(A) Billings. All storm water service bills shall be rendered on a monthly basis unless additional or prorated billing is required to reflect customer changes, initial billings or is otherwise required to adjust billing cycles. Charges for miscellaneous services or work performed on behalf of a storm water customer by the Department shall be assessed at the time the work is completed and shall be included in the customer’s next storm water service bill. Storm water billing for a new property shall commence with the billing for water service, the meter set date or date of occupancy whichever shall first occur. Additional storm water charges for an established service address necessitated by a change in the amount of impervious area at the property shall commence on the date the new certificate of occupancy or compliance is issued. Billing adjustments required to correct impervious area measurements shall be applied retroactively to the date of the customer’s initial protest. Adjustments shall be made by crediting the storm water service charge portion of the customer’s utility account until any overpayment has been fully repaid.
(B) Rights and responsibilities of property owner. Charges for storm water service shall remain the ultimate responsibility of the property owner, including all penalties, recording fees, attorney fees, interest and court costs. Fees assessed against real property constitute a lien against the property assessed. For properties with inactive utility accounts where no water charges have been generated for 60 days or more, a storm water only account number will be issued to such property, payable by the owner of said property, until water charges have been reinstated. A lien attaches against real property occupied by someone other than the owner only if the Department of Storm Water Management notifies the owner within 20 days after the time the user fees became 60 days delinquent. However, the Department of Storm Water Management must give notice to the owner only if the owner has given the Department of Storm Water Management written notice of the address to which to send notice. Storm water service charges attach to the property; provided, however, that if a property owner sells or otherwise transfers such property billed for storm water service, such property owner shall be responsible for the payment of all bills rendered for storm water service until written notice of the transfer has been provided to the City Utility Department, and the account may properly be transferred to another customer.
(C) Terms of payment. The storm water service charges prescribed in § 55.007 shall be due on the payment date set out on the bill. It shall be a violation of this chapter to fail to pay a storm water service bill when due. All bills for storm water services not paid on or before the due date shall be subject to a collection or deferred payment charge of 10% on the outstanding balance. Moving from one location to another in no way absolves the customer from responsibility for any unpaid charges incurred at a previous location.
(D) Bad check charge. Checks returned for non-sufficient funds will be subject to reimbursement of the fee the banking institution charges the City Utilities Department and an administrative charge to be established by the Department not in excess of the amount provided in I.C. 35-43-5-5(e). A customer submitting a bad check may be prohibited from making future storm water service charge payments by check.
(E) Collection. Delinquent storm water service charges may be collected in a civil action along with other delinquent city utility charges, reasonable attorney fees and court costs.
(Prior Code, § 59.09)