A. Utility service charges that apply to utility services rendered to a parcel of real property shall be billed to the owner of the parcel at the owner's address. Utility service charges for various utility services may be billed on one bill in one total amount.
B. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the director may, in the director's sole discretion, send the bill for any or all utility service charges to the tenant of a parcel to which utility services are rendered, instead of to the parcel owner, if the owner signs a written request to bill the tenant on such form as may be specified by the director, provided that the utility services account shall remain in the owner's name and the owner shall be fully responsible and liable for the payment of such utility service charges as if the bill had been sent to the owner. Such request shall be accompanied by payment of the applicable processing fee established pursuant to Section 13.04.735.
C. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if authorized by the director, and subject to such terms and conditions as may be specified by the director:
1. The rates, fees, and charges that apply to one or more utility services rendered to a condominium project's condominium units or common area(s) may be billed to the association managing the condominium project, as provided in Section 13.04.220(A)(1).
2. In a common interest development, the rates, fees, and charges for an unmetered water service connection that is changed to a metered service connection with metered rate billing, or for a metered water service connection that is changed from flat rate to metered rate billing, shall be billed as provided in Section 13.04.220(A)(2).
4. The rates, fees, and charges that apply to irrigation service, as defined in Section 13.04.030, for a common irrigation system that crosses parcel lines in a commercial development that is not a common interest development, may be billed to a single owner or the owner's authorized representative, as provided in Section 13.04.220(A)(4).
D. If any utility services are billed to an association or other entity pursuant to subsections (C)(1), (2), or (3) of this section:
1. The association or other entity shall be fully responsible for payment to the city of all amounts billed, and the city shall have no responsibility for, nor any involvement in, the association's or other entity's allocation, billing, and collection of these costs from the owners of the separate interests or residents in the common interest development, whether based on sub-metering or any other basis; and
2. With respect to the utility services billed to the association or other entity, the association or other entity is considered the "owner":
a. Liable for payment as specified in Section 13.12.020;
c. For purposes of the termination of service procedures specified in Article III of this chapter.
E. If irrigation service is billed to an owner or the owner's authorized representative pursuant to subsection (C)(4) of this section:
1. The owner or the owner's authorized representative shall be fully responsible for payment to the city of all amounts billed, and the city shall have no responsibility for, nor any involvement in, the allocation, billing, and collection of these costs by the owner or the owner's authorized representative;
2. The owner shall be liable for payment as specified in Section 13.12.020; and
F. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if a lessee of a city-owned property is required by the lease to pay utility service charges that apply to the utility services rendered to the property, the utility service charges may be billed to the lessee, and with respect to such charges, the lessee is considered the "owner":
1. Liable for payment as specified in Section 13.12.020; and
2. For purposes of the termination of service procedures specified in Article III of this chapter.
G. The director may require the owner to provide a security deposit equal to three times the estimated monthly bill for water, sewer, and/or storm drainage service rendered to the owner's parcel, in accordance with Section 10009.6 of the California Public Utilities Code. The director may establish procedures and requirements governing the collection, maintenance, use, and return of security deposits. (Ord. 2015-0011 § 12; Ord. 2013-0014 § 29; Ord. 2011-051 § 2)