The Village of St. Joseph is cracking down on delinquent sewer bills.
The village currently has 50 to 60 delinquent accounts. Letters have been sent out and some are paying their bills.
However, the village is looking at ways to make their system more efficient.
Currently, the village bills sewer charges every two months.
Within the village limits, the minimum charge is $25 for up to 4 units used. An additional $3.75 per unit or part thereof for all additional water used.
Without metered water there is a flat sewer charge of $75.
Outside of the village limits, there is a $35 minimum charge for up to 4 units used and $5.50 per unit or part thereof for all additional wage fused. Without metered water there is a flat charge of $120.
Multiple occupancy buildings that have only one meter but two or more residents are also charged a $15 fee.
The sewer bills are based on water usage based upon meter readings provided to the village by the current water company.
All charges must be paid on or before the due date at the municipal office.
The main discussion on Oct. 9 revolved around the board discussing whether to change the way delinquent notices are sent out. Currently, the delinquent notices are sent to the property owners, not renters. This resulted in water being shut off at a property and the renter not knowing they had a delinquent bill.
Trustee Bob Rigdon who chairs the sewer committee felt strongly that bills should be sent to the property owner.
“They all know what their game is,” said Trustee Bob Rigdon. “They are renting properties to make money.”
Rigdon said he wanted to keep it that the property owner was responsible for the sewer bills.
The board discussed sending notices to the renter and the landlord but opted to enforce the current ordinance as is.
The current ordinance says:
“The owner of the premises and the occupant thereof and the user of sewerage service, shall be jointly and severally liable to pay for the service on said premises, and the service is furnished to the premises by the village only upon the condition that the owner of the premises, occupant and user of the service, are jointly and severally liable therefor to the village.”
The current ordinance says that the village can disconnect the sanitary sewer for delinquent charges or direct the water company to shut off the supply of water to the premises until the bill has been paid.
The procedure for dealing with delinquent bills:
1. Bills not paid within thirty (30) days of billing date shall result in a late payment penalty in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the charges for current services and a notice of delinquency will be sent by first class mail.
2. If not paid within thirty (30) days, then a second notice of delinquency will be sent to the user and owner by first class mail and certified mail advising of disconnection of sewer service and/or shutoff of water supply unless past due amount and penalty is paid, or unless user or owner requests a hearing within twenty (20) days of the date of second notice of delinquency, or unless an extended payment agreement is entered into between the village and the user or owner.
3. If past due amount plus penalty is not paid and no hearing is requested within twenty (20) days of notice of violation, and no extended payment agreement is agreed upon, then a notice of disconnection and/or water supply shutoff may be sent, at any time thereafter, by first class mail to the user and owner advising of the date after which disconnection and/or shutoff will occur unless payment is received. Said notice shall also be hung on the front door of the building located on said property.
4. In the event a hearing is requested, the user and owner shall be notified of the hearing date by first class mail no less than ten (10) days prior to the date of the hearing before the board of trustees.
5. At the hearing, the user and/or owner may present evidence disputing the charges or the record of payments. The trustees shall make findings as to the amount owed by the user and owner and shall set a date, no less than ten (10) days after the hearing, by which said amount must be paid unless an extended payment agreement is approved by the board of trustees.
6. If said amount is not paid by the required date, sewer service may be disconnected or water shut off at any time thereafter without further notice, or in the event an extended payment agreement was approved by the board and payment is not received by the village in accordance with said agreement, then a notice of sewer disconnection and/or water shutoff will be sent by first class mail to the user and owner advising of the date after which disconnection and/or shutoff will occur unless payment is received.
(B) Reconnection: All amounts charged under this chapter are due and shall continue to be due hereunder, whether or not said sewer is disconnected and/or water supply is shut off, and no sewer shall be reconnected or water supply turned on until the village is paid in full all amounts due it including charges owed by the village to the water company related to the water supply shutoff, together with a one thousand five hundred dollar ($1,500.00) fee for reconnecting the sewer (if the sewer was disconnected), and in addition, there shall be paid to the village a deposit of fifty dollars ($50.00) for the first sewer reconnection or turn on of water supply, and one hundred dollars ($100.00) for any subsequent reconnection or water supply turn on.
(C) Responsibility To Ascertain Charges: The nonreceipt by any parcel owner of a bill or statement for user charges shall not be an excuse for nonpayment or entitle the user to request an extension or deferment of the date upon which payment is due or to avoid inclusion of penalties and interest. The owner of the property against which a notice of lien has been recorded pursuant to the terms of this chapter shall be deemed to have notice of the existence of the charge and shall be responsible for ascertaining from the village all amounts, if any, due as provided in this chapter and the payment thereof.
