(a) The tax collector for any city, county, or city and county may, in his or her discretion, accept electronic funds transfers in payment for a purchase at a tax sale, of any tax, assessment, or on a redemption.
(b) The tax collector for any city, county, or city and county may, in his or her discretion, require any taxpayer, or any paying agent of a taxpayer or taxpayers, who makes an aggregate payment of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) or more on the two most recent regular installments on the secured roll or on the one installment of the most recent unsecured tax roll, to make subsequent payments by electronic funds transfer.
(c) Any taxpayer or paying agent making payment by electronic funds transfer shall provide any supporting documentation and electronic information as requested by the tax collector. An electronic funds transfer made pursuant to this section shall be made to the bank account designated by the tax collector.
(d) Any costs incurred by the tax collector as a result of the acceptance of electronic funds transfers pursuant to this section shall be considered administrative costs of tax collection, except that if for any reason the electronic funds transfer is not completed, those costs shall be recovered as provided in subdivision (g).
(e) The acceptance of an electronic funds transfer shall constitute payment of a tax, assessment, or redemption as of the date of acceptance when, but not before, the transfer has been completed. An electronic funds transfer is completed by acceptance by the bank designated by the tax collector of the payment specified by the originator’s payment order.
(f) If an electronic funds transfer is not accepted for any reason, any record of payment entered on any official record indicating the acceptance of that transfer shall be canceled, and the tax or assessment shall be a lien as if no payment has been attempted. When a cancellation of a record of payment is made, the canceling officer shall record the cancellation on the record that contained the notation of payment, and immediately shall cause a written notice of cancellation to be sent to the person attempting the electronic funds transfer.
(g) Upon notice of nonacceptance of an electronic funds transfer, the tax collector may charge the person who attempted the electronic funds transfer a fee not to exceed the costs of processing the transfer, providing notice of nonacceptance to that person, and making required cancellations on the tax roll. The amount of any fee charged pursuant to this subdivision shall be set by the governing body of the relevant city, county, or city and county, and may be added to the tax bill and collected in the same manner as costs recovered pursuant to Section 2621.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 194, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2005.)