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ORDINANCE NO. 4884-89
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA,
RELATING TO THE UTILITY SYSTEM; AMENDING SECTIONS 50.06,
50.07 AND 50.09, CODE OF ORDINANCES, TO ESTABLISH
BILLING AND COLLECTION PROCEDURES FOR TENANT ACCOUNTS;
PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the 1988 Florida Legislature enacted Chapter 88-332, Laws of
Florida, which prohibits a municipality from taking legal action against the
present tenant or owner of property served by municipal utility services to
recover unpaid utility charges incurred by a former tenant, requires the
municipality to notify the landlord of such nonpayment by a tenant, and prohibits
a municipality from discontinuing service until after three consecutive monthly
periods of nonpayment by a tenant; and
WHEREAS, the 1989 Florida Legislature enacted Chapter 89-272, Laws of
Florida, which partially alleviated the adverse impacts of the 1988 legislation
by deleting the mandatory notification of landlords and the mandatory three-
month waiting period for tenant accounts in arrears; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA:
Section 1. Sections 50.06(a) and (b), 50.07 and 50.09, Code of Ordinances,
are amended to read;
Sec. 50.06. Accounts due; method of billing and when delinquent.
(a) All meters shall be read and bills for all charges shall be rendered
monthly. Where any meter is defective or any person has prevented the meter from
being read, then the customer shall pay for that month an amount equal to the
average amount charged for the two (2) preceding months. Charges for each
service shall be arranged as separate items on all bills. The bill shall be
mailed or delivered to the customer according to a regular monthly billing cycle,,
and shall be due when rendered. It shall be the duty of the customer to inquire
of the utility department in the event of nonreceipt of a bill, and the failure
to receive a bill shall not constitute a defense for nonpayment. Any bill which
remains unpaid on and after twenty-one (21) days from the date the bill was
rendered shall be considered delinquent and service to the customer may be
terminated. However, in 44 cases where the premises is rental property, and
occupied by a person other than the owner, ot4ce of del4 queney shall be .'
te-t-he-8WRer and the-tenaRt, and service shall be subject to termination
thirty 30 days-or more after the date the bill was rendered unless the account
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is_oaid in full or the customer and the utilities director aoree to terms for
payment owe delinquent charges and charges for future service diseent;s"'^-'
ate "three--eensecv*'• *L'ihs of _nonpayment °by-tThI^--+G?C4lnant. In all so& cases,
payment of the entire delinquent account shall be required w4hin
after--Pend4taon of the third-eenseeutiye monthly '-?i-1! in order to avoid
termination of service, and the billing statement shall include or be accompanied
by a notice to that effect.
(b) Where it is proposed to terminate utility service to a customer, a
notice of delinguency shall first be mailed or hand-delivered to the, customer
advising that the account is delinquent, Notice of delinquency may be diver to
the owner of rental ro ert but a failure to give notice to the owner of rental
property shall not bar termination of service to the property. The notice shall
state the amount past due, including any penalty and shall advise the customer
that the service will be terminated disegntku not less than five (5) days from
the date such notice is rendered unless the customer within such time pays such
amount, agrees with the utilities director to terms for payment of the delinquent
char es and charges for future service or appeals the decision to terminate the
service to the city manager. An appeal to the city manager shall be commenced
by the customer's filing a written request with the director of the utilities
department within five (5) days of the date the notice was rendered. No
agreement for payment of Jelin uent charges shall o erate to forgive or discharge
such delinquency until the charges are aid in full and a breach of such
as reement_shail give the city the right to terminate service immediately and
without further notice to the customer.
Sec. 50.07. City to have lien for charges, assessments; when same
effective; exception.
The city shall have, as security for the collection of any utility rates,
assessments or charges due or to become due, for the use or consumption of
utilities supplied any premises, a lien upon the premises to which such utilities
are supplied. Such lien shall become effective immediately upon the distribution
of the utilities to the premises, except to the extent prohibited by Section
180.135, Florida Statutes, as amended from time to time,
of Florida, relating to unpaid utility charges by former tenants.
2
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•., t. Sec. 50.09. Termination 94seent4nuenee of service; suit for collection
of charges, assessments; exception.
The city, by and through its officers, agents or employees, may, subject
` to the notice and appeal process provided in section 50.06, terminate diseentinue
='P utility service to any premises upon which any utility rates, assessments or
charges shall be accrued, or may institute suit for collection of such utility
rates, assessments or charges in any court of competent jurisdiction, except to
the extent prohibited by Section 180.135, Florida Statutes, as amended from time
to time,. by Ghapter 88 , 6aws of Flop! relating to unpaid utility charges
by former tenants.
Section-2. This ordinance shall take effect October 1, 1989.
y n
;j PASSED ON FIRST READING September 7 1989
,..° PASSED ON SECOND AND FINAL.
READING AND ADOPTED September 21, 1989
ita Garvey, Mayor-Commissio r
' . Attest:
? ..? '; r Vii- tt_et - ?4•e?•-dC..t4L...?_
Y'* Cyn is E'. Gou eau, City Clerk
a
• } t
'f- Approved as to form and correctness:
?rl
M. A. Galbraith, Jr., i y Attorney
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ll11Y""':saffiIIIY'?rP11'?!?!{?VYMIM?LI{lt??l?Y??
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