(a) (1) The Tax Collector may bring an action in the courts of this State, or any other state, or of the District of Columbia, or of the United States and its territories or possessions, or any other forum where permitted by law to recover in the name of the City any amount of taxes due and payable under the Business and Tax Regulations Code and remaining unpaid, together with penalties, interest, and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees.
(2) In any action filed pursuant to this Section 6.10-3, the Complaint shall attach a certificate executed by the Tax Collector or the Tax Collector’s representative that contains the following information:
(A) the name of the operator, taxpayer, or other person determined to be liable for the tax;
(B) the description of the operator’s, taxpayer’s, or other person’s business or activity against which the tax has been assessed;
(C) the location and/or address of the business or activity;
(D) the amount of the tax, penalty, and interest remaining unpaid as of the last day of the month prior to the month in which the Complaint is filed; and
(E) the fact that the City has complied with all provisions of the Business and Tax Regulations Code in the computation and the levy of the tax, penalty, or interest.
(3) In prosecuting such actions, the Tax Collector shall be entitled to all of the provisional remedies provided by law. Any such action shall be commenced within three years from the date any amount of taxes became due and payable, or from the date the return is required to be filed or actually filed, whichever period expires later; except in the case of any deficiency determination pursuant to Sections 6.11-1 et seq. or 6.11-1.1 et seq., as applicable, 6.12-1 et seq., or 6.13-1 et seq., in which case any such action shall be commenced within three years after such determination became final. However, there shall be no limitation on the time in which such actions may be commenced in cases of fraud, intent to evade the Business and Tax Regulations Code, or failure to file a return.
(b) When the amount of any tax, penalty or interest which has become due and payable remains unpaid for 15 days, the Tax Collector may record a tax lien with the Assessor-Recorder, thereby creating a tax lien on all of the assessee's property and rights to property, including realty, personalty, or intangibles. The Tax Collector may record or file such tax lien in the office of the Recorder of any California county, with the California Secretary of State, and with any other California public entity that is otherwise authorized by law to record liens. The Tax Collector may record or file such tax liens in any other office of any other jurisdiction as permitted by law. The tax lien shall identify the Tax Collector as the lienor, and the amount of the lien. Simultaneously with the recording, a copy of the tax lien shall be mailed to or personally served upon the taxpayer or other person determined to be liable for the tax at said person's last known address based upon the information, contained in the Tax Collector records. The tax lien after recordation has the force, effect and priority of a judgment lien and continues for 10 years from the date of recording, unless sooner released or otherwise discharged. This remedy and any other remedies for collection of any taxes, together with all administrative collection costs, interest, penalties and other costs and charges, including reasonable attorneys' fees, are cumulative and may be pursued alternatively and consecutively as the Tax Collector determines.
(Added by Ord. 18-98, App. 1/16/98; amended by Ord. 26-04, File No. 031990, App. 2/19/2004; Ord. 291-10, File No. 101099, App. 11/18/2010; Ord. 5-13
, File No. 121064, App. 1/24/2013, Eff. 2/23/2013; Ord. 207-20, File No. 200759, App. 10/9/2020, Eff. 11/9/2020; Ord. 152-21, File No. 210828, App. 9/29/2021, Eff. 10/30/2021; Ord. 224-23, File No. 230898, App. 11/3/2023, Eff. 12/4/2023)