J. MILLARD TAWES, GOVERNOR                            597

to fix an annual assessment on all properties, improved or unim-
proved, binding upon a street, road, lane, alley or right-of-way in
which a water main, sewer or drain has been built. The said annual
assessment shall be made upon the front foot basis, and the first
payment shall be collected during the year in which the construction
is completed on the water supply, sewerage or drainage systems, or
in which the systems are purchased or acquired.

(f)   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 pay-
ment thereof; and the said benefit charge and any judgment or
decree obtained as a result of default in payment thereof shall bear
interest at the rate of one-half of one percentum (½%) per month
from and after the time said benefit assessment or other charges are
in default.]

(g)   The annual benefit assessment or other charges as above spe-
cified shall be a first lien upon the property against which they are
assessed until paid, any statute of limitations to the contrary not-
withstanding, subject only to prior State and county taxes. [, and if]
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 Commission upon proper petition to the Circuit
Court for said county shall be allowed any balance from said sur-
plus, 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 abut-
ting 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 bene-
fit 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 Harford
County, 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 records, shall be legal
notice of all existing liens within any sanitary district.] SAID REC-
ORDS SHALL BE KEPT IN THE OFFICE OF THE HARFORD
COUNTY METROPOLITAN COMMISSION, BEL AIR, MARY-
LAND, AS A PUBLIC RECORD, WHICH WHEN SO KEPT
SHALL BE LEGAL NOTICE OF ALL EXISTING LIENS WITHIN
ANY SANITARY DISTRICT. THE COMMISSION SHALL RE-
QUEST THE COUNTY TREASURER TO PRINT A NOTICE ON
THE STATE AND COUNTY TAX BILL THAT BENEFIT AS-
SESSMENTS AND OTHER CHARGES FOR WATER AND