If services are provided, or arranged for, by a county pursuant to Section 25827, or pursuant to Section 40059 of the Public Resources Code, and the service is compulsory or provided at the request of the property owner, the cost of service that remains unpaid for a period of 60 or more days after the close of the period for which it was billed may be collected by the county as provided in this section.

(a)  At least once a year, the board of supervisors shall cause to be prepared a report of delinquent charges. Upon receipt of the report, the board shall fix a time, date, and place for hearing the report and any protests or objections to the report.

(b) The board shall cause notice of the hearing to be mailed to the owners of property listed on the report not less than 10 days prior to the date of the hearing.

(c) At the hearing, the board shall hear any objections or protests of property owners liable to be assessed for delinquent charges. The board may make revisions or corrections to the report as it deems just, after which, by resolution, the report shall be confirmed.

(d) The delinquent charges set forth in the report as confirmed shall constitute special assessments against the respective parcels of land and are a lien on the property for the amount of the delinquent charges. A certified copy of the confirmed report shall be filed with the county auditor, on or before August 10, for the amounts of the respective assessments against the respective parcels of land as they appear on the current assessment roll. The lien created attaches upon recordation in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the property is situated of a certified copy of the resolution of confirmation. The assessment may be collected at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary county ad valorem taxes are collected and shall be subject to the same penalties and the same procedure and sale in case of delinquency as provided for those taxes. All laws applicable to the levy, collection, and enforcement of county ad valorem taxes shall be applicable to the assessment, except that if any real property to which the lien would attach has been transferred or conveyed to a bona fide purchaser for value, or if a lien of a bona fide encumbrancer for value has been created and attaches thereon, prior to the date on which the first installment of the taxes would become delinquent, then the lien that would otherwise be imposed by this section shall not attach to the real property and the delinquent charges, as confirmed, relating to the property shall be transferred to the unsecured roll for collection.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 564, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.)