1518                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 816

averaged and assessed upon such frontage as the Commission may
deem reasonable and fair, and that all lots in this class shall be
assessed even though a water main or sewer may not extend along
the full length of any boundary; and provided further, that no land
so classified as agricultural by this Commission shall be assessed a
front foot benefit when said agricultural land has constructed through
it or in front of it a sewer or water main, until such time as the
water or sewer connection is made, and when so made and for
every connection such land shall become liable to a front foot assess-
ment for such reasonable frontage not exceeding three hundred (300)
feet, or may be determined by said Commission, and shall be imme-
diately assessed at the rate of assessment determined by said Com-
mission for agricultural land. Front foot benefit charges for water
supply and sewerage construction shall be as nearly uniform as is
reasonably practical for each class or sub-class of property through-
out each district for any one year and no benefit charge, once levied,
shall be increased; provided, however, that whenever the Commission
acquires an existing system other than a municipal system, the con-
struction of which has been added in whole or in part to the purchase
price of land or lots abutting upon said system and which contribu-
tion the Commission has determined to be a factor in the cost to the
Commission of such system, the Commission may, in its discretion,
levy a front foot assessment less than the uniform front foot assess-
ment 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 means and sewers may be reduced
from time to time by the Commission 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 ma-
turity 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 prop-
erty 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 prop-
erty owner and said property as to all charges, rates and benefits
shall stand in every respect in the same position as if the said prop-
erty 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 oner-half of one percentum (½%) per month from and
after the time said benefit assessment 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 county taxes, and if any property
be sold for State and/or county taxes or both by the Treasurer of
said county; and if after sale there is a surplus after all costs and
expenses incident to such sale shall have been paid, then the said