(a) Notwithstanding the fact that all taxes on a property have not been paid in full, the owner of that property may, subject to the limitations set forth in subdivision (d), bring an action in accordance with Section 5140 at any time within six months after the rejection of a claim for the refund of the first installment that is paid under an installment plan for payment of escape assessments that is entered into pursuant to Section 4837.5.

(b) The right to maintain an action pursuant to this section shall terminate if there is a default on the part of the assessee with respect to any obligation in the installment plan for payment of the escape assessment.

(c) If the owner does not recover the amount of taxes in dispute in an action brought under this section, he or she shall pay additional interest to the county or city in an amount equal to the difference between the amount of interest he or she has paid under Section 506 and the amount of interest that the county or city would have earned in the impound account in connection with the entire amount of tax determined by the court to be due if that amount had been paid prior to delinquency.

(d) (1) This section shall not apply in cases where the penalty pursuant to Section 503 has been added to the escape assessment and upheld by the appeals board or the county board of equalization.

(2) This section shall apply to installment plans initiated by written requests filed with the tax collector on or after July 1, 1997.

(Added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 941, Sec. 13. Effective January 1, 1998.)