises, or if the same shall be assessed without the name of the owner, or the name of any person other than the owner, such assessment shall not for any cause be vitiated, but shall, in all respects, be as valid upon and against such lot, parcel of land, or premises, as though assessed in the name of the proper owner, and when the assessment shall have been confirmed, it shall be a lien on such lot, parcel of land, or premises, and collected as in this Charter provided.
If the assessment is required to be according to frontage, the City Assessor shall assess to each lot or parcel of land such relative portion of the whole amount to be levied, as the length or front of such premises abutting upon the improvement bears to the whole frontage of all lots to be assessed, unless on account of the shape or size of any lot, an assessment for a different number of feet would be more equitable. If the assessment is directed to be according to benefits, then he or she shall assess upon each lot such relative portion of the whole sum to be levied as shall be proportionate to the estimated benefit resulting to such lot from the improvement. When he or she shall have completed the assessment roll, he or she shall report the same to the Commission; such report shall be signed by the City Assessor, and may be in the form of a certificate, endorsed on the assessment roll, as follows:
STATE OF MICHIGAN, CITY OF ROYAL OAK -- SS.
TO THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ROYAL OAK:
I hereby certify and report that the foregoing is a special assessment roll, and the assessment made by me pursuant to a resolution of the Commission of said City, adopted (give date) for the purpose of paying that part of the cost which the Commission decided should be paid and borne by special assessment for the (insert here object of the assessment); that in making such assessment, I have, as near as may be, according to my best judgment conformed in all things to the directions contained in the resolution of the Commission hereinbefore referred to, and the Charter of the City relating to such assessment:
Dated _________________________
____________________________
City Assessor
When any expense shall be incurred by the City upon or in respect to any separate or single lot, parcel of land or premises, which, by the provisions of this Charter, the Commission is authorized to charge and collect as a special assessment against the same, and not being that class of special assessments required to be made pro rata upon several lots or parcels of land in a special assessment district, an account of the labor, material, or services for which such expense was incurred, verified by the Manager, with a description of the lot or premises, upon or in respect to which the expense was incurred, and the name of the owner or person, if known, chargeable therewith, shall be reported to the Commission in such manner as they shall prescribe. The provisions of the preceding section of this chapter with reference to special assessments generally, and the proceedings necessary to be had before making the improvements, shall not apply to assessments to cover the expenses incurred, in respect to that class of improvements contemplated in this section.
The Commission shall determine what amount or part of every such expense shall be charged, and the person, if known, against whom, and the premises upon which the same shall be levied as a special assessment, and as often as the Commission shall deem it expedient they shall require all of the several amounts so reported and determined, and the several lots or premises, and the persons chargeable therewith, respectively, to be reported by the Clerk to the City Assessor for assessment.
Upon receiving the report mentioned in the preceding section, the City Assessor shall make a special assessment roll, and levy as a special assessment therein, upon each lot or parcel of land so reported to him or her and against the persons chargeable therewith, if known, the whole amounts of all the charges so directed as aforesaid to be levied upon each of such lots or premises respectively, and when completed he or she shall report the assessment to the Commission, and all the several assessments shall be kept separately.
[Amended 11-7-1950]
When any special assessment roll shall be reported by the City Assessor to the Commission, as in this Charter directed, the same shall be filed in the office of the Clerk. Before confirming the assessment roll the Commission shall set a date for the review of the same and shall cause a notice to be published once not less than five days prior to the date set for such review, in a newspaper of general circulation in the City to be designated by the Commission, which notice shall set forth the fact of the filing of the assessment roll with the City Clerk, the time when the Commission and City Assessor will meet to review the assessment roll, and a description of the lots, premises, and parcels of land assessed. Any person objecting to the assessment against lands owned by him or her may file his or her objections thereto in writing with the Clerk.
At the time and place appointed for the purpose as aforesaid the Commission and City Assessor shall meet and there, or at some adjourned meeting, review the assessment roll, and shall hear any objections to any assessment which may be made by any person deeming himself or herself aggrieved thereby, and the Commission may correct said roll as to any assessment, or description of premises, appearing therein, and may confirm it as reported, or as corrected or they may refer the assessment back to the City Assessor for revision; or annul it and direct a new assessment, in which case the same proceedings shall be held as in respect to the previous assessment. When a special assessment be confirmed, the Clerk shall make an endorsement upon the roll showing the date of the confirmation.
When any special assessment roll shall be confirmed by the Commission it shall be final and conclusive.
All special assessments shall, from the date of confirmation thereof, constitute a lien upon the respective lots or parcels of land assessed, and shall be a charge against the respective owners of the several parcels as assessed until paid.
[Amended 2-16-1959]
Upon the confirmation of any special assessment, the amount thereof may be divided into not more than 20 installments, one of which shall be collected each year, at such times as the Commission shall determine, with annual interest at the rate not exceeding 6% per annum, provided no interest shall be charged until 30 days after confirmation; if the last day of any month, falls on Sunday or a legal holiday, or a day when the Treasurer's Office is officially closed, then such payment may be made without interest, or without additional interest, as the case may be, on the next secular day. The whole assessment may be paid to the City Treasurer at any time after confirmation in full with accrued interest thereon.
All special assessments, except such installments thereof as the Commission shall make payable at a future time, as provided in the preceding section, shall be due and payable upon confirmation.
[Amended and adopted 11-2-1954]
In all cases of special assessments of any kind against any property where such assessments have failed to be valid in whole or in part, the Commission shall have and are hereby authorized to cause to be reassessed such special taxes or assessments, and to enforce their collection. It is further provided that whenever for any cause, mistake, or inadvertence, the amount assessed in any assessment district shall not be sufficient to pay the cost of the improvement for which the assessments were made, that it shall be lawful and the Commission is hereby directed and authorized to cause a reassessment to be made upon all the property in said local assessment district to pay for such improvements and to continue requiring such reassessments until a valid and sufficient assessment shall have been made. It is further provided that if the special assessment collected in any special improvement district shall exceed the full cost of such improvement, including the estimated cost of engineering and all other costs required in connection with the said improvement, by more than 5% of such total cost, the amount of such excess shall be credited on the assessment roll to the respective properties assessed on said roll, or in case of any assessment which has been paid in full, the amount of such excess shall be refunded to the person paying such assessment.
No judgement or decree, nor any act of the Commission vacating a special assessment, shall destroy or impair the lien of the City upon the premises assessed, for such amount of the assessment as may be equitably charged against the same, or as by a regular mode of proceeding might have been lawfully assessed thereon.
Whenever any special assessment shall be confirmed and be payable, the Commission may direct the Clerk to report to the City Assessor a description of such lots and premises as are contained in said roll, with the amount of the assessment levied upon each, and the name of the owner or occupant against whom the assessment was made, and direct said City Assessor to levy the several sums so assessed respectively. The City Assessor shall levy the sums therein mentioned upon the respective lots and premises to which they are special assessed, and against the persons chargeable therewith, as a tax, in the general tax roll next thereafter to be made, in a column for special assessments, and thereupon the amount so levied in said tax roll shall be enforced and collected with the other taxes in the tax roll, and in the same manner; and shall continue to be a lien upon the premises assessed until paid, and when collected shall be paid into the City Treasury.
[Amended and adopted 11-7-1950]
Whenever any special assessment roll shall be confirmed, the Commission instead of requiring the assessments therein to be reported to the City Assessor, as provided in the preceding section, may direct the said assessments to be collected directly from the special assessment roll together with any interest which may become due thereon; and thereupon the Clerk shall attach his or her warrant to said special assessment roll, commanding the Treasurer to collect the amount of money assessed against each lot, premises, or parcel of land described in said roll together with any interest which may become due thereon, at such times and in such manner as prescribed by the City Charter and by resolution of the Commission. Said warrant shall further require the City Treasurer on the first day of April following the date when such assessments, or any installment thereof, have become due, to submit to the Commission a sworn statement setting forth a description of the lots, premises, and parcels of land as to which such delinquency exists, and the amounts of such delinquency, including accrued interest computed to April 1st of such year.
Upon receiving said special assessment roll and warrant the Treasurer shall proceed to collect the amount assessed therein. If any person shall neglect or refuse to pay his or her assessment upon demand, the Treasurer shall seize and levy upon any personal property found within the City or elsewhere within the State of Michigan, belonging to such person and sell the same at public auction, first giving six days' notice of the time and place of such sale, by posting such notice in three public places in the City or township where such property may be found. The proceeds of such sale, or so much thereof as may be necessary for that purpose, shall be applied to the payment of the assessment, the costs and expenses of seizure and sale, and the surplus, if any, shall be paid to the person entitled thereto.
The Treasurer shall report delinquent assessments or installments thereof, as required in the warrant of the Clerk.
[Amended and adopted 11-7-1950]
In case the Treasurer, pursuant to the provisions of the warrant of the City Clerk, shall report as delinquent any assessment or installment thereof, the Commission shall certify the same to the City Assessor, who shall reassess the same on the next annual City tax roll, in a column headed "Special Assessments," with interest to April 1st of such year, and an additional penalty of 5% of such total amount, and such total amount when so reassessed upon said tax roll, shall be collected in all respects as provided for the collection of City taxes. Unpaid special assessments reassessed upon the City tax roll shall be returned to the County Treasurer for collection at the same time and in the same manner as City taxes.
At any time after a special assessment has become payable, the same may be collected by suit, in the name of the City, against the person assessed, in an action of assumpsit, in any court having jurisdiction of the amount. In every such action a declaration upon the common counts for money paid shall be sufficient. The special assessment roll and a certified order of resolution confirming the same shall be prime[1] facie evidence of the regularity of all the proceedings in making the assessment, of the whole amount due, and of the right of the City to recover judgement therefor.
[1]
Editor's Note: So in original.
If, in any such action, it shall appear that by reason of any irregularities or informalities, the assessment has not been properly made against the defendant, or upon the lot or premises sought to be charged, the court may nevertheless, on satisfactory proof that expenses have been incurred by the City, which is a proper charge against the defendant, or the lot or premises in question, render judgement for the amount properly chargeable against such defendant, or upon such lots or premises.
If the owner or occupant of any lot or premises shall fail to remove the snow, ice, and filth from the sidewalk upon which such property abuts, or to remove and keep the same from obstruction, encroachments, encumbrances, or other nuisances, or fail to perform any other duty required by the City in respect to such sidewalks or the premises of any person within such time and in such manner as the City shall require, the City may cause the same to be done, and the expenses, or such part thereof as the City shall have determined, together with a penalty of 10% may be charged and collected as a special assessment against such property as in this Charter provided.
Revenues and moneys raised by taxation in every special assessment district in the City, shall be credited to separate special assessment funds; and money so raised shall be used solely for the purpose specified. Provided, if there be a surplus after paying for the specified improvement such surplus shall be refunded pro rata as follows: By refund where the tax has been paid in full, and by credit on the assessment roll where the tax has not been fully paid.
When expenses for any improvement shall be assessed in a special assessment district and there shall be lands belonging to the City school buildings, or other public buildings or public grounds not taxable fronting upon such improvement, such part of the expense of such improvement as in the opinion of the Commission would be justly apportionable to such public grounds, buildings, and City property, and to any interior squares or spaces formed by the intersection of streets, were they taxable, shall be paid from the general City funds, and the balance of such expense shall be assessed upon the taxable lots and premises included in the special assessment district, in proportion to their number of feet frontage upon such improvement. When such assessment is to be made upon lots in proportion to their frontage upon the improvement, if from the shape or size of any lot an assessment thereon in proportion to the frontage would be unjust and disproportionate to the assessment upon other lots, the Commission may assess such lots for such number of feet frontage as in its opinion will be just, or the City may issue bonds or notes therefor as they may determine.
[Amended and adopted 11-7-1950]
Any resolution, notice, or other proceeding under this chapter may relate to one or more improvements, district, or assessment rolls as the case may be. Bonds in anticipation of the collection of special assessments spread upon more than one roll may be included in one issue or series of bonds: provided, that the same shall not obligate one special assessment district to answer for the default of another.