Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

The city of Somerville is hereby authorized to impose a lien on property located within said city for any local charge, fee or fine that has not been paid by the due date, said lien shall be known as a municipal charges lien; provided, however, that a vote by the board of aldermen is taken for each type of charge, fee or fine; and provided, further, that an additional initial vote is taken to allow the charge, fee or fine to be collected in this manner.

A lien authorized under this act shall take effect upon recording of the unpaid municipal charge, fee or fine, by parcel of land and by the name of the property owner assessed for the fine in the southern district of the registry of deeds of Middlesex county.

If a charge, fee or fine which is secured by a municipal charges lien, remains unpaid, when the assessors are preparing a real estate tax list and warrant to be committed under section fifty-three of chapter fifty-nine of the General Laws, then the board or officer in charge of the collection of the municipal charge, fee or fine shall certify such charge, fee or fine to the assessors, who shall forthwith add such charge, fee or fine to the tax on the property to which it relates and commit it with their warrant to the collector of taxes as part of such tax.

If the property to which such charge, fee or fine relates is tax exempt, such charge, fee or fine shall be committed as the tax.

A lien under this section may be discharged by filing in the southern district of the registry of deeds of Middlesex county, a certificate from the tax collector that all municipal charges, fees or fines constituting the lien, together with any interest and costs thereon, have been paid or legally abated. All costs of recording or discharging a lien under this section shall be borne by the owner of the property.