A. Nonpayment; Service Shutoff: All water bill rents shall be paid promptly when due and the finance department shall be prohibited from allowing credit to anyone. In the event any bill or statement of water consumed on any premises exceeding two hundred dollars ($200.00) shall remain unpaid for thirty (30) days after the mailing of such bill or statement, the director of public works shall cause the water to be shut off from the premises upon ten (10) days' notification until such time as all water consumed on the premises and reported on the bill or statement is paid in full, together with all costs or damages sustained by the city in the collection thereof. Should any water bill rent remain unpaid for more than two (2) billing cycles, no matter what the amount due the city, the director of public works shall cause the water to be shut off from the premises. In addition thereto, a fifty dollar ($50.00) service charge shall be added to the bill for water turned on during normal business hours and a seventy five dollar ($75.00) service charge shall be added to the bill for water turned on during evening and weekend hours. (Ord. M-42-03, 7-21-2003)
B. Collection Of Tenant's Unpaid Water Charges: If the consumer whose bill is unpaid is a tenant of the premises and the director of finance and administrative services has notice of this, a notice shall be mailed to the owner of said premises if his address is known to the director of finance and administrative services, whenever such bill remains unpaid for a period of sixty (60) days or more after it has been rendered. The failure of the director of finance and administrative services to mail such notice, or the failure of the owner to receive such notice, shall not affect the right of the city to collect the tenant's unpaid water charges from the owner of the premises. (Ord. M-12-84, 7-16-1984; amd. Ord. M-24-93, 6-7-1993)
C. Water Account Delinquency; Lien:
1. Placement Of Lien: Whenever a bill for water service remains unpaid sixty (60) days after it has been rendered, the city clerk shall file or cause to be filed with the recorder of deeds of Cook County or in the office of the registrar of titles of Cook County, a statement of lien claim.
This statement shall contain the legal description of the premises served with water, the amount of the unpaid bill and a notice that the city claims a lien for said amount, as well as for all unpaid charges for water furnished, subsequent to the period covered by the bill.
If the consumer of water, whose bill is unpaid, is not the owner of the premises served, and the city clerk has notice of this, notice shall be mailed to the owner of the premises, if his address be known to the city clerk, on the same day that the notice of lien is filed as herein provided.
2. Foreclosure Of Lien: The property subject to a lien for unpaid water charges shall be sold for nonpayment of same and the proceeds of the sale shall be applied to pay the charges after deducting costs as is the case in the foreclosure of statutory liens.
The foreclosure shall be by bill in equity in the name of the city.
The city clerk is hereby authorized and directed to institute or cause to be instituted such proceedings, in the name of the city, in any court having jurisdiction over such matters, against any property for which the water bill remains unpaid sixty (60) days after it has been rendered. (Ord. M-38-89, 9-5-1989)
3. Director To Keep Schedule Of Water Account Rates: It shall be the duty of the director of public works to keep on file in his office printed schedules of water rates, as from time to time are established by the mayor and city council, for use and reference thereto by consumers or their agents upon application. (Ord. M-38-89, 9-5-1989; amd. Ord. M-59-93, 12-6-1993)