Article 8. Dissolution Of Districts of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 4. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 12. >> Article 8.

Upon the filing of a petition with the board of supervisors, signed by the owners of not less than 60 percent by area of the winegrape acreage in the district, requesting the dissolution of the district, the board of supervisors shall set a time and place for hearing on the petition, which shall not be less than 20 days, or more than 40 days, after the filing of the petition.

The board of supervisors shall give notice of the time and place fixed for the hearing upon the petition for dissolution.

The notice of hearing shall state all of the following:
  (a) That a petition has been filed requesting the dissolution of the district.
  (b) That the petition is available for inspection at the offices of the board of supervisors.
  (c) The time and place for the hearing.
  (d) That at the hearing protests against the dissolution of the district shall be considered by the board of supervisors.

Notice of the hearing shall be given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the district.

The notice shall be published once a week for two successive weeks prior to the date set for the hearing.

If, at the hearing, a majority of the membership of the board of supervisors find that the dissolution of the district will benefit the winegrape industry of the county, it shall, by resolution, dissolve the district.

The board of supervisors shall cause a certified copy of the resolution to be recorded in the office of the county recorder and shall file a certified copy of the same with the Secretary of State. Thereupon, the district is dissolved for all purposes.

Upon dissolution, the right, title, and interest to property owned or controlled by the district that is situated within the corporate limits of any city shall vest absolutely in the city. If the property is situated outside the corporate limits of a city, it shall vest in the county in which the property is situated.

The board of supervisors is ex officio the governing body of the dissolved district. It may levy such assessments and perform such other acts as may be necessary to wind up the affairs of the district and to raise money for the payment of any outstanding indebtedness.

All claims and accounts against the district that have not been settled by the board within 90 days after the resolution is recorded pursuant to Section 6286 shall be presented to the board of supervisors of the county in which the district was located, or in the case of a consolidated district to the board of supervisors of the county in which is located the largest area of winegrape acreage, and shall be passed and approved by the board of supervisors in the same manner as county claims and shall be paid out of the funds of the dissolved district.

If there are insufficient funds to discharge all claims and accounts brought pursuant to Section 6289, the board of supervisors shall, at the time of levying the next general county taxes, levy a special assessment upon the net acreage devoted to the growing of winegrapes that benefited from the dissolved district in an amount sufficient to discharge all outstanding claims and accounts against the district. In the case of a consolidated district, the board of supervisors of each county in which a portion of the district is located shall levy a special assessment based upon the ratio that the proportion of outstanding claims and accounts bears to the net acreage of the district in each county.