§8-13B-15. Security for bonds.
Unless the governing body of the municipality shall otherwise determine in the resolution authorizing the issuance of the revenue bonds under the authority of this article, there is hereby created a statutory lien upon the sub-account created pursuant to section eight of this article and all special district excise tax revenues collected for the benefit of the district pursuant to section eleven-a, article ten, chapter eleven of this code, for the purpose of securing the principal of said bonds and the interest thereon. The principal of and interest on any bonds issued under the authority of this article shall be secured by a pledge of the special district excise tax revenues derived from the downtown redevelopment district project by the governing body of the municipality issuing such bonds to the extent provided in the resolution adopted by the governing body of the municipality authorizing the issuance of the bonds. In the discretion and at the option of the municipality, such revenue bonds may also be secured by a trust indenture by and between the municipality and a corporate trustee, which may be a trust company or bank having trust powers, within or without the state of West Virginia. The governing body may authorize the issuance of such revenue bonds by resolution. The resolution authorizing the revenue bonds and fixing the details thereof may provide that such trust indenture may contain such provisions for the protection and enforcing the rights and remedies of the bondholders as may be reasonable and proper, not in violation of law, including covenants setting forth the duties of the municipality in relation to the construction, acquisition or financing of a downtown redevelopment district project, or part thereof, or an addition thereto, and the improvement, repair, maintenance and insurance thereof, and for the custody, safeguarding and application of all moneys, and may provide that the downtown redevelopment district project shall be constructed and paid for under the supervision and approval of the consulting engineers or architects employed and designated by the governing body or, if directed by the governing body in the resolution, by the district board, and satisfactory to the purchasers of the bonds, their successors, assigns or nominees, who may require the security given by any contractor or any depository of the proceeds of the bonds or the revenues received from the downtown redevelopment district project be satisfactory to such purchasers, their successors, assigns or nominees. Such indenture may set forth the rights and remedies of the bondholders, the municipality or such trustee, and said indenture may provide for accelerating the maturity of the revenue bonds, at the option of the bondholders or the governmental body issuing the same, upon default in the payment of the amounts due under the bonds. The governing body may also provide by resolution and in such trust indenture for the payment of the proceeds of the sale of the bonds and the revenues from the downtown redevelopment district project to such depository as it may determine, for the custody and investment thereof and for the method of distribution thereof, with such safeguards and restrictions as it may determine to be necessary or advisable for the protection thereof and upon the filing of a certified copy of such resolution or of the indenture for record in the office of the clerk of the county commission of the county in which a downtown redevelopment district project is located, the same shall have the same effect, as to notice, as the recordation of a deed of trust or other recordable instrument. In the event that more than one such certified resolution or indenture is so recorded, the security interest granted by the first such recorded resolution or indenture shall have priority in the same manner as an earlier filed deed of trust except to the extent such earlier recorded resolution or indenture provides otherwise.

In addition to or in lieu of the indenture provided for hereinabove the principal of and interest on said bonds may, but need not, be secured by a mortgage or deed of trust covering all or any part of the downtown redevelopment district project from which the revenues so pledged may be derived, and the same may be secured by an assignment or pledge of the income received from the downtown redevelopment district project. The proceedings under which such bonds are authorized to be issued, when secured by a mortgage or deed of trust, may contain the same terms, conditions and provisions provided for herein when an indenture is entered into between the governing body and a trustee and any such mortgage or deed of trust may contain any agreements and provisions customarily contained in instruments securing bonds, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, provisions respecting the fixing and collection of revenues from the downtown redevelopment district project covered by such proceedings or mortgage, the terms to be incorporated in any lease, sale or financing agreement with respect to such downtown redevelopment district project, the improvement, repair, maintenance and insurance of such downtown redevelopment district project, the creation and maintenance of special funds from the revenues received from the downtown redevelopment district project and the rights and remedies available in event of default to the bondholders, the governing body, or to the trustee under an agreement, indenture, mortgage or deed of trust, all as the governing body shall deem advisable and as shall not be in conflict with the provisions of this article or any existing law: Provided, That in making any such agreements or provisions a municipality shall not have the power to incur original indebtedness by indenture, ordinance, resolution, mortgage or deed of trust, except with respect to the downtown redevelopment district project and the application of the revenues therefrom, and shall not have the power to incur a pecuniary liability or a charge upon its general credit or against its taxing powers unless approved by the voters in accordance with article one, chapter thirteen of this code, or as otherwise permitted by the constitution of this state. The proceedings authorizing any bonds hereunder and any indenture, mortgage or deed of trust securing such bonds may provide that, in the event of default in payment of the principal of or the interest on such bonds or in the performance of any agreement contained in such proceedings, indenture, mortgage or deed of trust, such payment and performance may be enforced by the appointment of a receiver in equity with power to charge and collect rents or other amounts and to apply the revenues from the downtown redevelopment district project in accordance with such proceedings or the provisions of such agreement, indenture, mortgage or deed of trust. Any such agreement, indenture, mortgage or deed of trust may provide also that, in the event of default in such payment or the violation of any agreement contained in the mortgage or deed of trust, the agreement, indenture, mortgage or deed of trust may be foreclosed either by sale at public outcry or by proceedings in equity and may provide that the holder or holders of any of the bonds secured thereby may become the purchaser at any foreclosure sale, if the highest bidder therefor. No breach of any such agreement, indenture, mortgage or deed of trust shall impose any pecuniary liability upon a municipality or any charge upon its general credit or against its taxing powers.

Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session