(A) Lien: Charges for water shall be a lien upon the premises as provided by statute. Whenever a bill for water service remains unpaid thirty (30) days after it has been rendered, the city clerk may file with the recorder of DeWitt County a statement of lien claim. This statement shall contain the legal description of the premises served, the amount of the unpaid bill and a notice that the city claims a lien for this amount as well as for all charges for water served subsequent to the period covered by the bill.
If the consumer of water whose bill is unpaid is not the owner of the premises, and the city clerk has notice of this, then notice shall be mailed to the owner of the premises, if his address is known to the city clerk, whenever such bill remains unpaid for a period of thirty (30) days after it has been rendered.
The failure of the city clerk to record such lien claims or to mail such notice, or the failure of the owner to receive such notice, shall not affect the right to foreclose the lien for unpaid water bills as mentioned in the following subsection.
(B) Foreclosure Of Lien: Property subject to a lien for unpaid water charges shall be sold for nonpayment of the same, and the proceeds of such sale shall be applied to pay the charges, after deducting costs, as is the case in the foreclosure of statutory liens. Such foreclosure shall be by bill in equity in the name of the city.
The city attorney is hereby authorized and directed to institute such proceedings, in the name of the city, in any court having jurisdiction over such matters, against any property for which the water bill has remained unpaid thirty (30) days after it has been rendered. (Ord. 516, 4-15-1991)