§ 47-18.1 — Tap and meter charges for certain acquired customers

Sec. 47-18.1. - Tap and meter charges for certain acquired customers.

(a) Definition. In this section, "acquired customer" means: (1) Any customer occupying the same building or structure to which water service was actually provided by a private utility company at one time, but which utility has since been acquired by the city by purchase, condemnation or gift; or (2) Any applicant for water service occupying the same building or structure to which water service was actually provided at one time by a private utility company holding a certificate of convenience and necessity issued by the Public Utility Commission of the State of Texas (or other state agency) to serve the area in which the premises are located, but which utility's certificate of convenience and necessity has been revoked or amended to exclude the area in which the premises are located. (b) Applicability; conflicting provisions. Water taps and water meters installed to serve acquired customers shall be governed by section 47-18 of this Code, except as provided below. This section controls over any conflicting provision of section 47-18. (c) Existing meters. Any acquired customer whose premises in the six months preceding acquisition or decertification of the private utility company were served by a meter formerly owned by a private utility company shall be entitled to a $50.00 reduction in the amount of any meter charge otherwise applicable. An acquired customer occupying the same building or structure to which water service was actually provided at one time by a private utility company which has been acquired by the city, and whose premises are currently served by a meter formerly owned by a private utility company, may exchange such meter for a meter of like size with no meter charge. (d) Installment payments—When due. When an acquired customer is required to pay a meter charge or tap charge, or both, such payment may be made either in cash or in equal installments. Each such installment shall be 1/18 of the total payment. The first installment is due at the time that application for the work is made, and the remaining 17 installments come due on the last day of each even-numbered month thereafter. (e) Same—Delinquent; subsequent customers. When an acquired customer begins making any such installment payments but fails to pay all installments, and if another acquired customer desires to make application for water service to the same premises, then the subsequent acquired customer shall be required to pay the full tap and meter charges applicable to the acquired customer who first elected to pay in installments, less any payments or installments made by the first customer and any intervening customers. The subsequent customer may pay such charges in cash or in installments, each of which shall be equal to the installments begun by the first customer. The first such installment shall be due when the subsequent customer makes application, and the installments come due on the last day of each even-numbered month thereafter until the full charges applicable to the subsequent customer are paid.

(Code 1968, § 49-17.1; Ord. No. 83-19, § 3, 1-11-83; Ord. No. 83-907, §§ 1, 2, 6-14-83; Ord. No. 2011-1168, § 13, 12-14-2011; Ord. No. 2013-320, § 3, 4-10-2013, eff. 6-1-2013)