Commercial property owners press SFPUC to shorten billing cycle and notify owners when tenants open accounts
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Summary
A commercial property-owner representative told the SFPUC 60-day billing cycles and delayed lien notices can leave owners unaware of months of tenant unpaid water charges; staff said migration to monthly billing is planned and staff will explore owner-notification options.
Tony Lee, representing commercial property owners, told the commission that the SFPUC staff recommendation dated Dec. 11, 2012, understates how long owners can go without notice when an account is opened by a tenant. Lee said two-month billing cycles can mean 120–135 days elapse before an owner receives the first notice, leaving owners on the hook for substantial unpaid water usage.
"When we received our first notice, it was literally a hundred and thirty-five days... five months of water usage occurred without the property owner even knowing anything was wrong," Lee said, and he urged the commission to consider owner notification when a tenant opens an account and to explore sending interim notices such as postcards before lien notices are appropriate under current rules.
Staff acknowledged the billing-cycle problem and said plans to migrate to a monthly billing cycle are underway and should help; staff also said it may be administratively feasible to notify property owners when a tenant opens an account. Commissioners and staff agreed that clearer owner notices and a timeline graphic of notice requirements would be helpful to evaluate proposed changes.
Ending: Staff committed to evaluate owner-notification options and continue the migration to monthly billing; commissioners said property owners may need to pursue small-claims remedies for unpaid tenant charges in the interim.
