1128                             Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 694

throughout each district for any one year, provided, however, that
whenever the Commission acquires an existing system other than a
municipal system, the construction of which has been added in whole
or in part to the purchase price of land or lots abutting upon said
system and which contribution the Commission has determined to
be a factor in the cost to the Commission of such system, the Com-
mission may, in its discretion, levy a front foot assessment less than
the uniform front foot assessment levied in the remainder of the
sanitary district in which said system is located. The amount of
the charge per front foot for each class of property for both water
mains and sewers may be reduced from time to time by the Com-
mission in its discretion, if costs and conditions are deemed by it
to justify such reduction. Said benefit charge shall be paid annually
by all properties located as above specified, for a period of years
co-extensive with the period of maturity of the bonds out of the
proceeds of which such construction was done. The Commission
shall at any time permit a connection with a water main or sewer
by the property owner whose property does not abut on said water
main or sewer and who has not previously thereto paid a benefit
charge for the construction of said water main or sewer, provided,
said Commission shall classify said property and determine a front
foot charge to be paid by said property owner as though his or her
property abutted upon said water main or sewer; and in the event
of such connection being made, said property owner and said property
as to all charges, rates and benefits shall stand in every respect in
the same position as if the said property abutted upon a water main
or sewer. Said benefit charge shall be payable at the office of the
Commission immediately upon being levied, and shall be overdue and
in default after sixty (60) days from that day, at which time the
Commission may proceed to enforce payment thereof; and the said
benefit charge and any judgment or decree obtained as a result of
default in payment shall bear interest at the rate of one-half of one
percentum (½) per month from and after the time said benefit assess-
ment or other charges are in default. The annual benefit assessment
or other charges as above specified shall be a first lien upon the
property against which they are assessed until paid, any statute
of limitations to the contrary notwithstanding, subject only to prior
State and/or municipal taxes; and if any property be sold for State
and/or municipal taxes or both and if after sale there is a surplus
after all costs and expenses incident to such sale shall have been
paid, then the said Commission upon proper petition to the Circuit
Court for said county shall be allowed any balance from said
surplus, and shall be a preferred lienor to the extent of its lien; and
for the purpose of giving notice to the general public as to existing
liens and charges against any property within any sanitary district
abutting upon any water or sewer main, the said Commission shall
keep a public record of all names of owners of property, locations
of said property, lot numbers when of record, and the amount of
such benefit charges, water service charges or such other charges
that may become liens from time to time. Said records shall be
kept in the County seat of government and among the land records
of the County, in which said district lies, and the Clerk of the
Circuit Court for said county shall furnish such space as may be
necessary to keep and preserve such records, which, when recorded
in said public record, shall be legal notice of all existing liens within
any sanitary district. If any liens, benefit assessments or other