[Ord. No. 452 §§1
— 4, 10-12-2005]
A.
Landlords Responsible For Utility Bills. Every property
owner shall be responsible for any utility charges or fees left unpaid
by any tenant of the premises served by the water or sewer utility
and where the landlord or property owner fails to pay the utility
charges, the City may refuse to provide any water service to the property
with the delinquent charge even in the name of a subsequent tenant
or new owner of the property.
B.
Delinquent Accounts. When a tenant is delinquent in payment
for thirty (30) days, the City shall make a good faith effort to notify
the owner of the premises receiving such service of the delinquency
and the amount thereof. Any notice of termination of service shall
be sent to both the occupant and owner of the premises receiving such
service. When an occupant is delinquent more than ninety (90) days,
the owner shall not be liable for sums due for more than ninety (90)
days of service.
C.
Penalty — Severability — Effective Date. This
Section shall be in full force and effect upon its passage and approval,
except that landlords will not be liable for unpaid delinquent utility
bills incurred before the effective date of this Section October 12,
2005, unless the utility customer remains a tenant of the landlord
for ninety (90) days past the effective date of this Section. The
provisions of this ordinance are severable as provided in Section
1.140, RSMo. Those provisions of this Section, which establish an
offense, are subject to the general penalty provisions provided by
law, that is a penalty of zero dollars ($0.00) to five hundred dollars
($500.00) or zero (0) to ninety (90) days in jail, or both a fine
and a jail sentence.
D.
Landlord Options. To assist landlords in determining that
their tenants have responsibly paid their obligations, the City offers
property owners the following options, which a landlord may select
provided he/she does so in writing sent directly to the City Hall.
In the absence of a written exercise of any of these options, the
City shall continue its present billing and collection practices.
2.
Landlords or property managers of property within the City of
Truesdale can request a duplicate copy of the utility bill when there
is a delinquent amount shown and the utility service is set up in
the renter's name. Each property owner or the property manager
must complete the form available at City Hall listing each address
of the property to be governed by this request. If the City should
fail to follow this request, the failure will not relieve the landlord
of his/her obligation to pay the delinquent account.
[Ord. No. 671, 4-24-2013]
3.
Duplicate billing. Normal City practice is to only
bill the tenant for the utility service provided. Upon written request
the City will send a duplicate bill each month to the landlord, so
the landlord can determine to his/her satisfaction that the bill is
paid. It is the responsibility of the landlord to notify the City
if this direction is not being followed. In absence of a prior complaint
of no duplicate billing, the landlord shall not be excused from liability
if the tenant fails to pay.
4.
Written introduction of tenants. The City normally
accepts oral instructions from a tenant directing that utility service
be turned on at a landlord's property. Any landlord may instruct that
no utility service will be provided unless the landlord sends with
the tenant a written introduction and instruction to turn on the utility
service.
E.
Landlords or property managers of property within the City of Truesdale
are required to provide names and ages [if seventeen (17) years or
older] of all occupants of said properties when the utility bill is
not placed in the renter's name.
[Ord. No. 672, 4-24-2013]
