If service is disconnected, or if disconnection is proposed, due to a customer’s nonpayment of service charges for a consumer household, an adult consumer of utility services in said household shall have the right to avoid disconnection, or obtain reconnection, if the consumer pays a $75.00 deposit and assumes written responsibility for timely payment of future charges for service provided the household at the service address. Consumer assumption does not relieve the customer of contractual liability for charges incurred. The assumption obligation shall terminate upon the consumer’s delivery to the Village of a written notice canceling that assumption, and the deposit shall be returned if the consumer makes payment of the consumer’s final bill in full. If the consumer does not pay the final bill in full, said final bill amount (or portion unpaid) will be deducted from the deposit and any deposit balance will be returned to the consumer.
This section does not apply to any customer concerning any service address in which resides the customer obligated for payment of the account for that service address. However, in circumstances in which one meter serves more than one service address, consumer households will not be penalized in any way, or denied the benefit of this provision, because the defaulting customer’s benefited unit might also benefit from a continuation or restoration of service.
The Village shall not refuse to furnish utility service and/or propose to or disconnect utility service to any customer or consumer household on account of arrearages due Village for utility services furnished to persons formerly receiving services at the same premises, provided the customers obligated on that delinquent account do not continue to reside at such premises. Applicants who are denied utility service shall be notified of that decision, and the reason for it, by use of the form attached as Exhibit 2, at the time of the denial. No consumer of utility may be denied services because of, or billed for or required to pay for utility services furnished on the account of another individual, except to the extent of any assumption obligation previously assumed by that consumer pursuant to this paragraph, except that nothing herein affects the rights of the Village to lien property as provided by law, including but not limited to the procedures of Ohio R.C. 735.29(A) for certifying past due water bills to the County Auditor for collection.
(Ord. 94-1. Passed 2-7-94.)