(a) The Storm Water Drainage Fee shall be billed and collected monthly with the monthly City’s Utility bill. For those properties utilizing multi-portions of the Utility bill (Water, Sewerage, Storm Water and Sanitation), billing shall be consolidated and paid by single payment. In the event that partial payment is received, the payment shall be applied pro rata to each account billed on the consolidated statement of all current charges for all accounts. All bills for Storm Water Drainage Fees shall become due and payable in accordance with the rules and regulations of the City of Warren pertaining to the collection of the Storm Water Drainage Fees.
(b) If a bill for a Storm Water Drainage Fee is not paid within twenty-one (21) days of the billing date posted on the bill, the gross charge will be due. The gross charge will be equal to the net charge plus a penalty of 10%. The City shall be entitled to recover attorney’s fees incurred in collecting delinquent Storm Water Drainage Fees. Any charge hereunder which shall not be paid when due may be recovered in an action at law by the City of Warren. In addition to any other remedies or penalties provided by this chapter or any other ordinance of the City of Warren, failure of any user of City Utilities to pay said charges for same promptly when due shall subject such user to discontinuance of Utility Services and the Director or the Director’s designee shall enforce this provision as to any and all delinquent users. Employees of the City of Warren (upon reasonable advance notice) shall, at all reasonable times, have access to any premises served by the City for inspection, repair or the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter.
(c) All Storm Water Drainage Fees assessed pursuant to this chapter shall become a lien upon the property to which such fee is associated from the date said fee becomes due until such fee is paid. The owner of every building, premise, lot or house shall be obligated to pay the fees for all services provided for his premises, which obligation may be enforced by the City by action at law or suit to enforce the lien in the same manner as the foreclosure of mortgages. In the event of such action, the City shall be entitled to recover all court costs and reasonable attorney fees for such collection. In the case that a tenant in possession of any premises or building shall pay said charges, it shall relieve the owner from such obligation and lien, but the City shall not be required to look to any person whatsoever other than the owner for payment of such charges. No changes of ownership or occupation shall affect the application of this chapter, and failure of any owner to learn that he purchased property against which a lien for Storm Water Drainage Fees exists shall in no way affect his responsibility for such payment.
(Ord. 11562/02. Passed 5-8-02.)