City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

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Title 13
Chapter 13.01
Section 13.01.0314
 

Title 13 Public Utilities and Services

Chapter 13.01 General Provisions

Section 13.01.0314 Miscellaneous
  1. Payments.

Bills are due and payable twenty calendar days after the date of issuance reflected on the bill.

  1. Delinquent Charge.

Except where limited by law, a delinquent charge of one percent per month is assessed on any unpaid amounts after a bill is due, or twenty days after billing.

    1. If this is above the legally permissible charge, the delinquent charge is the maximum permitted on the past due balance for all or any portion so limited.
    1. To any charges or penalties where RCW 35.67.200 applies, the applicable delinquency charge shall not exceed eight percent per annum computed on a monthly basis.
  1. Returned Check Fee.

The fee for returned checks is twenty-five dollars.

  1. Bill Collection Fee.

The fee for a visit by utility billing personnel to collect bills or deliver a delinquency notice to the premises is ten dollars.

  1. Water Shut Off Fee.

The fee for a visit to shut off water, sometimes referred to as “collect or turn-off” is thirty dollars.

  1. Service Restoration Fee.

When an appointment is made to have water service restored to a property and City personnel have to make an additional trip due to the failure of the property owner, owner’s agent, or legal tenant to keep the appointment, a fee of ten dollars may be assessed.

  1. Bill Summary Charge.

The bill summary charge is ten dollars.

    1. Bill summaries are made when it is necessary to prepare a bill summary of charges accrued or estimated on an account, either upon customer or other third party request or, after an account is sixty days delinquent, because an account has been referred for collection effort.
    1. This charge may be assessed against the account or billed to the requesting party for each bill summary or request prepared.
  1. Special Billings.

Special billings for occupant changes, sale of property and the like will be assessed a ten dollar charge.

    1. In case of rental occupancies, where a new tenant is not responsible for a delinquency accruing at the premises prior to the tenant’s occupancy, a statement of occupancy may be required by the City to determine the change of occupancy date and any amounts owing prior to that date, provided further, a fifteen dollar administrative charge is added to the property owner’s account.
    1. The administrative charge is not assessed where the property owner has notified the City that the account will be handled by a new tenant and requested a special billing up to the time of cutover to the tenant and made arrangements to pay all charges accruing to the time of the special billing.
      1. Other fees incurred in servicing an account, including long distance telephone calls, copies or other administrative expenses shall also be added to the bill.
  1. Unauthorized Service.

Where service is found to be turned on without authorization, a first time fee of thirty dollars is billed and an estimated service plus consumption charge billed.

    1. The minimum service charge is one month estimated service and consumption charges.
    1. The service will be shut off unless arrangements are made to continue service with the customer.
    1. Subsequent unauthorized turn ons are billed at fifty dollars, plus estimated service and consumption charges, same additional provisions to apply.

Date Passed: Monday, February 4, 2019

Effective Date: Friday, March 15, 2019

ORD C35737 Section 2