(a) All charges for water usage, as provided in Chapter 939, all sewer charges, as provided in Chapter 937, and all charges for sanitation services, as provided in Chapter 959, are assessed against the property to which the service is rendered and are a lien against said property, collectible the same as other liens and taxes. Transfer of ownership of property connected to the public water system and sanitary sewer system, and subject to sanitation charges of the City, shall not relieve the property of responsibility for charges assessed against the property.
(b) Any City utility account established and maintained in the name of a tenant, lessee or other person or party for water, sanitary sewer and sanitation services provided to the premises shall not relieve the property or the owner of the property for liability for water charges, sanitary sewer charges and sanitation charges. After a tenant, lessee or other person or party for whom a utility account has been established, is delinquent in the payment of a City utility account for a period of sixty days, the Division of Utilities shall notify the owner of the property of the delinquency by forwarding a statement by ordinary U.S. mail to the tax mailing address of the owner of the property as listed by the Lorain County Treasurer, and/or to the address of the property. Thirty days after said notification to the owner of the premises, the delinquency for the water, sewer and sanitation charges shall be certified as provided in subsection (c) hereof.
(c) If water, sanitary sewer and sanitation charges for a premises have not been paid within ninety days after they are due and payable, then the Superintendent of Utilities of the City may do either or both of the following:
(1) Certify said charges, together with the interest and penalties allowed by law, to the Lorain County Auditor pursuant to Ohio R.C. 743.04, to be placed on the tax list and duplicate for the property for which such water charges, sanitary sewer charges and sanitation charges were rendered.
(2) Collect the charges by an action at law in the name of the City from an owner, tenant or other person who is liable to pay the rents or charges.
(Ord. 91-114. Passed 6-3-91.)