Fulton Recovery of costs ordinance (§ 46-7)

(a) Assessment and certification of costs. If the city causes a building or structure to be vacated, repaired, or demolished, the costs of such abatement shall be determined and recovered in accordance with this section. The costs incurred by the city in administering the provisions of this chapter and the actual costs incurred in vacating, repairing, or demolishing a dangerous building, shall be certified by the building commissioner to the city clerk as a special assessment represented by a special tax bill against the real property affected.

(b) Administrative fees and costs. The costs incurred by the city in administering the provisions of this section shall include all administrative fees and costs incurred by the city in inspection of the dangerous building, determination of the interested parties, conducting the hearing, and providing notification of the notices and orders authorized herein, including reasonable attorney's fees.

(c) Liability created; payment of assessment; collection; lien. The special tax bill from the date of its issuance shall be deemed a personal debt against the person or persons who were the owners of record of the property at the time the city caused the dangerous building thereon to be vacated, repaired, or demolished. If there was more than one owner of record of the property at the time the city caused the dangerous building thereon to be vacated, repaired, or demolished, they shall be jointly and severally liable for the personal debt. The city may initiate actions against such owner(s) to collect the personal debt once the special assessment becomes delinquent. The special tax bill from the date of its issuance shall also be a lien on the property until paid. The lien may be enforced by any method appropriate for the enforcement of special assessments generally.

(d)

Repayment. Except as provided in section 46-8, at the request of the taxpayer, this special tax bill may be paid in installments over a period of not more than ten years and said assessment shall bear interest at the rate of nine percent per annum until paid.