Chapter 521 | Private Sewage Collection Tiles

Section 521.01 | Maintenance and repair private sewage collection tiles.

• Effective: March 24, 2021
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 231 - 125th General Assembly

(A) As used in this chapter, "private sewage collection tile" means any tile, ditch, pipe, or other improvement installed by a private person to receive and convey sewage and sewage effluent from at least five household sewage treatment systems, as those systems are defined in section 3718.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) A board of township trustees may maintain and repair private sewage collection tiles located within a township road right-of-way in the township, where the expenditure from the township general fund for materials to maintain and repair the tiles does not exceed two hundred dollars for any one project. No maintenance or repair shall be performed that is paid for from the township general fund under this division until the board adopts a resolution authorizing the maintenance or repair. If material costs would exceed two hundred dollars, the board may proceed under this chapter to maintain and repair the tiles by assessing the cost against property based on the special benefits the property receives from the project.

Section 521.02 | Petition for maintenance and repair private sewage collection tiles.

• Effective: December 20, 2005
• Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 107 - 126th General Assembly

Upon a petition filed with the township fiscal officer by one or more property owners whose property is served by a private sewage collection tile, or upon the board's own initiative by the adoption of a resolution, the board of township trustees may repair or maintain a private sewage collection tile within a township road right-of-way in the township as provided in this chapter. On receiving a petition, the township fiscal officer shall give to the board of township trustees a notice of the filing of the petition and a copy of the petition.

Section 521.03 | Notice of hearing on petition.

• Effective: September 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

On receiving a petition filed under section 521.02 of the Revised Code, or at the request of the board of township trustees, the township fiscal officer shall fix a time, not more than thirty days after the date of giving notice of the filing to the board or the date of receiving the request from the board, and place for a hearing on the issue of repair or maintenance of the tiles. The township fiscal officer shall prepare a notice in writing directed to the lot and land owners and to the corporations, either public or private, affected by the improvement. The notice shall set forth the substance of the petition or board request, and the time and place of the hearing on it.

If the hearing is to be held in response to a petition, the township fiscal officer shall deliver a copy of the notice to any of the petitioners, who shall see that the notice is served on each lot or land owner or left at the lot or land owner's usual place of residence, and served on an officer or agent of each corporation affected by the improvement, at least fifteen days before the date set for the hearing. If the hearing is to be held at the request of the board, the board shall see that the notice is so served. On or before the day of the hearing, the person serving the notice shall certify, under oath, the time and manner of service, and shall file this certification with the township fiscal officer.

The township fiscal officer shall give notice of the hearing to each nonresident lot or land owner, by publication once, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the township is situated, at least two weeks before the day set for the hearing. This notice shall be verified by affidavit of the printer or other person knowing the fact, and shall be filed with the township fiscal officer on or before the day of the hearing. No further notice of the petition or the proceedings under it shall thereafter be required.

Section 521.04 | Hearing on petition.

• Effective: November 9, 1994
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 115 - 120th General Assembly

At the time and place specified in the notice given under section 521.03 of the Revised Code, the board of township trustees shall meet and hear any and all proof offered by any of the parties affected by the improvement, and by other persons competent to testify. The board shall go over and along the rights-of-way where the tiles in need of repair or maintenance are located, and, by actual view of them and of the premises along and adjacent to the area that would be benefited by the repair or maintenance, shall determine the necessity of the improvement. The board may find that the improvement will result in general as well as special benefits. The board may adjourn from time to time and to any place it considers necessary.

Section 521.05 | Contracts for maintenance and repair private sewage collection tiles.

• Effective: September 29, 2011
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly

(A) If the total estimated cost of any improvement provided for in section 521.04 of the Revised Code is fifty thousand dollars or less, the contract may be let without competitive bidding. When competitive bidding is required, the board of township trustees shall post, in three of the most conspicuous public places in the township, a notice specifying the improvement to be made and the time, which shall be at least thirty days after the posting of the notices, and the place the board will receive bids to make the improvement. The board shall accept the lowest and best bid, if the successful bidder meets the requirements of section 153.54 of the Revised Code. The board may reject all bids.

(B) On accepting a bid, the board shall enter into a contract with the successful bidder for making the improvement according to specifications. The contract shall not be for a term longer than ten years.

Section 521.06 | Special assessments for maintenance and repair private sewage collection tiles.

• Effective: November 9, 1994
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 115 - 120th General Assembly

The cost and expenses of making the improvement made pursuant to a determination by the board under section 521.04 of the Revised Code shall be paid from a fund raised by special assessments against the lots and lands in the township that are benefited by the improvement, except that if the board of township trustees finds, by resolution, that the improvement will result in general as well as special benefits, there may be paid from the general fund of the township treasury such portion of the cost and expenses as is found to represent the value of the general benefit. If moneys are to be paid from the general fund of the township treasury, no improvement shall be made until the adoption of the resolution required under this division.

The assessments shall not exceed the special benefits resulting from the improvement, they shall be paid and collected in equal semiannual installments, equal in number to twice the number of years for which the contract is made, and they shall be paid and collected in the same manner as and at the same times that taxes are paid and collected. Any such assessment in the amount of five dollars or less, or with an unpaid balance of five dollars or less, shall be paid in full, and not in installments, at the time the first or next installment would otherwise become due and payable. The assessments may be made and levied by any one or more of the following methods:

(A) By a percentage of the tax value of the property assessed;

(B) In proportion to the benefits that may result from the improvement;

(C) By the front footage of the property abutting the right-of-way;

(D) In an equal amount against each benefited lot, this amount to be determined by dividing the total cost per semiannual installment by the number of benefited lots in the township.

Section 521.07 | Collecting and disposing of assessments.

• Effective: November 9, 1994
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 115 - 120th General Assembly

The board of township trustees shall, by resolution, assess against the benefited lots and parcels of land in the township, in accordance with section 521.06 of the Revised Code, such portion of the costs of the improvement, for the period of the contract and the proceedings in relation to the contract, as does not exceed the special benefits resulting from the improvement, and shall certify these costs to the auditor. The auditor shall annually place on the tax duplicate, for collection in semiannual installments as provided in that section, the two installments of the assessment for that year, which installments shall be paid and collected as provided in that section.

When collected, the assessments shall go into the township treasury and shall be used by the board only for the purpose for which they were levied and collected.