§1502.13. Fire protection districts within East Feliciana Parish; assessment and collection

A.(1) The governing authority of any fire protection district situated wholly within the geographical boundaries of East Feliciana Parish may establish, by majority vote of the members of the authority of the district, a fire protection tax for a term not to exceed ten years to be assessed persons owning each residential or commercial 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.

(2) For purposes of this Section, each residential or commercial unit and each housing unit within a multiple dwelling 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 fire protection tax shall be equal for all structures, except that mobile homes shall be taxed as a rate no less than fifty percent and no more then eighty percent of the general tax rate, and shall be framed so as to cover and shall be used for the costs of any or all fire protection services and emergency services provided by the district, including the acquisition, maintenance, and operation of equipment and facilities therefor.

B. Fire protection taxes or the various rates thereof so established shall be levied by resolution of the governing authority of the district. However, the resolution levying the tax shall be adopted by the governing authority only after the question of the levy, its duration, and the amount of the taxes 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) The governing authority of any fire protection district levying a fire protection tax as provided in this Section may use any reasonable means to collect and enforce the collection of such tax, including any means authorized by law for collection of other taxes.

(2)(a) The governing authority of any such district may place liens for fire protection taxes 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 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/or the structure 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 tax 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.

(b) The governing authority may file a statement reflecting the amount of the unpaid taxes in the mortgage office of East Feliciana 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 may recover the amount of said taxes, together with all costs of court and attorney fees, by ordinary process in the Twentieth Judicial District.

(d) The governing authority may also provide, by resolution, for interest on the amount of said taxes, 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 shall be computed from the date of recordation of the lien until paid.

(e) Alternatively, the lien authorized by this Paragraph may be enforced by assessing the amount of the lien against the immovable as a tax against the immovable, to be enforced and collected as any ordinary property tax lien to be assessed against the property. The lien may be collected in the manner fixed for collection of taxes and shall be subject to the same civil penalties for delinquencies. After the governing authority of the district has incurred such costs and expenses as constitute the lien on the property, including any costs of court, attorney fees, and interest, the governing authority may send an attested bill of said costs and expenses to the assessor of East Feliciana Parish, who shall add the amount of said bill to the next tax bill of the owner. Such lien shall prime all other liens or privileges against the property, except other tax liens, filed after the statement specified in this Paragraph is filed with the recorder of mortgages, regardless of the date on which the lien is perfected.

Acts 1994, No. 14, §1, eff. June 7, 1994; Acts 2004, No. 743, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 2005.