When the owner or occupant of a pew so assessed does not pay the assessment to the person authorized by the meeting to collect the same, upon three weeks' notice and demand made after the completion of the repairs, which notice and demand shall be made either in person or by publishing the same for three weeks successively in some daily or weekly newspaper of general circulation in the town where such house of public worship is situated, such collector may sell the pew of such delinquent person at public auction to the highest bidder, upon giving notice thereof as is provided in section 1471 of this title. The balance of the proceeds arising from the sale, if any, after the payment of assessments, expenses of advertising, and fees equal to those allowed by law for the collection of an execution, shall be paid to the owner of the pew so sold.