598                              Laws of Maryland                        Ch. 248

sixty days after being sent by the commission, it shall be collectible,
together with a penalty of $5.00, from the owner of the property
served in the same manner, and subject to the same interest, as
taxes are collectible in the county or counties in which the sanitary
district or sanitary districts lie and said ready-to-serve charge, other
service charges and all penalties shall be a first lien against said
property. The sewer service charge and solid waste disposal charge
shall be made on whatever reasonable basis the commission selects
and may be collected on an annual, semiannual or quarterly basis.
Neither the dates of collection nor the intervals between such dates
need be uniform throughout a sanitary district. If any bill for such
sewer service charge or solid waste disposal charge remains unpaid
for sixty days after being sent by the commission, it shall be col-
lectible from the owner of the property served in the same manner,
and subject to the same interest, as taxes are collectible in the
county or counties in which the sanitary district or sanitary districts
lie, and shall be a first lien against said property.

664.

The commission is authorized and empowered to purchase or ac-
quire by gift any existing water [or], sewerage or solid waste dis-
posal systems or solid waste acceptance facilities in or adjacent to a
sanitary district which in its judgment are desirable or necessary
for the purpose of providing adequate water [or] , sewerage or
solid waste disposal service or both for the residents of the area
served by said district.

665.

Whenever said commission shall have extended a district's water
or sewerage system up to and is ready to connect with any munici-
pally owned water or sewerage system, and it deems it advisable
and proper for the adequate operation of the system under the
district's jurisdiction to take over the said water or sewerage sys-
tem, or whenever said commission shall deem it advisable and proper
for the adequate operation of the district's solid waste disposal sys-
tem to take over any municipally owned solid waste acceptance
facility within the area under the district's jurisdiction, it may pur-
chase the same upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed
upon, but shall have no right of condemnation with respect thereto,
but before any part of the purchase price is paid, other than a
nominal sum of money to bind the agreement, it shall be the duty
of the vendor or agent to furnish a statement to said commission
setting forth all names and addresses of persons having any interest
or claims against said property whatsoever, which shall be verified
by an oath in writing. Thereupon it shall be the duty of said com-
mission to notify personally or by registered or certified mail, return
receipt requested, all persons having any interest whatsoever in said
property, and in addition thereto the commission shall give three
weeks' notice of its intention to purchase said property in a news-
paper or newspapers published within said county where the prop-
erty is located, and each person having any claim whatsoever against
said property shall file his, or her, or its claim with said commis-
sion on or before the expiration date mentioned in said notice, at
which time any and all persons will be heard and their rights
determined by the commission, which said hearing shall be final.
From and after payment to the proper parties of the agreed pur-