1470                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [CH. 706

and fair; and provided further that no residential property may be
assessed on more than one side unless it abuts upon two parallel
streets, that corner lots may be averaged and assessed upon such
frontage as the Commission may deem reasonable and fair, and that
all lots in the residential and industrial or business classification
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 classified as agricultural by the Commission shall be assessed
a front foot benefit when it 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 is liable to a front foot assessment for such reasonable frontage
not exceeding three hundred (300) feet, or as may be determined by
the Commission, and shall be immediately assessed at the rate of
assessment determined by the Commission for agricultural land.
Any land owned by a religious body upon which there is erected a
church or a parsonage and which is used exclusively for customary
religious purposes, in the discretion of the Commission, may be
exempted from front foot benefit assessment for that frontage not
exceeding 150 feet.

(d)  Front foot benefit assessments for water supply and sewerage
and drainage construction shall be as nearly uniform as is practicable
for each class or subclass of property throughout each system for
any one year, and no benefit charge, once levied, may be increased;
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 the system and which contribution the
Commission has determined to be a factor in the cost to the Com-
mission of such system, the Commission in its discretion may levy
such lesser assessment as may take into account this factor.

(e)   The amount of the assessment per front foot for each class
of property for water sewer and drainage systems may be reduced
from time to time by the Commission in its discretion, if cost and
conditions are deemed by it to justify the reduction but may be sub-
sequently increased to the amount of original assessment in the
event revenues prove to be insufficient. The benefit assessments 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.

(f)  The Commission may at any time permit a connection with a
water main or sewer by a property owner whose property does not
abut on a water main or sewer and who has not previously paid a
benefit charge for the construction of said water main or sewer,
provided, the Commission classifies the property and determines a
front foot assesment to be paid by the property owner as though the
property abutted upon a water main or sewer; and if the connection
is made, the property owner and the property as to all charges, rates
and benefits stand in every respect in the same position as if the
property abutted upon a water main or sewer.

(g)   The annual benefit assessment or other charge as above speci-
fied is a lien upon the property against which it is assessed until paid,
any statute of limitations to the contrary notwithstanding, subject