§ 13-3206. Annual assessment; PACE lien; notice of lien; contents; priority; sale of property; use of proceeds; release of lien; recording.

(1)(a) For qualifying property other than single-family residential property, any annual assessment imposed on such qualifying property that becomes delinquent, including any interest on the annual assessment and any penalty, shall constitute a PACE lien against the qualifying property on which the annual assessment is imposed until the annual assessment, including any interest and penalty, is paid in full. Any annual assessment that is not paid within the time period set forth in the assessment contract shall be considered delinquent. The municipality shall, within fourteen days after an annual assessment becomes delinquent or, if there is a third-party lender financing the energy project, within fourteen days after receiving notice from such third-party lender that an annual assessment has become delinquent, record a notice of such lien in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the qualifying property is located. The municipality shall certify the amount of any such delinquency and lien to the county treasurer, and the lien shall be treated as a special assessment in the same manner as special assessments are treated under section 77-1858 and shall be subject to the same collection processes for real estate taxes and special assessments as set forth in Chapter 77, including, without limitation, sections 77-1801 to 77-1863. (b) For qualifying property that is single-family residential property, all annual assessments imposed on such qualifying property, including any interest on the annual assessments and any penalty, shall, upon the initial annual assessment, constitute a PACE lien against the qualifying property on which the annual assessments are imposed until all annual assessments, including any interest and penalty, are paid in full. Any annual assessment that is not paid within the time period set forth in the assessment contract shall be considered delinquent. The municipality shall, upon imposition of the initial annual assessment, record a notice of such lien in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the qualifying property is located. (2) A notice of lien filed under this section shall, at a minimum, include: (a) The amount of funds disbursed or to be disbursed pursuant to the assessment contract; (b) The names and addresses of the current owners of the qualifying property subject to the annual assessment; (c) The legal description of the qualifying property subject to the annual assessment; (d) The duration of the assessment contract; and (e) The name and address of the municipality filing the notice of lien. (3) The PACE lien created under this section shall: (a) For qualifying property that is single-family residential property, (i) be subordinate to all liens on the qualifying property recorded prior to the time the notice of the PACE lien is recorded, (ii) be subordinate to a first mortgage or trust deed on the qualifying property recorded after the notice of the PACE lien is recorded, and (iii) have priority over any other lien on the qualifying property recorded after the notice of the PACE lien is recorded; and (b) For qualifying property other than single-family residential property and subject to the requirement in subdivision (2)(a) of section 13-3205 to obtain and record an executed consent and subordination agreement, have the same priority and status as real property tax liens. (4)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the event of a sale pursuant to a foreclosure or a sale pursuant to the exercise of a power of sale under a trust deed relating to qualifying property that is single-family residential property, the holders of any mortgages, trust deeds, or other liens, including delinquent annual assessments secured by PACE liens, shall receive proceeds in accordance with the priorities established under subdivision (3)(a) of this section. In the event there are insufficient proceeds from such a sale, from the loss reserve fund established pursuant to section 13-3208, or from any other means to satisfy the delinquent annual assessments, such delinquent annual assessments shall be extinguished. Any annual assessment that has not yet become delinquent shall not be accelerated or extinguished in the event of a sale pursuant to a foreclosure or a sale pursuant to the exercise of a power of sale under a trust deed relating to qualifying property that is single-family residential property. Upon the transfer of ownership of qualifying property that is single-family residential property, including a sale pursuant to a foreclosure or a sale pursuant to the exercise of a power of sale under a trust deed, the nondelinquent annual assessments shall continue as a lien on the qualifying property, subject to the priorities established under subdivision (3)(a) of this section. (b) Upon the transfer of ownership of qualifying property other than single-family residential property, including a sale pursuant to a foreclosure or a sale pursuant to the exercise of a power of sale under a trust deed, the obligation to pay annual assessments shall run with the qualifying property. (5)(a) For qualifying property other than single-family residential property, when the delinquent annual assessment, including any interest and penalty, is paid in full, a release of the PACE lien shall be recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the notice of the PACE lien was recorded. (b) For qualifying property that is single-family residential property, when all annual assessments, including any interest and penalty, are paid in full, a release of the PACE lien shall be recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the notice of the PACE lien was recorded. (6) If the holder or loan servicer of any existing mortgage or trust deed that encumbers or that is otherwise secured by the qualifying property has established a payment schedule or escrow account to accrue property taxes or insurance, such holder or loan servicer may increase the required monthly payment, if any, by an amount necessary to pay the annual assessment imposed under the Property Assessed Clean Energy Act. History: Laws 2016, LB1012, § 6; R.S.Supp.,2016, § 18-3206; Laws 2017, LB625, § 6; Laws 2026, LB1135, § 7.