Michigan § 125.985 - Special assessments; levy; installment payments; maximum annual amounts; adjustment; special assessment bonds; full faith and credit; maturity; statutory or charter provisions; review; marketing and development plan; homestead deferment.

(1) If a local governmental unit elects to levy special assessments to defray all or part of the cost of the district project, then the special assessments shall be levied pursuant to applicable statutory or charter provisions or, if there are no applicable statutory or charter provisions, pursuant to statutory or charter provisions applicable to local governmental unit street improvements. If a local governmental unit charter does not authorize special assessments for the purposes set forth in this chapter, the charter provisions authorizing special assessments for street improvements are made applicable to the purposes set forth in this chapter, without amendment to the charter. The total amount assessed for district purposes may be made payable in not more than 20 annual installments as determined by the governing body of the local governmental unit, the first installment to be payable in not more than 18 months after the date of the confirmation of the special assessment roll.

(2) A special assessment shall be levied against assessable property on the basis of the special benefits to that parcel from the total project. There is a rebuttable presumption that a district project specially benefits all assessable property located within the district.

(3) This subsection applies to a principal shopping district only if the principal shopping district is designated by the governing body of a local governmental unit after July 14, 1992. The special assessments annually levied on a parcel under this chapter shall not exceed the product of $10,000.00 and the number of businesses on that parcel. A business located on a single parcel shall not be responsible for a special assessment in excess of $10,000.00 annually. When the special assessment district is created, a lessor of a parcel subject to a special assessment may unilaterally revise an existing lease to a business located on that parcel to recover from that business all or part of the special assessment, as is proportionate considering the portion of the parcel occupied by the business.

(4) The $10,000.00 maximum amounts in subsection (3) shall be adjusted each January 1, beginning January 1, 1994, pursuant to the annual average percentage increase or decrease in the Detroit Consumer Price Index for all items as reported by the United States Department of Labor. The adjustment for each year shall be made by comparing the Detroit Consumer Price Index for the 12-month period ending the preceding October 31 with the corresponding Detroit Consumer Price Index of 1 year earlier. The percentage increase or decrease shall then be multiplied by the current amounts under subsection (3) authorized by this section. The product shall be rounded up to the nearest multiple of 50 cents and shall be the new amount.

(5) The local governmental unit may issue special assessment bonds in anticipation of the collection of the special assessments for a district project and, by action of its governing body, may pledge its full faith and credit for the prompt payment of the bonds. Special assessment bonds issued under this section are subject to the revised municipal finance act, 2001 PA 34, MCL 141.2101 to 141.2821. The last maturity on the bonds shall be not later than 2 years after the due date of the last installment on the special assessments. Special assessment bonds may be issued pursuant to statutory or charter provisions applicable to the issuance by the local governmental unit of special assessment bonds for the improvement or, if there are no applicable statutory or charter provisions, pursuant to statutory or charter provisions applicable to the issuance by the local governmental unit of special assessment bonds for street improvements.

(6) If a district project in a district designated by the governing body of a local governmental unit after July 14, 1992 is financed by special assessments, the governing body of the local governmental unit shall review the special assessments every 5 years, unless special assessment bonds are outstanding.

(7) Before a local governmental unit levies a special assessment under this chapter that benefits property within a business improvement district, the business improvement district board shall develop a marketing and development plan that details all of the following:

(a) The scope, nature, and duration of the business improvement district project or projects.

(b) The different classes of property owners who are going to be assessed and the projected amount of the special assessment on the different classes.

(8) A local governmental unit that levies a special assessment under this chapter that benefits property within a business improvement district is considered to have approved the marketing and development plan described in subsection (7).

(9) Any notice required as part of the special assessment process shall include a statement that a property owner of residential real property within a business improvement district may seek a homestead deferment for a special assessment under this act in the same manner as provided in section 4 of 1976 PA 225, MCL 211.764.