HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 989

of Baltimore County, evidenced by the passage of an ordinance
as hereinafter provided, accepted payment of such assessments
and charges so in arrears in installments. The Commissioners
are hereby authorized by ordinance to provide for the pay-
ment of Metropolitan District annual assessments and charges
which may be due or in arrears for two or more years prior
to January 1, 1938, in installments. Such ordinance shall
have the force and effect of law, shall operate uniformity in
the Metropolitan District and shall permit payment in no
greater number of annual installments than six. All unpaid
installments shall bear interest at the rate of one-half of 1%
per month until paid. In the event there be established under
any ordinance or law the practice of permitting payments
in Baltimore County of taxes in installments, the provisions
herein with respect to payment of Metropolitan District an-
nual assessments and charges in installments shall cease to
be operative and in lieu thereof with respect to each assessable
property all Metropolitan annual assessments and charges
thereon shall be included in the taxes thereon and collected
together, in installments. The Commissioners are hereby
authorized and empowered to adopt and pass all needful ordi-
nances, which shall have the force and effect of law, to carry
the preceding provision of this section into effect. Upon writ-
ten order of the Commissioners, authorizing and directing
him so to do, the treasurer of Baltimore County shall in his
own name as such treasurer proceed to enforce the lien of
Metropolitan District assessments and charges on any par-
ticular property specified in such order, by a bill in equity or
upon the written order of the Commissioners shall proceed
to collect said assessments and charges by an action of debt.
Anything in this section or Act to the contrary notwithstand-
ing, whenever it be a fact that any particular property is sub-
ject to the lien of Metropolitan assessments and charges and
the same property is also subject to a valid and enforceable
lien created prior to April 9, 1924, the Commissioners shall
order and direct the enforcement of the lien of the Metropoli-
tan assessments and charges on said property by bill in equity
or by suit at law, as aforesaid, and in every such case said
assessments and charges shall not be collected by the treasurer
of Baltimore County as taxes are collected. All assessments
and charges collected by the treasurer of Baltimore County
shall be deposited as received into a special account or ac-
counts in one or more banks designated by the Commission-
ers and the sums so deposited, together with all sums received
by the Commissioners to the credit of the Metropolitan Dis-
trict water and sewerage funds, after deducting all overhead
expenses of the Commissioners and all proper and necessary
costs of maintaining and operating the systems, shall be ap-