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 (ie, road or gasoline tax) or by the City of Greensboro 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 citizens, the City charges part of the cost of the construction to those citizens 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.

Upon receipt of initial notice of impending assessment charges, the property owner may, within 90 days of the notice date, pay the full amount of the assessment, without interest. As an alternative, the property owner may elect to pay the assessment cost in 10 annual installments, with interest at a rate of six percent per year. Annual installments are billed one year from date of confirmation and each consecutive year thereafter and become past due if not paid within 30 days after the invoice date.

Public Nuisance Clean-up Assessments

Greensboro is known throughout the southeast as being a preferred place to live, in part due to its abundance of greenspace, neatly manicured lawns, and well-maintained physical structures. These attractive conditions did not happen by accident. For many years, Greensboro has had in place high standards for the condition and appearance 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. These charges, commonly referred to as Public Nuisance Assessments, take the form of a lien against the property if not paid within 30 days of the date of the invoice to the property owner.


Assessment payments may be mailed to:

City of Greensboro
Collection Division-Assessments
PO Box 3136
Greensboro, NC 27402-3136