Multifamily Improvement DistrictsAssessments
Section § 36730
This law explains how a city can collect assessments, or fees, from property owners within a management district. The city council decides when and how to collect these fees. These assessments can be collected alongside property taxes and will have similar rules for priority and penalties if not paid on time. If someone fails to pay their assessment on time, they'll face interest charges and penalties.
Section § 36731
This law explains how assessments (a type of charge or fee) are applied to real property and businesses based on how much they benefit from improvements or activities in the area. The city council can organize properties and businesses into categories to decide how much benefit they receive. Importantly, single-family homes and agricultural properties are automatically considered not to benefit from these improvements, so they are not charged any assessments.
Section § 36732
This law states that if you want to challenge an assessment (a kind of levy or charge) that's been made, you must start your legal action or proceeding within 30 days of when the assessment decision is formally made. Also, if you appeal a final court judgment about that assessment, you must file your appeal within 30 days of the judgment being entered.
Section § 36733
This law allows a city council to make initial agreements on the standard level of services the city will provide once a new district is established. These agreements help ensure that residents know what to expect in terms of city services.
Section § 36734
This law allows the owners' association to ask the city council to change the management district plan. Any changes have to follow the rules set out in this chapter of the law.
Section § 36735
The city council can change the management district plan if the owners' association asks them to. This can only happen after a public hearing where they discuss the proposed changes. If they plan to charge a new or higher fee, there are extra steps they must follow. Before the public meeting, they need to publish a notice in the local newspaper and mail a copy of the plan to affected business or property owners. The council must decide to make the changes within 90 days after they announce the intention to do so.
Section § 36736
This law states that if a resolution is changed after it has been made, those changes need to be updated in future notices and maps. These updates must follow certain rules outlined in a specific section of the law.
Section § 36737
This law allows a city council to decide by resolution to issue bonds to cover the estimated costs of proposed public improvements. These bonds can be issued under either the Improvement Bond Act of 1915 or the Marks-Roos Local Bond Pooling Act of 1985, depending on what's specified in a prior resolution. The resolution needs to describe the improvements, provide cost estimates, and detail how the bond will be paid off over time, ensuring the repayment plan doesn't exceed revenue from assessments over 20 years. Importantly, any assessments collected to pay back these bonds cannot be reduced or stopped if it would affect paying off the bond debt on time.