(A) The City Council finds that the Municipal Home Rule Board, under the authority provided in W. Va. Code 8-1-5a, approved the city’s Home Rule, Phase II Application which included, among other actions, the request for authorization to enact an ordinance that:
(1) Creates an automatic lien that attaches to all real property immediately upon the imposition of all city municipal fees respecting such property;
(2) Authorizes the city to foreclose on said property, under applicable state law respecting foreclosure procedures, without the requirement of going to Circuit Court;
(3) Requires closing agents, attorneys and others, to contact the city prior to closing any real estate transaction involving real property located within the city to determine the amount of delinquent fees and that all such delinquent fees be paid in full from/at closing; and
(4) Requires the transferee of real property located within the city to record the deed to the property with the Clerk of the county in which the property is located, and that the deed be recorded within 12 months of the date the transfer occurs.
(B) The City Council believes that it is in best interests of the city and the residents of the city to provide for the uniform imposition and collection of the municipal service fee.
(C) The City Council hereby determines that insofar as some residents allow the municipal service fee imposed on their respective properties to become delinquent, the city should take necessary and appropriate actions to collect those delinquent municipal service fees.
(Ord. 15-, passed 6-2-2015)