Thousand Oaks Municipal Code Art. 9 Billing and Payment

The Public Works Director is primarily responsible for the issuance of water bills. Within the City, the Finance Department provides customer service functions associated with the preparation, issuance and receipt of water bills and revenue. The Public Works Director may also designate other functions to the Director of Finance such as billing adjustments for selected cases.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

All water bills with the exception of those covered under “Miscellaneous Uses” shall become due and payable upon presentation. Such bills shall have a due date of twenty-one (21) days and become delinquent and subject to penalty charges in an amount set by City Council action if not paid in full on or before twenty-eight (28) days after the billing date. Water service will be subject to discontinuance of service if not paid in full within sixty (60) calendar days from the due date printed on the front of the bill. Payments shall be to the City of Thousand Oaks Finance Department and may not be given to or received by the field personnel.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009, as amended by Part 2, Ord. 1672-NS, eff. February 14, 2020, § 3, Ord. 1720-NS, eff. January 1, 2024, and § 4 Ord. 1743-NS, eff. January 2, 2026)

All bills for fire hydrant service, wastewater lines flushing service, water for street washing and/or sprinkling, or water for flushing storm drains, culverts and the like, as well as any charges for City-performed operations or for unauthorized use of water issued during any calendar month shall be due and payable on presentation and shall become delinquent twenty-one (21) days after presentation.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009, as amended by § 4, Ord. 1720-NS, eff. January 1, 2024)

In the event of payments in excess of the billed amount, the City shall credit the amount of overpayment to the next ensuing water bill issued to the same account.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

Any underpayment of a water bill shall be deemed as nonpayment and service may be discontinued. In all cases, underpayment or nonpayment shall be subject to a penalty. Any underpayment on a combined water and wastewater bill shall be subject to discontinuance of water service.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

(a) A water customer who has a complaint or question concerning their bill shall have the opportunity to review the issue with the Public Services Division of the Finance Department during regular business hours. The Public Services Division shall have the authority to correct any billing errors identified through this review.

(b) Adjustments in the opening and closing dates of an account shall not be made unless approved by the Public Works Director or the Finance Director. With respect to opening dates, the date on the application shall control unless otherwise approved.

(c) When the Public Works Department or the Finance Department identifies an error in billing or account calculation, the Public Services Division shall have the authority to correct the billing error. Allowable adjustments in this category include, but are not limited to, incorrect meter reading(s), inaccurate meter(s) and miscalculation. Where adjustments are necessary, the City shall evaluate the adjustment using past data and other factors necessary to make an adjustment.

(1) Overbilled Accounts. When a customer has been overbilled, the City will credit the account for the amount overcharged. Upon written request, the customer may receive a refund instead of a credit. Billing corrections shall not exceed three (3) years from the date the error is identified, consistent with California Code of Civil Procedure Section 338(a). If the error occurred for a shorter period, the correction will be limited to that period. This time limit does not apply in cases of fraud, tampering, or unauthorized use.

(2) Underbilled Accounts. When a customer has been underbilled, the City may bill the customer for the unbilled amount. Billing corrections shall not exceed three (3) years from the date the error is identified. If the error occurred for a shorter period, the correction will be limited to that period. This time limit does not apply in cases of fraud, tampering, or unauthorized use. The City may allow repayment through an installment plan in accordance with administrative policies developed by the City.

(d) Adjustments may be made by the Public Works Director or the Finance Director on a once per life of an account basis where there is an unusually high water usage due to either unexplained causes or a leak within the customer's property. In the event of the latter case, the leak must be corrected prior to any adjustment. To qualify, the applicant's water usage must be more than twice the reasonably expected bill for the period involved as evaluated by the City. Any adjustment shall be in accordance with administrative guidelines developed by the City.

(e) A customer who disputes the correctness of a water bill shall notify the City’s Public Services Division in writing within twenty-one (21) days from the billing date and before the bill due date. The written notice shall describe the reason for the dispute. The decision of the Public Services Division may be appealed pursuant to Section 10-2.906(f).

(f) The decision of the Public Services Division may be appealed to the Finance Division Manager or Public Works Supervisor within ten (10) business days. During the review, the customer shall pay all undisputed portions of the bill to avoid penalties or service interruption. Water service shall not be discontinued for nonpayment of a disputed amount while a timely appeal is pending, provided all undisputed charges are paid. The Finance Division Manager or Public Works Division Supervisor shall review the account and provide a written response within ten (10) business days of receipt of the appeal.

(g) If the customer disagrees with the Finance Division Manager’s or Public Works Supervisor’s determination, a written appeal may be filed with the Finance or Public Works Director within ten (10) business days of the determination. The Finance or Public Works Director shall review the record and issue a final decision within thirty (30) business days. The Finance Director’s or Public Works Director’s decision shall be final.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009, as amended by § 5 Ord. 1743-NS, eff. January 2, 2026)

In the event there is a break in the service line on the property owner's side of the meter, no adjustment in billing will be made. It shall be the property owner's responsibility to maintain his own water system.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

(a) Water bills are sent to the owner of the property served and he shall be responsible for payment. The current owner of a property shall be responsible for payment of all unpaid fees and charges not collected, or collectable, from the applicant, user or occupant on the parcel. If more than one occupant or tenant on a parcel of property is served, then the City shall render a single bill to the property owner. In the event of nonpayment, the property owner shall be liable for payment.

(b) Property owners and/or occupant may, if they wish, make special arrangements with the Finance Department for the purpose of sending the bill to the occupant of the property rather than to the property owner. In such a case, the occupant and property owner shall be liable for any nonpayment.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

Unless the payment of the water service billing is received on or before twenty-eight (28) days from the billing date, the bill shall be delinquent and subject to penalty charges in an amount set by City Council. Furthermore, water service shall be subject to discontinuation if not paid in full within sixty (60) calendar days from the due date printed on the front of the bill. The amount due shall consist of the entire unpaid balance. Unless the payment of the entire unpaid balance is made within such time period, arrangements for an alternative payment plan are made, or exemption criteria are met, water service may be discontinued to the premises, whether or not the customer is present. In the event payment is not made within such period and water service has been discontinued, a service charge as set by City Council action shall be applied to the bill. Penalty fees for delinquent payments shall be assessed in an amount set by City Council action.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009, as amended by Part 3, Ord. 1672-NS, eff. February 14, 2020, § 5, Ord. 1720-NS, eff. January 1, 2024, and § 6 Ord. 1743-NS, eff. January 2, 2026)

Two (2) or more parties who join in one application for service shall be jointly and severally liable thereunder and shall be billed by means of single periodic bills.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

The City and its proper officers, agents, or employees shall promptly, efficiently, and economically take all steps, actions or remedies necessary for the collection of charges and the penalties thereon (including the enforcement of the lien of such charges and penalties). Such remedies for collecting and enforcing the rates and charges shall be cumulative and may be pursued alternately. As determined by the City Treasurer, a list of delinquent charges shall be recorded. If any one remedy provided for in this section is held to be invalid, all valid remedies shall remain effectual.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009, as amended by § 6, Ord. 1720-NS, eff. January 1, 2024)

The City Treasurer shall record with the County Recorder a list of all delinquent charges, and the penalties thereon, and shall include in each such list the amount of each charge and the penalty thereon, a description of the real property upon which the same is a lien, and the name of the City. All delinquent charges and penalties, when so recorded, shall constitute a lien upon the real property served by the enterprise (except that no such lien shall be created against any property owned by a public corporation or as the result of delinquent charges accrued by a tenant or lessee of the property), and each such lien shall have the force, effect, priority and duration of a tax lien.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)

A customer vacating any premises shall immediately give notice to the City so that water service may be discontinued as requested, and a closing bill will be prepared and sent to the customer at his new mailing address. In the event the customer has made a deposit, the balance, if any, shall be returned after the deduction of any unpaid bill. Until such notice of vacating the premises is given, the premises shall be deemed occupied by the customer, and his liability as well as that of any owner or applicant shall continue for unpaid water bills.

(Ord. 1516-NS, eff. June 5, 2009)