14-120-319. Alternative method of assessment — Reassessment.

14-120-319. Alternative method of assessment — Reassessment. (a) Any levee district, drainage district, or levee and drainage district in this state, lying in one (1) or more counties, which may hereafter avail itself of the benefits and the power and authority conferred by this subchapter may, at its election and in the alternative, have the assessment of benefits made in the manner provided in the law under which it operates, and the tax on the assessed benefits shall be levied in the manner and by the means provided in the law under which it operates, notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 14-120-313 — 14-120-318 and 14-120-328 — 14-120-332 of this subchapter directing: (1) The manner and method of making the assessment of benefits estimated to accrue to the lands, town lots, suburban lots, rural lots, industrial tracts, blocks, railroads, tramroads, telegraph, telephone, and electric power lines, and underground cables, pipelines, and all other real property and interests in real property situate within the boundaries of such district; (2) The levy of the annual tax on the assessment of benefits; and (3) The method of providing for the collection and enforcement of payment of the tax. (b) In the levee district, drainage district, or levee and drainage district, which may hereafter adopt the alternative method provided in this section, the amount of interest which will accrue on bonds authorized to be issued by the district shall be included and added to the tax, but the interest to accrue on account of the issuing of the bonds shall not be considered as a part of the cost of construction in determining whether or not the expenses and cost of making the improvements are or are not equal to or in excess of the benefits assessed. (c) The landowners in any district which may adopt the alternative method provided in this section shall have the privilege of paying their assessments of benefits in full within thirty (30) days after the assessment becomes final. But all such assessments not paid in full shall be made payable in installments, so that not more than twenty-five percent (25%) shall be collectible in any one (1) year against the wishes of the landowner. In the event that any landowner avails himself of this indulgence, the deferred installments of the assessed benefits shall bear interest at the rate of six percent (6%) per annum and shall be payable only in installments as levied. The levy of the assessment may be made by way of proportional amounts of the total assessed benefits. Interest need not be calculated until it is necessary to do so to avoid exceeding the total amount of benefits and interest. (d) A reassessment of benefits may be made in the district which may adopt the alternative method provided in this section not more often than once a year, and the reassessment shall be made by the commissioners, directors, or assessors, respectively, of the districts as was authorized for the original assessment. The reassessment shall be made in the same form, after the same notice, hearing, and right of appeal as were provided for the original assessment and with the same time limitation on right of appeal and suits attacking the assessment of benefits as provided for the original assessment of benefits. The installments thereof shall be levied, extended, and collected at the same time, in the same manner, by the same officers, and with the same lien and penalties for delinquencies as were provided for the original assessment. If in the district the original assessment of benefits was made by assessors, the board of directors or commissioners of the district shall have the power to fill any vacancies in the board of assessors; or, if in the district the power of the board of assessors was exhausted on making the original assessment, the board of commissioners or directors of the district shall have the power to appoint a new board of assessors composed of the same number and with the same qualifications as the original board. The new board shall have all powers to make the reassessments herein provided for as were conferred on the original board of assessors.