§ 20-6. Authority to enforce payment of assessment; foreclosure proceedings; authority to adjust liens, etc.

Each annual installment provided for in section 20-1 shall be paid within thirty (30) days of the date of billing, with interest upon all deferred payments (interest shall be calculated through the month ending prior to the month the monies are received), until the entire amount of such assessment has been paid, and upon the failure of any property owner to pay any annual installment due, or any part thereof, or any annual interest upon deferred payments, the county commissioners may cause to be brought the necessary legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to enforce payments thereof, with all accrued interest and penalties, together with all legal costs incurred, including a reasonable attorney's fee, to be assessed as part of the costs; and in the event of default in the payment of any installment of an assessment, or any accrued interest on such assessment, the whole assessment, with the interest and penalties thereon, shall immediately become due and payable and subject to foreclosure. In the foreclosure of any special assessment, service of process against an unknown or nonresident defendant may be had by publication, as now provided by law. The foreclosure proceedings shall be prosecuted to a sale and conveyance of the property involved in such proceedings as now provided by law in suits to foreclose mortgages, or, in the alternative, such proceeding may be instituted and prosecuted under F.S. Ch. 173. The county manager or a designee thereof, retains the right at any time to settle, compromise or adjust any assessment, claim, lien or interest thereon.

(Ord. No. 84-11, § 11; Ord. No. 90-4, § 9, 4-17-90; Ord. No. 03-02, § 2, 10-20-03)