Chapter 13.17 UTILITY BILLING AND COLLECTION

Chapter 13.17
UTILITY BILLING AND COLLECTION

Sections:

13.17.040 Commercial – Definition for utility billings.

13.17.050 Reduced rates for low-income persons.

13.17.010 Combined billing statement.

Combined billing statements for water, sewer and stormwater utility service provided by the city of Roslyn (“city”) shall be sent on a monthly basis to all customers. The city shall charge a full month’s water, sewer, storm rate for any portion of the month’s occupancy. All bills shall be mailed to the address of the owner of the property being served by the utilities, as the address appears in the records of the city utility department. The owner shall remain ultimately liable for payment of the bill, even if the property is a rental property, and the property shall remain subject to a utility lien for a delinquent account as provided below. [Ord. 1189 § 3 (Exh. A), 2022; Ord. 1160 § 1, 2019.]

13.17.020 Delinquent accounts.

In the event that any fees or charges assessed for such services are not paid by the fifteenth of the month, they shall be considered delinquent and subject to additional delinquent charges and shall automatically constitute a lien against the property to which the services were rendered. Such a lien, for up to four months of utility service charges, shall encumber the property and shall be the obligation of the property owner, their heirs, successors, and/or assignees, until the same is paid in full. The city may enforce the lien by shutting off water service at 45 days past due (60 days from billing date) and until all delinquent and unpaid charges are paid in full.

A. Utility charges shall be the responsibility of the property owner and shall be billed directly to the property owner or the address designated by the owner in writing. Payment for utility services for any property shall become due and payable on the fifteenth day of the month following the month within which the service was rendered. If any amount remains unpaid after the twenty-eighth day of the month being first billed, a late penalty of 15 percent of the outstanding balance shall be added to the utility account on the date stated on the billing. The city clerk shall give notice in writing to the owner or owner’s agent as officially listed in the city records, or the best address available to the clerk, of such delinquency, and advising that the water service shall be discontinued at the expiration of 10 days thereafter unless the account is paid in full. This written notice shall serve as the final notice with no additional written notices to be delivered prior to termination of services. Such notice shall indicate that the delinquent user may contact the city clerk or other responsible city official at City Hall during business hours to make arrangements to bring the account current.

B. In the event the city should proceed to terminate water service to any property which has failed to bring its account current after mailing of written notice, the employee of the city dispatched to disconnect the water service shall make a reasonable effort to inform the user that water service is being terminated. The city employee may not accept payment of the delinquent amount from the user.

C. Repealed by Ord. 1189.

D. In the event the water supply is turned off, the same shall not be turned back on until all delinquent utility charges, late fees and penalties have been paid in full. In addition, the account shall be charged a water turn-on charge of $100.00.

E. Delinquent users may contact the city clerk or other responsible city official at City Hall during business hours to make arrangements to bring the account current. To qualify for a payment arrangement the following criteria shall be met with no exceptions:

1. Fifty percent of the total amount due shall be paid by the due date of the current billing cycle in which the payment agreement is entered; and

2. Any remaining past due amount shall be paid in full no later than the last day of the month following the billing cycle in which the payment arrangement was entered.

F. In cases where the occupant of the premises moves to another location within the system and applies for water at the new location, services may be denied at such location unless and until any statement for service against the first location is fully paid.

G. The city shall have lien against the property for unpaid utility charges as provided by state law for unified utility billings.

H. Failure to receive mail will not be recognized as a valid excuse for failure to pay charges due. Notice of change in ownership of property and change in mailing address must be given in writing by the property owner or his agent to the city. [Ord. 1189 § 3 (Exh. A), 2022; Ord. 1160 § 1, 2019.]

13.17.030 Utility billing.

Utility bills may be in the name of the owner or tenant in accordance with the following policies:

A. Commercial Accounts. Commercial accounts that are metered separately for each unit may be billed to the tenant. All other accounts are billed to the property owner. Final bills will be processed for tenants of commercial accounts. Billings made in the name of the tenant do not relieve the property owner of liability for payment of charges incurred by the tenant including delinquent charges.

B. Residential Accounts. All utility billings to residential properties shall be billed to the property owner. The property owner shall be responsible for all billings including lien fees, delinquent charges and court fees. If a property owner or their designee notifies the city in writing that a property served by the city is a residential rental property, asks to be notified of a tenant’s delinquency, and has provided, in writing, a complete and accurate mailing address, the city shall notify the owner or the owner’s designee of a residential tenant’s delinquency at the same time and in the same manner the city notifies the tenant of the tenant’s delinquency by mail.

C. Tenant Accounts. Water service will be delivered to a single-family residential rental property at the request of the tenant if the tenant claims an owner/tenant dispute exists and the owner has allowed the water service account to become delinquent. If such a situation exists, a tenant may open an account for water/sewer/storm utility service to the property to be served on the same terms and conditions as any other residential account.

D. It is the property owner’s responsibility to notify the city of any change in billing address and/or procedure. [Ord. 1189 § 3 (Exh. A), 2022; Ord. 1160 § 1, 2019.]

13.17.040 Commercial – Definition for utility billings.

“Commercial” means any establishment or business which is not single-family or multifamily residential. This includes hotels/motels, nonprofit organizations, and federal, state and local government owned facilities. This does not include churches, which are considered to be residential for utility billing purposes. [Ord. 1189 § 3 (Exh. A), 2022; Ord. 1160 § 1, 2019.]

13.17.050 Reduced rates for low-income persons.

A. Reduced rates pursuant to RCW 35.92.020(5) shall apply only for low-income individuals. For purposes of this section, “low-income” means that the person has a combined disposable income in an amount that would qualify the person for property tax exemption under RCW 94.36.381(5)(b). “Combined disposable income” shall be defined as provided in RCW 84.36.383.

B. Any rate reduction under this section shall only apply to utility charges for service to a residence. The residence for which the rate reduction is requested must be the applicant’s principal place of residence. The utility account must be in the applicant’s name or the name of the applicant’s spouse, or in the name of a cooperative or a condominium association. In situations where the utility account is in the name of a cooperative or condominium association, that organization must guarantee to the city that the full benefit of any rate reduction shall be received by the qualifying individuals under this section.

C. Nonresident property owners may only obtain the reduction in rates if the premises are rented to a qualified low-income applicant as defined in this section, and only if the owner certifies that the full benefit of any rate reduction shall be received by the qualifying renter.

D. No person may claim a rate reduction for more than one dwelling unit during the same billing period. [Ord. 1189 § 3 (Exh. A), 2022; Ord. 1160 § 1, 2019.]