(A) Use of water, sewer, electric or natural gas service after disconnection by the city, whether reconnected by the customer or anyone other than an authorized employee of the city, shall constitute theft of the utility service by the customer. The usage shall be a violation of the municipal code of the city and punishable by any means delineated in § 10.99. The civil penalty for the violation, as authorized by § 10.99(B), shall be $300 for each and every offense. Every day that the violation continues shall be a separate and distinct offense (see tampering policy).
(B) The civil penalties shall be recovered by the city in a civil action in the nature of debt if the offender does not pay the civil penalty within seven days of written notification of the penalty by the Billing Director, either delivered by a police officer or by registered or certified mail to the customer’s billing address. The seven days shall begin either upon actual delivery by the police officer or upon the date upon which the registered or certified letter was mailed.
(Prior Code, § 11-16) (Ord. passed 4-29-1991)