Hughson Municipal Code Art. IX Credit

Each applicant for water service will be required to establish credit before receiving such service. Credit will be deemed established if the applicant meets any one of the following conditions:

A. If the applicant makes a cash deposit in the amount of twice the estimated average periodic bill for that type of service. Such estimate shall be made by the city manager, based on average bill for similar services in the last 12 months;

B. If the applicant furnishes a guarantor satisfactory to the city to secure payment of bills;

C. If the applicant has been a user of the city water system for 12 consecutive months of service by the city and during such time has paid all bills without discontinuance of water service for nonpayment thereof.

(Ord. 89-06 § 2, 1989; Ord. 96-05 § 6, 1996)

Any amount due for water service, including penalties thereon, if any, that remains unpaid on the last day of the month following the month in which the bill therefor was first sent may be deducted from deposit paid pursuant to HMC § 13.08.430, or collected from the guarantor, if any. The service shall be subject to discontinuance in accordance with HMC § 13.08.250 et seq. until the deposit is again restored to the original amount. Any applicant who has previously been a customer of the city water system and has had his or her water service discontinued because of nonpayment of bills shall be required to re-establish his or her credit by making a cash deposit to secure payment of his or her bills in like amount as for a new applicant for service.

(Ord. 89-06 § 2, 1989; Ord. 96-05 § 7, 1996; Ord. 02-07 § 1, 2002)

All deposits made with the city to establish credit pursuant to HMC § 13.08.430 will be held by the city in a special fund and may be applied by the city in accordance with HMC § 13.08.440, or may be applied to unpaid bills for water service when service is discontinued or, to the extent that there are not unpaid bills for water service upon discontinuance thereof, will be refunded without interest to the customer who has deposited the same, or, provided, that after a customer has for 12 consecutive months paid all bills prior to delinquency, the city will either refund his or her deposit without interest, or apply it to ongoing bills, at the city's option. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, deposits made by applicants other than owners shall be refunded only on discontinuance of service.

(Ord. 89-06 § 2, 1989; Ord. 02-07 § 2, 2002)