(a) Any assessment levied as provided in this article is a debt of the business so assessed and shall be due and payable at the direction of the county treasurer/tax collector. If any assessed business fails to pay any assessment, the county treasurer/tax collector may file a complaint in a state court of competent jurisdiction for the collection of the assessment.

(b) If any assessed business that is duly assessed pursuant to this article fails to pay the assessed amount by the due date, the county treasurer/tax collector may add to the unpaid assessment an amount not to exceed 10 percent of the unpaid assessment to defray the cost of enforcing the collection of the unpaid assessment. In addition to payment for the cost of enforcing a collection, the assessed business shall pay a penalty equivalent to the lesser of either the maximum amount authorized by Section 1 of Article XV of the California Constitution or 5 percent for each 30 days the assessment is unpaid, prorated over the days unpaid, commencing 30 days after the notice has been given to the assessed business of its failure to pay the assessment on the date required, unless the county treasurer/tax collector determines that the failure to pay is due to reasonable cause beyond the control of the assessed business.

(c) (1) The county treasurer/tax collector may require assessed businesses to deposit in advance the following amounts:

(A) An amount for necessary expenses.

(B) An amount that shall not exceed 25 percent of the assessment to cover costs that are incurred prior to the receipt of sufficient funds from the assessment.

(2) The amount of any deposit that is required shall be based upon the estimated assessment for the assessed business.

(d) In lieu of requiring advance deposits, or in order generally to provide funds for defraying administrative expenses or the expenses of implementing the Los Angeles County Tourism Marketing Plan until sufficient moneys are collected for this purpose from the payment of the assessments that are established pursuant to this article, the county commission may receive and disburse for those express purposes, contributions that are made by assessed businesses. However, if collections from the payment of established assessments are sufficient, the county commission may authorize the repayment of contributions, or authorize the application of the contributions to the assessment obligations of persons who made the contributions.

(e) Upon termination of the county commission, any remaining funds that are not required to defray commission expenses shall be returned, upon a pro rata basis, to all persons from whom the assessments were collected.

(f) Any check or warrant that is drawn against the funds of the county commission that remains unclaimed or uncashed for a period of six months from the date of issuance shall be canceled and the money retained for disbursement to the original payee or claimant upon satisfactory identification for a period of one year from the time the check or warrant is canceled. The money so retained, if not claimed within the period of one year, shall be used for administration of the county commission and in furtherance of the Los Angeles County Tourism Marketing Plan.

(Added by Stats. 2003, Ch. 229, Sec. 1.5. Effective January 1, 2004.)