The City of New Castle, Indiana

Policy Amendment
Approval Date: 7/2/18

3.14     COLLECTIONS/  LIENS AND CERTIFICATIONS PROCEDURES

3.14.1 Property Owner Customer Accounts

1.  When a delinquent account has been turned off for non-payment and the account has been finaled with a balance remaining, the following steps will be taken after 30 days of non-payment

1. a) A pre-lien letter will be issued for the Sewage, Trash and Storm Water balances with notation that the Water portion will be turned  over to the collection agency if not paid in 30
2. b) After expiration of pre-lien letter, process
3. When property is listed on any tax and/or Sheriff Sale listing (see 3.15.5) from the County, the following procedures will be taken:
4. a) A pre-lien letter will be issued for the Sewage, Trash and Storm Water balances with notation that the Water portion will be turned  over to the collection  agency if not paid in 10
5. b) After expiration of pre-lien letter, process accordingly.

3.14.2  Non-Property Owner Customer Accounts (Renters)

1. When a delinquent account has been turned off for non-payment of services and the bill has been finaled with a balance remaining the following steps will be taken;
2. a) Bill will be held for 30 days to allow for transfer to new residence
3. b) If within  30 days no new residence has been established, non lienable  portion of bill will be forwarded to the collection agency in the customer's  name
4. c) A letter  will be sent to the property owner with a copy of the bill for that address, informing them that we have turned  the non lienable portion ofthe bill over to collections  in the customer's  
5. i) New Castle Utilities, along with the cooperation of the Property Owner will make a coordinated attempt to collect from the customer.

1. ii) If the property owner receives payment in litigation, it is the property owner's responsibility to pay balance due to clear the

D.

After 30 days, if the bill remains uncollected  a pre-lien  letter  will be issued to the property owner for Sewage, Trash and Storm Water portion of the bill, informing them if not paid in 21days this amount   will be processed for lien.

1. If property appears on a tax sale listing, New Castle Utilities will immediately proceed to 3.14.1-2.

3.14.3  Utility Customer Contracts for Past Due Bills

1. Any amount agreed upon to pay with a signed Utility  Contract, that amount  is no longer the responsibility of the property owner.  New Castle Utilities has entered  into a contract over and above the renter I landlord  agreement  and that amount becomes the responsibility of the customer and New Castle Utilities. No portion of that contract  amount is billable to the property owner.

3.15.5  TAX LIEN PROCEDURES

1)   All attempts will be made to monitor the following websites for Commissioner and Sheriff Tax Sales on a regular basis;

1. c) Commissioner Tax Sales website: http://www.sri-ta xsale.com/
2. d) Sheriff Tax Sale website: http://www.in-sheriffsale.com/33Site/SheriffSa lesDefault.htm

2}   If a delinquent account appears on either list, the following procedures will be taken;

a}    Liens will be processed and submitted to the Henry County Auditor no later than 7 days prior to tax sale date.

1. b) Liens not processed in a timely manner will processed to collection agency in the account name for collection

3}    Liens dismissed or removed by court order will be processed to Atlas in the account name for collection.

NOTE: Bad debt can only be removed by payment, court order or account owner is deceased.

3.35      LIEN AND CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES

Once all time tables noted above have lapsed.     All State and Local laws will be followed using procedures established in the Keystone Billing system to prepare documents to be submitted to the Henry County Auditor;

2} Timeline procedures for submitting to the Henry County Auditor

a}   As Liens and Certifications are processed (per day} they will be submitted to the Henry County

Auditor's Office no later than 9:00am the following day.

1. b) After review by the Henry County Auditor and Recorder's Offices they will be processed, with the Auditor I Recorder calling the Utility Officer Manager for amount due for (Note: any incorrect documents will be returned for corrections and must be and must be resubmitted the following working day for review and processing.}

PHASE I SEWER RATES