J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                     1779

charges shall be fixed and levied in accordance with the above classi-
fication and subclassification thereof, or by agreement pursuant to
section 32-22 of this Code; provided, however, that no front foot
benefit charge shall be levied against any agricultural property until
such property is connected with such water pipe or sanitary sewer,
and, provided further, that when connected, the length of agricultural
property to be assessed shall be limited to one hundred and fifty feet.

Sec. 32-48. Lien; when payable; method of collection generally.

The assessments and charges provided for in this division shall be
and constitute a lien upon the property chargeable with the same until
paid. Such lien, whether as to assessments and charges heretofore
accrued or hereafter accruing, shall be and is hereby declared always
to have been superior to any and all other liens against the property
chargeable therewith, whether such other liens were created prior to
or after the passage of Chapter 539 of the Acts of 1924, known as the
Metropolitan District Act. Nothing herein contained shall in any
manner be construed as affecting the lien of any other public taxes,
charges or assessments for state or county purposes of any kind or
nature whatsoever levied or charged against any property. The lien
herein provided for shall have and is hereby declared always to have
had priority of payment from the proceeds of the sale of any property
chargeable therewith, subject only to the preferences of taxes pro-
vided by Section 202 of Article 81 of the Annotated Code of Maryland,
1957. All such assessments and charges, including those past due and
in arrears as well as those due and becoming due in the future, except
water service charges, which shall be collected as specified in Section
32-19 of this Code shall be due, if payable annually, on the first day of
[January] July in each year and shall be collected by the treasurer of
the county in the same manner and at the same time as state and
county taxes are collected.

Sec. 32-49. Additional means of collection.

In addition to, but not in substitution of the aforesaid remedies,
whenever the county may deem it necessary and advisable, it is
empowered by written order to authorize and direct the treasurer of
the county to proceed in his own name as such to enforce the lien of
metropolitan district assessments and charges on any particular
property specified in such order, by a bill in equity or to collect such
assessments and charges by an action of assumpsit or by both a bill
in equity and a suit at law as aforesaid. In the event any such annual
assessment or charge be not paid when due, interest thereon, begin-
ning on the first day of the following [June] October, shall be added
at the rate of one-half of one per cent per month until paid. The fiscal
year of the metropolitan district shall correspond with the [calendar]
fiscal year of the county and [on or] prior to the first day of
[January] July in each and every year, the county shall deliver to the
treasurer of the county a statement showing the metropolitan district
assessments and charges due and payable, including such as may be in
arrears, identifying, with respect to each of such assessments and
charges, the properties on which the same are liens. Such statement
shall be made by appropriate notation on the assessment or tax
ledgers of the county and on the tax rolls customarily delivered to the
treasurer, or in such other appropriate manner, as the county may
determine.