105-352. Delivery of tax receipts to tax collector; prerequisites; procedure upon default.

(a) Time of Delivery. - As provided in G.S. 105-321, upon order of the governing body, the tax receipts shall be delivered to the tax collector on or before the first day of September.

(b) Settlement, Bond, and Prepayments. - Before the tax receipts for the current year are delivered to the tax collector, he shall have:

(1) Delivered to the chief accounting officer of the taxing unit the duplicate receipts issued for prepayments received by the tax collector.

(2) Demonstrated to the satisfaction of the chief accounting officer that all moneys received by the tax collector as prepayments have been deposited to the credit of the taxing unit.

(3) Made his annual settlement (as defined in G.S. 105-373) for all taxes in his hands for collection.

(4) Provided bond or bonds as required by G.S. 105-349(c) for taxes for the current year and all prior years in his hands for collection. (In no event shall the governing body accept a bond of lesser amount than that prescribed by any local act applying to the taxing unit.)

(c) Procedure upon Default. - If, when the tax receipts for the current year have been computed and prepared, the regular tax collector shall not have met the requirements of subsection (b), above, the governing body shall immediately appoint a special tax collector and, after he has given satisfactory bond for the full amount of the taxes as required by G.S. 105-349(c), deliver to him the tax receipts for the current year and order him to make collections as provided in G.S. 105-321. In the discretion of the governing body, the cost of the special tax collector's bond and compensation may be deducted from the compensation of the regular tax collector. If the regular tax collector shall thereafter meet the requirements of subsection (b), above, the special collector shall make full settlement (in the manner provided in G.S. 105-373 for tax collectors retiring from office), and the governing body, as provided in G.S. 105-321, shall deliver the tax receipts for the current year to the regular tax collector and order their collection.

(d) Civil and Criminal Penalties. -

(1) Any member of the governing body who shall vote to deliver the tax receipts to a tax collector before the tax collector has met the requirements prescribed by this section shall be individually liable for the amount of taxes charged against the tax collector for which he has not made satisfactory settlement; and any member of the governing body who so votes, or who willfully fails to perform any duty imposed by this section, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

(2) Any tax collector or other official who fails to account for prepayments as prescribed by this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.