It is the policy of the village of Berkeley to accept from any debtor for the payment and satisfaction of municipal services, products, fines, penalties and the like payment in the form of cash, personal check, certified or cashier's check or credit card in the normal and usual course of municipal business, unless there is a specific ordinance, resolution, policy or regulation contrary hereto.
In the event the form of payment made to the village of Berkeley by a debtor results in said payment being unacceptable and therefore rejected, denied or returned, by the individual, business or institution which is to honor the payment such as a banking institution or credit card issuer, the debtor shall be notified by the village of Berkeley, in writing, of such occurrence and debtor be required to satisfy said debt only by way of a cash payment or by cashier's or certified check in the amount of the debt plus any late charges and costs or expenses incurred by the village resulting from said rejection or denial.
In the event there is a second instance of a debtor of the village of Berkeley tendering payment to the village of Berkeley for a financial obligation of the debtor to the village, and said payment in whatever form is rejected by the institution or company which is to honor the payment, the debtor, in addition to the amount of the obligation to the village of Berkeley, shall be made to pay any cost or expense incurred by the village of Berkeley as a result of the credit denial as well as a twenty five dollar ($25.00) handling fee representing reimbursement to the village of Berkeley for in house costs and expenses.
Any debtor who has incurred two (2) instances of credit rejection in any twelve (12) month period, in any form whatsoever, in the process of attempting to satisfy an obligation to the village of Berkeley, shall thereafter be required to make any subsequent payment to the village in the form of cash or cashier's or certified check only.
Any debtor of the village of Berkeley who fails and refuses to pay to the village of Berkeley as satisfaction for the debtor's debt to the village of Berkeley as herein provided for shall have the matter of the debt referred for collection. (Ord. 00-05, 2-15-2000)