Village of Montpelier VILLAGE OF MONTPELIER Date: November 11, 2013 Montpelier Utility Guide for Owners and Renters Utility Services Offered Electric Water Sewer Storm Sewer Recycling Garbage Utility Office: 419-485-8316 1
Welcome We would like to welcome you to the Village of Montpelier. We feel that Montpelier is a great place to live and work, and we would like to make your experience with the Utility Office as pleasant as possible. The rules and regulations set forth are instituted at the approval of Village Council, and are subject to updates without notice. 2
Village of Montpelier Table of Contents Classification of Utility Customers/Definitions 4 Application for Service 4, 5 Fees 5 Utility Deposit 6 Utility Bills 6 Delinquent Accounts and Termination of Service 7 Helpful Hints 8 Other Agencies 8 3
Classification of Utility Customers Owner/Occupant, is someone who owns their property either outright or through a bank mortgage and reside in the residence. Generally no deposit is required. Land Contract Owner is someone purchasing the property from a person without securing a bank mortgage. They are paying directly to the person they are purchasing the property from. Land Contract is classified as a tenant and a deposit is required for utility service. Tenant / Non-Owner Residential is someone who resides in a residence they don t own. They have a rental or lease agreement with the property owner. To obtain utilities in their name, a deposit is required. Owner / Non-Residential is someone who owns property located within the Village limits, but doesn t use the house as their residence. They rent or lease the property to another person or persons for occupancy. This may also be the person selling property to someone via land contract. Generally no deposit is required of the property owner. Application for Service An Application for Service must be filled out in its entirety (including the income tax form for all persons residing in the residence that are 18 years of age or older). The application can only be obtained by coming into the utility office. If you are renting or buying a house on land contract, you must have the owner sign the Application for Service. If you have previously established a billing account in your name, a short form utility application may be completed as long as none of the household information will be changing. 4
Village of Montpelier An incomplete application, or an application containing false information or forged signatures will result in refusal of service, termination of service, or criminal prosecution. It is the applicants responsibility to notify the Montpelier Municipal Utility Office of any changes in occupancy, in mailing address, or any medical conditions that are relevant should an emergency situation arise due to inclement weather. Proof of ownership is required for owner / occupants. A valid picture identification is required at the time the application is submitted. If you have resided in Montpelier and left an outstanding bill, you will be required to pay that bill and may be required to pay a higher deposit before service is reinstated. If you leave an outstanding utility bill and move in with someone else receiving Montpelier Utility Services, that residence may have their service terminated until the outstanding utility bill is paid in full. You cannot avoid paying your utility bill by moving in with another resident receiving Montpelier Utility Service; the utility bill follows you to the new residence. A word of caution, make sure you know whether your room ate(s) have any outstanding utility bills before allowing them to move in with you! FEES There are fees associated with your utility account. Some apply when you first apply for service, and other fees will only be applicable if your account is delinquent. Deposit Minimum of $200 or 1 1/2 times the average utility bill at the property Read In $20 Door Hanger $10 Termination Garbage $75 first 30 days; $150 over 30 days Paid for by purchasing the Village garbage bags ***Delinquent bills are assessed a 10% penalty on any unpaid balances. 5
Utility Deposit A deposit is required of the following consumers, but the Village reserves the right to assess each case individually, and in some instances may require a high deposit amount. Land Contract, Tenant / Non-owner Residential are required to pay a deposit of a minimum of $200.00 or 1 1/2 times the average utility bill at the property for anyone having a billing account previously in their name and the account is maintained in good standing. Owner / Occupant and Non-Residential Owners are generally not required to pay a deposit, but the Village reserves the right to review each situation individually and assess a deposit if they feel it is necessary. Please note: The utility deposit may be increased to two (2) times the average monthly bill for utility customers whose accounts have become delinquent throughout the year. UTILITY BILLS The utility bills are mailed around the first day of every month and are due on or before the 15th of every month. The only exception to the due date, is if the 15th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a Village recognized holiday, then you have the following business day to pay the bill on time without the 10% penalty being applied. The following are recognized holidays by the Village of Montpelier: New Years Day, President s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day (4th of July), Labor Day, the day before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving day, 1/2 a day Christmas Eve, and Christmas. 6
Village of Montpelier Delinquent Accounts and Termination of Service Accounts not paid in full by the due date each month will be assessed a 10% penalty as stated under Fees. The penalty is 10% of the total unpaid balance. ***If the due date falls on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday) or a holiday mentioned under Utility Bills, customers will have the following business day to pay their bill without being assessed the 10% penalty. Penalty, door hanger, and termination dates are temporarily set and approved by Council, and subject to change by the Finance Director. Copies of the current year s schedule is available at the Utility Office. Penalties are assessed on the 16th of the month, and in cases of weekends or holidays, it will be the second business day after the 15th or due date. Example: the 15th falls on Saturday. The due date is on Monday the 17th, and the penalty is applied on Tuesday, the 18th. Door Hangers are delivered on Tuesday of the week following the 16th. The fee assessed for door hangers is $10 as stated under fees. The $10 charge is applied to the account as soon as the door hangers leave the Utility Office to be delivered, regardless of the time they are actually posted at the residence. The Utility employee will leave the office by 10:00am. The date the door hangers are delivered is noted on the bottom of the utility bill each month. All residents are made aware of the date the door hangers will be issued. Termination dates are temporarily set at the beginning of the year for the entire calendar year as approved by council. There may be exceptions throughout the year, but again, the Termination date is noted each month on the bottom of your utility bill. The termination fee is $75 for the first 30 days and $150 over 30 days as stated under Fees. The termination charge is added to the bill when the Utility employee leaves the Utility Office with the list of termination addresses, regardless of the time the service is terminated at a given address. After service is terminated for non-payment, it will only be restored if all applicable fees and the current balance on the account is paid in full. They may include the next months balance if it is already posted on the account. When a tenant moves, a final bill and any deposit remaining is applied. The Village makes all attempts to collect any unpaid balance. If all attempts to collect have failed, the landlord is ultimately responsible for the bill. The utility office maintains a file with all the pertinent renter name information. If they are located or again apply for services in the Village, they are requested to pay any and all bills, and the landlord is then reimbursed. 7
Helpful Hints Be sure to keep communication channels open between you and our Utility Office. Many problems are caused because of poor communication. If you have any questions or problems that arise concerning your utility services or bills, please contact the Montpelier Utility Office at 419-485-8316 to make an appointment to discuss the situation. If you find you cannot pay the entire utility bill by the due date, pay as much as possible to reduce the amount of the penalty. The penalty is only assessed on the unpaid balance. Contact the Utility Office regarding your account to see if you are eligible to make a payment arrangements. To make a payment arrangement, you must pay at least 50% of the bill. Once a payment arrangement is made, you will not be allowed to make another arrangement for 4 billing cycles. You may need to contact someone else for assistance. The agencies below may be able to assist you with your utility bill. You should contact them as soon as possible when you need help to pay your utility bill to avoid further penalties, fees, and termination of service. Agencies for Assistance Northwest Ohio Community Action 419-636-4924 825 N. Main Street, Bryan, Ohio 43506 H.E.L.P., Open Monday & Friday until noon 419-636-7199 Salvation Army, Village of Edgerton 419-298-2722 Williams County Department of Human Services 419-636-6725 117 W. Butler Street, Bryan, OH 43506 Montpelier Ministerial Association 419-485-3339 Community Compassion 419-633-1125 8