(a) Charges a lien. When delinquent charges remain unpaid and the procedures of Section 49-13 are followed, those delinquent charges shall constitute a lien against the property served.
(b) Personal liability. The customer of record has the primary personal liability for service rendered under this chapter. Nevertheless, if service is provided to property owned by a person or entity jointly with the customer of record, or if the customer of record is an agent or property manager for one or more owners of property, the joint owners shall not be treated as new customers, but shall remain jointly and severally liable with the customer of record for unpaid delinquent charges. The director may refuse or discontinue service in the same manner provided for in Section 49-7 until all delinquent charges are paid.
(c) Liability of spouses. Spouses receiving service to premises they jointly own or occupy are deemed to be joint customers of record, notwithstanding that only one spouse may have signed an application, and shall be jointly and severally liable for unpaid delinquent charges.
(d) Liability of tenants. Where service is provided to a tenant in a single-family residence, or to more than one residential or commercial tenant through a master meter or single service connection, and the landlord is the customer of record, a tenant or duly organized association of tenants may establish a new service account without being held responsible for any previous unpaid charges owed by the landlord if the appropriate facilities are in place and the tenant or association of tenants otherwise meets the applicable requirements of this chapter; however, the director may refuse service if it appears that application is being made for the purpose of assisting the landlord to avoid payment of delinquent charges or for the purpose of defrauding the city. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require the department to apportion charges or to provide individually-metered service at a master-metered premises.
(e) Transfer of accounts. Where a person liable for delinquent charges at one address is found to have an account in his name at another address, the delinquent amounts due at the previous address may be transferred to the account at the new address, and service discontinued at the new address until the delinquent amounts are paid. (Ord. 19201; 20653)