All stormwater management assessments, assessed pursuant to this article, shall be
a lien upon the property to which such assessment relates from the first day of the
year for which said assessment is imposed until such assessment is paid. The owner
of every building, premise, lot or house shall be obligated to pay the stormwater
management assessments, which obligation may be enforced by the county by action at
law or suit to enforce the lien in the same manner as the foreclosure of mortgages.
In the event of such action, the county shall be entitled to recover all court costs
and reasonable attorney fees for such collection. In the case where a tenant in possession
of any premises or buildings shall pay said assessment, it shall relieve the land
owner from such obligation and lien; but the county shall not be required to look
to any person whatsoever other than the owner for the payment of such assessment.
No changes of ownership or occupation shall affect the application of this article,
and the failure of any owner to learn that he purchased property against which a lien
for stormwater management assessment exists, shall in no way affect his or her responsibility
for such payment. In addition to the above, in the event the annual stormwater management
assessment is collected pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 197, Florida Statutes,
as amended and supplemented, it shall be subject to all collection provisions thereunder,
including provisions relating to discount for early payment, prepayment by installment
method, deferred payment, penalty for delinquent payment, and issuance and sale of
a tax certificates and tax deeds for nonpayment, as provided by law. Such stormwater
management assessment is subject to becoming a lien against homestead, as provided
in Section 4, Article X, of the Florida Constitution.
It is the intent of the county by the enactment of this section that, until fully
paid and discharged or barred by law, the stormwater management assessments shall
be prior to other liens, except that such liens shall be on a parity with the lien
of state, county and municipal taxes, and any lien for charges for services created
pursuant to Section 159.17, Florida Statutes.
