(A) For all service inside the corporate limits of the municipality, the present property owner of record of the premises to which water service is furnished shall be responsible for the payment of all water bills for such service, irrespective of who incurred such unpaid bills or when such bills were incurred or who owned or occupied the property at the time the bills were incurred.
(B) For the convenience of the property owner or tenant, the utility will, at the property owner's request, bill the tenant direct for the water service used, but will require a suitable deposit as specified in § 53.087. In such an event all bills will be addressed to the property owner, attention of the tenant, and mailed to the address of the premises being served. Such billing and deposit shall in no way relieve the property owner of being responsible for all bills for water used on his or her premises to the extent that the aggregate amount of any such delinquent bills due exceeds the deposit.
(C) As authorized by Ohio Constitution, Article XVIII, § 4, all unpaid water bills may be assessed and collected as a tax lien against the property involved.
(D) All gross bills and other charges due for water service, if not paid within 90 days after same are due and payable, shall become a lien upon the premises being supplied with water service. Such a lien shall be certified to the County Auditor at which time the lien shall vest and the Auditor who shall place same on the tax duplicate of the county, together with the interest and penalties allowed by state law and shall be collected in the same manner as other taxes.
(E) After the certification to the County Auditor, the Village Administrator is authorized to shut off water service to the premises until the unpaid water service charges have been paid except as hereinafter provided. For further details on disconnection for nonpayment, see § 52.56.
(F) Without, in any manner, affecting the certification of lien or the property owner's liability, the Village Administrator may permit the reestablishment of water service (when the same has been shut off as provided herein) providing a suitable deposit is obtained as provided hereafter under § 53.087.
(G) Notwithstanding the foregoing responsibilities of the property owner, if past payment of water bills at a service location has been unsatisfactory, a deposit may be required to be made as provided in § 53.087.
(Ord. passed 5-1-80)