§17-16-4. Assessment and collection of costs of removing obstructions.

The state road commission by its engineer or engineers in charge, as to state roads, and the county road engineer or supervisor, as to county-district roads, shall assess the cost of removing obstructions from state or county-district roads and removing and resetting poles and wires or the relaying or removing of pipelines pursuant to sections two and three of this article, against the owner, occupant, company or corporation neglecting to perform its duty imposed by the provisions of this article.

Such engineer or supervisor having charge of either state or county-district roads shall serve upon such owner, occupant or company a written notice stating that at the time and place specified therein, he or his agents will assess such costs against the owner, occupant or company neglecting to perform such duty. Such notice shall be served at least ten days prior to the time specified therein. If directed against a corporation, it may be served as other notices or process are served under chapter fifty-six of this code. At the time and place specified, he shall hear the parties interested and shall thereupon complete the assessment, stating therein the name of the owner, occupant or company, the amount assessed against him or it, and shall return such assessment to the state road commission or the county court of the county, as the case may be. Such assessment shall be made a matter or record by the commission or court, and the amount so assessed and fixed shall constitute a lien upon the property of such person, firm or corporation as a lien for taxes. The amount so assessed, fixed and levied may be placed in the hands of the sheriff of the county wherein such road is located and shall be collected by him as taxes levied and imposed are collected, and shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of the state road fund, or the county treasury to the credit of the district road fund, as the case may be, to reimburse the fund from which such costs were defrayed.