A. If any personal property is not listed with the county assessor on or before March 15th of any year, the county assessor shall proceed, as soon as the omission is discovered, to ascertain and estimate from the best information obtainable, the amount and value of such property, and shall list and assess the same in the name of the owner thereof if such owner be known. If the owner is unknown the property may be listed and assessed in the name of the person in charge of such property as agent, or it may be listed and assessed to "unknown owner"; and the failure of the county assessor to ascertain the true owner shall not invalidate the assessment.

B. If any person, firm, association or corporation has any property belonging to others under his control or charge or in his possession, as warehouseman, factor, bailee, agent, employee or otherwise, he shall, upon written request of the county assessor or county board of equalization, make report, under oath, of the amount and ownership of such property, and upon refusal, neglect or failure to make such report, such person, firm, association or corporation shall be personally liable for the taxes on such property.

C. No assessment of personal property not listed with the county assessor shall become final until ten (10) days after the county assessor has mailed to the last-known address of the person, firm, association, corporation or company he believes to be the owner, or to the person in charge of such property, a copy of the assessment sheet upon which such property is listed, and which assessment sheet shall show a reasonable itemization and description of the property assessed and the value thereof, and shall show that the list and assessment was made by the county assessor.

Added by Laws 1988, c. 162, § 43, eff. Jan. 1, 1992.