Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3709.091 – Failure to pay household sewage disposal system permit or inspection fee

(A) As used in this section:
1. (1) "Household sewage treatment system" means any sewage treatment system, or part of such a system, for a single-family, two-family, or three-family dwelling that receives sewage.
2. (2) "Sewage" means liquid waste containing animal or vegetable matter in suspension or solution that originates from humans and human activities. "Sewage" includes liquids containing household chemicals in solution commonly discharged from a residence or from commercial, institutional, or other similar facilities.
3. (3) "Small flow on-site sewage treatment system" means a system, other than a household sewage treatment system, that treats not more than one thousand gallons of sewage per day and that does not require a national pollutant discharge elimination system permit issued under section 6111.03 of the Revised Code or an injection well drilling or operating permit issued under section 6111.043 of the Revised Code.
(B) If any owner, leaseholder, or assignee of real property fails to pay a fee as required by rule of a board of health of a city or general health district pursuant to section 3709.09 of the Revised Code for an operation permit for, or for inspection of, a household sewage treatment system or a small flow on-site sewage treatment system located on the real property, the health commissioner of the city or general health district or the commissioner's designated representative shall notify the owner, leaseholder, or assignee of the real property of the amount of the fee and any accrued penalties for late payment of the fee. The notice shall state, in boldface letters: "You have 30 days to object to the amount of the unpaid operation permit or inspection fee for your household sewage treatment system or small flow on-site sewage treatment system, as applicable, as designated in this notice, which may include accrued penalties for late payment of the fee. If you do not pay this amount as instructed herein within 30 days of receipt of this notice or object to this amount during that time period in accordance with the procedures set forth herein, the amount will be placed as a lien on your real property." The notice also shall explain how the owner, leaseholder, or assignee may pay the amount, or object to the amount in accordance with the procedures established by divisions (C) and (D) of this section. Notice to the owner, leaseholder, or assignee shall be made by either of the following:
1. (1) Certified mail, overnight delivery service, hand delivery, or any other method that includes written evidence of receipt;
2. (2) The sheriff of the county in which the owner, leaseholder, or assignee to be served resides, in one or more of the methods provided in the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure. The sheriff may charge reasonable fees for that service.
(C) Not later than thirty days after receipt under division (B) of this section of notification of the amount of an unpaid operation permit or inspection fee and any accrued late payment penalties, the owner, leaseholder, or assignee may object to the amount by delivering a written notice of objection to the health commissioner by any of the means provided for in division (B)(1) of this section. Not later than sixty days after receipt of the notice of objection, the county prosecutor, on behalf of the city or general health district, may file a civil action in the court of common pleas against the owner, leaseholder, or assignee. If the county prosecutor fails to commence suit within the sixty-day period, or if the action is commenced, but dismissed with prejudice before adjudication, the unpaid fee and any accrued late payment penalties are void and cannot be placed on the general tax list and duplicate as a lien against the real property.
(D) If, in accordance with division (C) of this section, the owner, leaseholder, or assignee objects to the amount of the unpaid operation permit or inspection fee and any accrued late payment penalties and the county prosecutor commences suit and prevails in the action, the owner, leaseholder, or assignee objecting shall pay the amount of the fee, any accrued late payment penalties, and the costs of the action, as determined by the court.
(E) If the owner, leaseholder, or assignee on which the notice required by division (B) of this section was served does not pay to the city or general health district the amount of an unpaid operation permit or inspection fee and any accrued late payment penalties within thirty days after receipt of the notice, or does not object to the amount in the manner provided in division (C) of this section, the health commissioner of the city or general health district or the commissioner's designated representative may certify, on or before the first Monday of September, the amount of the unpaid fee and any accrued late payment penalties to the county auditor to be placed on the general tax list and duplicate as provided in section 319.281 of the Revised Code.