§ 44-5-7. Provision for municipal installment payments. (a)(1) Every city and town shall make provision for the payment in installments of any tax levied under the provisions of § 44-5-1 by adding to and making a part of the resolution ordering the assessment and the collection of the tax an option permitting persons assessed to pay their taxes in equal quarterly installments if they so desire, free of any charges, interest, penalties, or other assessments, the amounts and dates for payment of the installments to be specified in the resolution; provided, that the city or town may provide that the option contained in the resolution does not apply to any tax levied in an amount not in excess of one hundred dollars ($100) in which case the tax is payable in a single installment.

(2) As used in this section, "person assessed" includes: (i) the person named in the assessment, the record owner of the property assessed, and any attorney, property manager, or other person acting on behalf of the person assessed, or the record owner of the property assessed; and (ii) Any mortgagee or other person having a lien or other security interest in the property assessed of any mortgage servicer, tax servicer, or agent of any such mortgagee or lienholder.

(b) If, prior to July 8, 1999, a mortgagee, holder of a security interest, mortgage servicer, tax servicer, or agent has been required by the tax collector of the city or town where the property is situated to pay the tax levied under the provisions of § 44-5-1 in a single installment, the tax collector, city or town, mortgagee, holder, mortgage servicer, tax servicer, or agent will be deemed, with respect to the single installment payment, to have complied with applicable law.

(c) No tax collector of the city or town where the property assessed is situated shall impose or attempt to impose different requirements relating to payment of taxes based upon whether the person who actually pays the tax is:

(1) The person named in the assessment, the record owner of the property assessed, and any attorney, property manager, or other person acting on behalf of the person assessed, or the record owner of the property assessed; or

(2) A mortgagee or other person having a lien or other security interest in the property assessed or any mortgage servicer, tax servicer or agent of any mortgagee or lienholder.

(d) A person assessed as defined in paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section may opt to continue to pay the tax assessed as of December 31, 1996, in a single installment if the tax collector of the city or town where the property assessed is situated required those persons to pay the tax levied under the provisions of § 44-5-1 in a single installment. This subsection applies notwithstanding that, prior to July 8, 1999, the tax collector of the city or town where the property assessed is located permitted the person to pay the tax levied under the provisions of § 44-5-1 in installments, but only upon payment of a charge, interest, penalty, or other assessment.

(e) Compliance within this section is mandatory with respect to the tax assessed as of December 31, 1999, and thereafter.

(f) This law is not applicable to any city or town that as of July 8, 1999, offered a discount in exchange for a single installment payment.

History of Section. (P.L. 1934, ch. 2101, § 1; G.L. 1938, ch. 36, § 2; G.L. 1956, § 44-5-7; P.L. 1969, ch. 224, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 109, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 92, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 210, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 493, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 410, § 29.)