§1502.1. Service charges authorized; assessment and collection

A.(1)(a) The governing authority of any fire protection district situated wholly within the geographical boundaries of Rapides Parish, Lincoln Parish, Claiborne Parish, Union Parish, Morehouse Parish, East Carroll Parish, or West Carroll Parish is hereby authorized to establish, by majority vote of the members of the authority, a service charge or rates of service charges for each residential or commercial structure for a term not to exceed ten years to be assessed persons owning each such structure, whether occupied or unoccupied, located wholly or partly within the boundaries of the fire protection district, subject to the provisions of Subsection B of this Section.

(b) The governing authority of any fire protection district situated wholly within the geographical boundaries of St. Mary Parish, the governing authority of any fire protection district situated wholly within the geographical boundaries of East Baton Rouge Parish, the governing authority of any fire protection district situated wholly within the geographical boundaries of Livingston Parish, the governing authority of Fire Protection District No. 2 of St. Helena Parish, the governing authority of any fire protection district situated wholly within the geographical boundaries of Caddo Parish, the governing authority of Ward One Fire Protection District No. 1 of Calcasieu Parish, and the governing authority of Fire Protection District No. 1 of Tangipahoa Parish is hereby authorized to establish, by majority vote of the members of the authority, a service charge or rates of service charges for each residential or commercial structure for a term not to exceed ten years to be assessed persons owning each such structure, whether occupied or unoccupied, located wholly or partly within the boundaries of the fire protection district, and the persons owning the ground upon which each such structure is situated subject to the provisions of Subsection B of this Section.

(2)(a) For purposes of this Section as it relates to any fire protection district situated wholly within the geographical boundaries of either Rapides, Lincoln, Claiborne, Union, Morehouse, East Carroll, or West Carroll Parish, each residential or commercial, unit in a structure shall be considered a separate structure, and a mobile home, as defined in R.S. 9:1149.2(3), shall be considered a structure. Such service charges or rates of service charges shall be equal for all structures of a given class and shall be framed so as to cover and shall be used for the costs of any or all fire protection services; however, in Lincoln, Claiborne, Union, Morehouse, East Carroll, and West Carroll parishes, such service charges or rates of service charges for each class of structure shall be framed so as to cover and shall be used for the costs of any or all fire protection and emergency services.

(b) For purposes of this Section as it relates to any fire protection district situated wholly within the geographical boundaries of either St. Mary, East Baton Rouge, Livingston, or Caddo Parish, Fire Protection District No. 2 of St. Helena Parish, Ward One Fire Protection District No. 1 of Calcasieu Parish, and Fire Protection District No. 1 of Tangipahoa Parish, each residential, commercial, occupancy, or tenant unit in a structure shall be considered a separate structure, and a mobile home, as defined in R.S. 9:1149.2(3), shall be considered a structure. Such service charges or rates of service charges shall be equal for all structures of a given class and shall be framed so as to cover and shall be used for the costs of any or all fire protection services; however, in Ward One Fire Protection District No. 1 of Calcasieu Parish, and in Fire Protection District No. 1 of Tangipahoa Parish, such service charges or rates of service charges for each class of structure shall be framed so as to cover and shall be used for the costs of any or all fire protection and emergency services.

(3) The governing authority of the Spencer-West Sterlington Fire Protection District may exempt outbuildings and similar structures which are not operable commercial structures or livable residential structures, as defined or identified by the governing authority of the district, from any service charge assessed pursuant to this Section.

B. Service charges or rates of service charges so established shall be assessed by resolution of the governing authority of the fire protection district. However, the resolution assessing said service charges shall be adopted by the governing authority only after the question of the assessment, its duration, and the amount of the service charge or rates of service charges established have been submitted to and approved by a majority of electors of the district voting at an election held for that purpose. Such election shall be conducted in accordance with the election laws of the state and shall be held at the same time that an election authorized by the provisions of R.S. 18:402 is held.

C.(1)(a) The governing authority of any fire protection district assessing a service charge or rates of service charges for fire protection services as provided in this Section shall also have the authority to use any reasonable means to collect and enforce the collection of such service charges, including any means authorized by law for collection of taxes.

(b) For the Old Ward Seven Fire Protection District of Union Parish, such means shall include the assessor carrying the fire protection service charges on the tax rolls for Union Parish and the sheriff of Union Parish collecting such service charges at the same time as ad valorem taxes are collected and with the same authority with which such taxes are collected.

(c) For the Spencer/West Sterlington Fire Protection District of Union Parish such means shall include the assessor carrying the fire protection service charges on the tax rolls for Union Parish and the sheriff of Union Parish collecting such service charges at the same time as ad valorem taxes are collected and with the same authority with which such taxes are collected.

(d) In Lincoln Parish, such means shall include the assessor carrying the fire protection service charges on the tax rolls for Lincoln Parish and the sheriff of Lincoln Parish collecting such service charges at the time ad valorem taxes are collected. If any fire protection service charge becomes delinquent and unpaid, the sheriff shall send "Final Notices" to the delinquent property owners by registered or certified mail. He shall also publish the delinquent property owners' names and addresses in the parish journal setting forth the date and place of property sale to enforce collection in the same manner as for ad valorem taxes. Such fire protection service charge obligations shall prime all other liens, mortgages, and privileges against the property except those for taxes and prior recorded local and special assessments. The governing authority shall compensate the sheriff and tax assessor for such services and collection upon mutual agreement of the governing authority and the sheriff and tax assessor.

(2)(a)(i) The governing authority of any district referred to in Subparagraph A(1)(a) shall also have the authority to place liens for fire protection service charges upon the structure subject to the charge, upon the building, if any, in which the structure is located if it is owned by the owner of the structure, and upon the lot of ground not exceeding one acre on which the structure is situated if such lot of ground belongs to the person who owns such structure. However, if such structure or building is owned by a lessee of the lot of ground, the lien shall exist only against the lease and shall not affect the owner of the lot. Such lien shall be placed upon property only in the event of the refusal of the owner of a structure to pay said service charges when requested to do so by said governing authority within thirty days of receipt by the owner of such a request by registered or certified letter.

(ii) The governing authority of any district referred to in Subparagraph A(1)(b) shall also have the authority to place liens for fire protection service charges upon the structure subject to the charge, upon the building, if any, in which the structure is located if it is owned by the owner of the structure, and upon the lot of ground on which the structure is situated. Such lien shall be placed upon property only in the event of the failure or refusal of the owner of a structure to pay said service charges when requested to do so by said governing authority within thirty days of receipt by the owner of such a request by registered or certified letter. When the owner of the structure is not the owner of the ground upon which the structure is situated, the lien shall not affect the ground unless the owner of the ground fails or refuses to pay said service charges within thirty days after receipt of request, made by registered or certified letter, from the governing authority for such payment.

(b) The governing authority may file a statement reflecting the amount of the unpaid charges in the mortgage office of the parish, which, when so filed and recorded, shall operate as a lien and privilege in favor of the district against property as provided herein.

(c) In addition, the governing authority of the district shall be entitled to recover the amount of said charges, together with all costs of court and attorney fees, by ordinary process in the Ninth Judicial District for Rapides Parish, in the Second Judicial District for Claiborne Parish, in the Third Judicial District for Lincoln Parish and Union Parish, in the Sixth Judicial District for East Carroll Parish, in the Fifth Judicial District for West Carroll Parish, in the Fourth Judicial District for Morehouse Parish, in the Nineteenth Judicial District for East Baton Rouge Parish, in the Twenty-first Judicial District for Livingston Parish, St. Helena Parish, and Tangipahoa Parish, in the Sixteenth Judicial District for St. Mary Parish, the First Judicial District for Caddo Parish, the Fourteenth Judicial District for Calcasieu Parish, or any other court of competent jurisdiction in Calcasieu Parish.

(d) Said governing authority may also provide, by resolution, for interest on the amount of said charges, which shall be paid prior to cancellation of the lien. The rate of interest charged shall not exceed the rate of legal interest, as provided in R.S. 9:3500, and such interest shall be computed from the date of recordation of the lien until paid.

D. The clerk for the Nineteenth Judicial District Court for the parish of East Baton Rouge shall exempt all fire protection districts wholly situated within the parish of East Baton Rouge from all costs, fees, and expenses related to the recordation, preservation, and enforcement of liens under this Section.

E.(1) In addition to all other means of collection, the governing authority of fire protection districts situated wholly within the parish of East Baton Rouge are hereby authorized to collect service charges by use of any means authorized by law for the collection of taxes. The governing authority of a fire protection district may submit to the assessor a certified list, either in hard or electronic form, reflecting the service charge amounts due, the property upon which each amount is levied, and the last owner of record of such property. Upon receipt of such information, the assessor shall place the service charges on the tax roll. If the list is received by the assessor on or before October fifteenth, then the service charges shall be placed on the roll for the current year. If the list is received by the assessor after October fifteenth, then the service charges shall be placed on the roll for the next tax year. Upon filing with the recorder of mortgages, the roll shall operate as a lien against all property against which the service charges have been assessed as provided by Chapter 3 of Subtitle III of Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950. All service charge amounts reflected on the roll shall be subject to interest in the same manner as ad valorem taxes. The assessor shall be reimbursed in the same manner as provided in R.S. 47:1993.1(C), but the governing authority of a fire protection district shall not be required to pay such reimbursement in advance. The sheriff, as ex officio tax collector, shall collect and remit all service charges in the same manner as all other ad valorem taxes are collected and shall retain the same commission as he receives for the collection of ad valorem taxes. Such means of collection shall include but are not limited to tax sales as provided for in Chapter 5 of Subtitle III of Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

(2) Fire protection service charge liens in East Baton Rouge Parish shall prime all other liens, mortgages, and privileges against the property, except those for prior recorded taxes and local and special assessments.

Acts 1986, No. 937, §1; Acts 1987, No. 822, §1, eff. July 20, 1987; Acts 1987, No. 941, §1, eff. July 20, 1987; Acts 1988, No. 870, §1, eff. July 18, 1988; Acts 1990, No. 157, §1, eff. July 1, 1990; Acts 1991, No. 604, §1, eff. July 16, 1991; Acts 1992, No. 17, §1, eff. May 19, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 75, §1; Acts 1993, No. 210, §1; Acts 1995, No. 17, §1, eff. July 1, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 37, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1996; Acts 1995, No. 360, §1, eff. June 16, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 361, §1, eff. June 16, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 510, §1; Acts 1995, No. 764, §1; Acts 1997, No. 131, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1163, §1; Acts 2004, No. 743, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 2005.