(A) Delinquent residential accounts and properties without an active account.
(1) Ten calendar days before an account becomes delinquent, a notice is to be forwarded to the account holder by mail, to the service address. The notice will indicate that a penalty will be applied and the water will be shut off if the past due balance is not paid in full by the required payment date as established in the City of Madera Municipal Code. The notice is applicable to those accounts that are at least 60 days past due and are not already under a payment agreement. The notice will include (a) a customer's name and address; (b) amount past due; (c) date by which payment or payment arrangements are required to avoid termination of service; (d) description of the process to apply for payment arrangements; (e) description of the process to dispute or appeal a bill; and (f) City Finance Department's telephone number and a web link to the City Finance Utility Billing Department's written delinquent account policy.
(2) Ten calendar days prior to termination of service, a notice that water services will be discontinued is mailed to the customer. If the mailing address and the address of the property to which water service is provided are different, a second notice will be mailed to the service address and addressed to "occupant." If unable to reach customer by telephone or the mailed notice has been returned undeliverable, the city will make every effort to hand deliver or post a notice in a conspicuous place regarding the shut off process.
(3) City staff will proceed to shut off procedure if the account holder has made no response to the ten-day or 48-hour notices.
(B) Delinquent commercial accounts and properties without an active account.
(1) Ten calendar days prior to termination of service, a termination notice is to be forwarded to the account holder either by mail or posted in a conspicuous place at the service address. That notice will typically be provided on the customer's utility bill and will relate to the balance from the prior utility bill that has become delinquent. The notice will indicate that a penalty will be applied and the water will be shut off if the past due balance is not paid in full by the required payment date, as established in the City of Madera Municipal Code § 8-7.08(D). The ten-day notice is for those accounts that have not paid their balance from the prior utility bill and are not already under a special payment agreement. If the notice is mailed, the ten-day period will begin five days after the date of mailing the notice. If the notice is physically posted at the service address, the ten-day period will begin on the day of posting.
(2) Seven calendar days prior to termination of service, a 48-hour shut-off notice will be forwarded to the customer by mail. The 48-hour period will begin five days after the mailing of the notice. At least 48 hours prior to termination of service city staff will make a reasonable attempt to contact an adult person residing at the premises by phone. In certain instances, this notice may be hand delivered or posted in a conspicuous place to expedite the shut-off process once city staff has made a reasonable attempt to contact an adult at the premises by phone.
(3) Proceed to shut-off procedure if the commercial account holder has not made an attempt to contact the office or if the account has not been brought to a current status.
(C) Delinquent multi-family accounts and properties without an active account.
(1) Ten calendar days before an account becomes delinquent, a notice is to be forwarded to the account holder by mail to the service address. The notice will indicate that a penalty will be applied and the water will be shut off if the past due balance is not paid in full by the required payment date as established in the City of Madera Municipal Code. The notice is applicable to those accounts that are at least 60 calendar days past due and are not already under a payment agreement. The notice will include (a) a customer's name and address; (b) amount past due; (c) date by which payment or payment arrangements are required to avoid termination of service; (d) description of the process to apply for payment arrangements; (e) description of the process to dispute or appeal a bill; and (f) City Finance Department's telephone number and a web link to the City Finance Utility Billing Department's written delinquent account policy.
(2) Ten calendar days prior to termination of service, a notice that water service will be discontinued is mailed to the customer. If the mailing address and the address of the property to which water is provided are different, a second notice will be mailed to the service address and marked "occupant." If unable to reach customer by telephone or the mailed notification has been returned undeliverable, the city will make every effort to hand deliver or post a notice in a conspicuous place regarding the shut-off process.
(3) The notice will advise tenant/occupant that they have the right to become customers of the city without being required to pay the amount due on the delinquent account, as long as they are willing to assume financial responsibility for subsequent charges for water service at the address(es) served by master meters. Tenants must have the opportunity to transfer the account into their name.
(4) Proceed to the shut-off procedure if all monies, including penalty and interest have not been paid within the required time frame.
(D) Breached special payment agreements.
(1) At least 48 hours prior to termination of service, city staff will make a reasonable attempt to contact the account holder by phone. If a phone call is unable to be completed, then a 48-hour notice will be posted at the service address.
(2) Service will be shut off if the account holder has made no response to the 48-hour notice.
(Ord. 898 C.S., passed 7-5-12; Am. Ord. 919 C.S., passed 5-20-15; Am. Ord. 969 C.S., passed 2-19-20)