§ 74-209. Delinquent payments; disconnection and reconnection of service.

(1)

An account shall be considered delinquent if payment for service is not received within 30 days of the date of meter reading.

(a)

If the due date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, it shall be extended to the next business day. In the event partial payment of a bill is made, that portion of the bill not paid within 30 days of billing shall be considered delinquent. However, government accounts shall be considered delinquent if payment is not received within 45 days of the date of meter reading.

(b)

The city manager is authorized to approve waiver of the delinquent account charge for a two-month billing period following mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders due to hurricane.

(2)

Delinquent accounts shall be charged a delinquent account charge in the amount greater of $4.00 or ten percent of the total amount that is the delinquent outstanding balance unless the outstanding balance is less than $5.00, in which instance no delinquent account charge will be imposed. In the event a partial payment is made between the 30th and 45th day from the date of meter reading, the total bill shall be subject to the delinquent account charge. However, all qualified senior citizens/disabled and government accounts are exempt from a delinquent account charge.

(3)

Service may be discontinued if the total delinquent amount that is past due is not received within 15 days of the current meter reading date shown on the bill. Failure to pay amounts due within the time designated for payment may result in a decision of the city manager or his agent causing disconnection of sewer service until all amounts due, including delinquent fees and accrued interest, have been paid in full. The city shall give 48 hours notice by hand delivery, use of a door hanger, notice by mail or telephone of proposed disconnection to the customer.

(4)

For service to be restored, the customer must request restoration of service and pay all amounts due, including the applicable service charge, and a guaranteed payment deposit.

(5)

In the event service is suspended twice as a result of account delinquency, service shall not be restored until the customer has paid a guaranteed payment deposit in an amount three times the average of the prior 12 months billing or $200.00, whichever is greater.

(6)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this article when sewer service is subject to disconnection or has been discontinued due to account delinquency, the city may restore such service prior to payment of all amounts due, provided the customer has entered into a negotiated payment agreement.

(7)

Failure to pay amounts due within the time designated for payment shall result in the city exercising all reasonable business efforts to collect such unpaid amount, including, but not limited to, placing a lien on the property for all amounts due, including delinquent fees, interest, attorney fees and filing charges.

(Code 1986, § 74.49; Ord. No. 12-08, § 4, 5-15-2012)