<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 54-31. - County convenience centers; availability fees.</div>
<div class="chunk-content">
            <p class="incr0">
               (a)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               Pursuant to G.S. 153A-292(b) there is hereby imposed on the owner of every improved
               property located in the county (including those located within the corporate limits
               of each municipality in the county) an annual fee per dwelling or dwelling unit for
               the availability of the convenience centers located throughout the county. This availability
               fee shall be established from time to time pursuant to G.S. 153A-102 and imposed and
               collected on a fiscal year basis. The availability fee shall not exceed the direct
               and indirect cost of operating the county disposal facilities, including the convenience
               centers. The availability fee shall be billed with the property taxes of all owners
               of improved property in the county, including those who live within the corporate
               limits of any municipality, and including owners of mobile home parks and apartment
               complexes that use a commercial dumpster for municipal solid waste collection. It
               shall be subject to the same discounts, interest, penalties and discovery procedures
               as property taxes. The availability fee shall be a lien on the real property described
               on the bill that includes the availability fee. The availability fee shall be assessed
               in the same manner as real property taxes are assessed.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (b)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               It shall be the burden of the property owner to establish that her/his/its property
               is not improved property as defined in <a href="" data-chunk-id="COOR_CH54SOWA_ARTIICODIMUSOWAOTMA_S54-26DE" class="section-link" data-product-id="12479">section 54-26</a>, and therefore not subject to the availability fee imposed under this section. Upon
               such showing, the assessment for the availability fee will be removed from the tax
               bill for the next fiscal year and subsequent years. There will be no release or refund
               of the availability fee for any current or prior fiscal year except for an assessment
               of the availability fee due to clerical error by the county, which release or refund
               must be approved by the board or its designee. Failure of the owner to timely notify
               the county and establish that an unoccupied dwelling or dwelling unit is unfit for
               human habitation (i.e., before May 1 of the ensuing fiscal year) shall not constitute
               clerical error by the county. For purposes of this article, the county shall have
               no obligation or duty to discover on its own that a dwelling or dwelling unit is unoccupied
               and unfit for human habitation.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="historynote0">
               (Res. of 5-1-17(1); Res. of 6-5-17(1), Â§Â§ 11-13)
               </p></div>