City Code Section
- A. All charges for services provided to a property are the responsibility of, in the City’s sole determination, the ratepayer or, if different, the property owner. This responsibility may attach to the ratepayer’s or property owner’s subsequent City utility accounts and applies whether the ratepayer or property owner is the sole user of the services or furnishes them in turn to third parties.
- 1. For an account for which the City does not have the ability to curtail water service, the City may certify to the appropriate County Tax Assessor the amount of any delinquent user charges, fees, and penalties associated with services provided. Those charges, fees, and penalties will then be assessed and collected in the same manner as property taxes.
- a. The City may include in the assessed amount additional penalties. Penalties will be described in BES’s annual rate ordinance.
- b. Both tenant-occupied and owner-occupied properties are subject to assessment. The owner of a tenant-occupied property may be subject to collection efforts and special tax assessment for all unpaid City utility charges, fees, and penalties.
- 1. For an account for which the City does not have the ability to curtail water service, the City may certify to the appropriate County Tax Assessor the amount of any delinquent user charges, fees, and penalties associated with services provided. Those charges, fees, and penalties will then be assessed and collected in the same manner as property taxes.
- B. Billing due dates. User charges are computed monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly, coincident with user charges for water service.
- 1. When billed with the utility bill, user charges are due and payable on the date provided on the utility bill. The City may prorate user charges for a portion of a utility billing period based on the effective date of the sanitary sewer or stormwater management service.
- 2. For ratepayers who do not receive water service from the City, user charges will be computed and billed monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly.
- C. Collections. Upon determination by the City Administrator that a charge is past due or otherwise delinquent, the City may avail itself of the full range of actions authorized by Portland City Code.
- D. Discontinuation of services. Charges not paid in accordance with the due date in the bill or invoice may be subject to water shutoff pursuant to Title 21 of Portland City Code. The City Administrator may also discontinue sanitary sewer service by plugging the sewer service line to properties whose delinquent user charges exceed $10,000 for a period of 90 days or more. Ratepayers and property owners must be notified in writing of the City’s intent to plug the sewer not less than 30 days prior to disconnection. Payment of, or a City-approved payment plan for, the delinquent amount, including outstanding user charges, accrued interest and collection costs, and all costs associated with plugging and reconnecting the sewer line, must be received by the City before the property may be reconnected to the public sewer.