1606                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 615

CHAPTER 615
(House Bill 1336)

AN ACT to add new Sections 38-5 through 38-10, inclusive to the
Code of Public Local Laws of Frederick County (1959 Edition and
supplements thereto, being Article 11 of the Code of Public Local
Laws of Maryland), title "Frederick County," subtitle "Part I.
General Local Laws," subheading "Roads," to follow immediately
after Section 38-4 thereof, relating to the acceptance, mainte-
nance and construction of public and private roads in Frederick
County, authorizing the collection of benefit assessments on
abutting properties to pay the costs of certain road construction
or improvements under certain conditions, providing for liens
against property for which benefit assessments are unpaid, and re-
lating generally to the improvement and construction of roads and
procedure involving the levying of benefit assessments in Frederick
County.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Sections 38-5 through 38-10, inclusive, be and they are
hereby added to the Code of Public Local Laws of Frederick
County (1959 Edition and supplements thereto, being Article 11 of
the Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland), title "Frederick
County," subtitle "Part I. General Local Laws," subheading
"Roads," to follow immediately after Section 38-4 thereof, and to
read as follows:

38-5.

The County Commissioners of Frederick County are hereby author-
ized to construct and improve roads and drainage incident to con-
struction or improvement on or along private roads, after the ap-
proval of a petition of the majority of the property owners whose
property abuts on the road to be constructed or improved requesting
that the roads be taken into the county roads system. In the exercise
of the powers granted by this section, the County Commissioners may
by proper ordinance, passed in accordance with the provisions of
Section 3 of Article 25 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957
Edition, as amended), adopt all necessary rules and conditions for
the acceptance, construction, and maintenance of the roads and/or
other authorized improvements by the county. Such ordinance may
also provide for annual benefit assessments to be levied against the
abutting properties for the purpose of reimbursing the county for
the cost of the improvements and the time and manner of payment,
but not to exceed ten years. Annual benefit assessments shall be a
first lien upon the property against which they are assessed, until
paid, subject only to prior State and county taxes, and if any prop-
erty be sold for State and county taxes, and there remains a surplus,
then the County Commissioners may upon petition to the Circuit
Court be allowed the payment of their lien.

38-6.

For the purpose of giving notice to the general public as to existing
liens and charges against any property for benefit assessments, the
County Commissioners shall keep a public record of all names of prop-
erty owners and the locations of the property, and the amount of the