City Water/Nuisance Liens Published Online

Each year in March, the City advertises in a local newspaper delinquent water and assessment accounts owed by residential and commercial customers. As part of the City’s ongoing efforts to recoup these past-due payments, it is posting this round of lists of overdue accounts here:

• 2022 Water liens & Nuisance abatements/boarding-up of unsafe structures/demolition of structures liens. 

State law (General Statute 105-369) requires the City to advertise liens on real property in case further action on a property, such as foreclosure, is eventually needed.

Water lien payments can be made online. Payments may also be made in person at the Collections Division, Room 11, Upper Ground Level, Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 W. Washington St., or at the J. Edward Kitchen Operations Center, 2602 S. Elm-Eugene St.

For nuisance abatements/boarding-up of unsafe structures/demolition of structure liens, payments may be made in person at the Collections Division at the Melvin Municipal Office Building or the J. Edward Kitchen Operations Center.

Payments for either type of liens may also be made by mail. See your specific bill for the appropriate mailing address.

For more information about these liens, call the City’s Collections Division at 336-373-2310.

Search & Pay

To obtain public utility and / or nuisance abatement assessment information on a specific property, visit the City's online assessment and water lien search website.

To pay an assessment, either mail your payment to the specific address noted on your bill or visit the Collections Division at the J. Edward Kitchen Operations Center, 2602 S. Elm-Eugene St., or Room 11, Upper Ground Level of the Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 W. Washington St.

For additional information, call the Collections Division at 336-373-2310.

Public Utility Assessments

Streets, sidewalks, and water and sewer piping are valuable public assets that help build and sustain the quality of life that Greensboro residents have come to enjoy. These public assets are generally referred to as "public utilities" and are paid for with public funds collected by the state (road or gasoline tax) or by the City as a property tax or fee for service, such as water and sewer service fees.

When the construction of such public utilities is done for the benefit of a few residents, the City charges part of the cost of the construction to those residents who most directly benefit. Such costs are generally referred to as public utility assessments and take the form of a secured lien against the real property that borders on the public utility improvements.

Property owners are notified about overdue assessments. After the initial notice, an owner has up to 90 days to pay the full amount owed without interest. Or, the owner may pay the amount due in 10 annual installments at an interest rate of six percent per year. Annual installments are billed one year from the date of confirmation and each consecutive year thereafter, and become past due if not paid within 30 days after a invoice date.

Other Assessments

    Public Nuisances / Closing Liens
The City has in place high standards for the condition, appearance and safety of both commercial and residential properties. When a property is found to be in violation of those standards, the owner is notified and given a reasonable period of time to correct the situation. If the owner fails to respond, the City contracts for remedial services and passes the cost of those services on to the property owner.

Public Nuisance Assessments, also known as lot cleanups or nuisances, and Closing Liens, as known as boarding up a structure, take the form of a lien against the property if not paid within 30 days of the date the owner receives an invoice for those services.

    Demolition Assessments
Demolition Assessments take the form of a lien against the property. The property owner is billed five annual installments at an interest rate of six percent per year, with the first installment due 30 days from the date of confirmation. Each additional installment is billed the same day of each year thereafter until the assessment is paid in full and becomes past due if not paid within 30 days after an invoice date.