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FPUA board adopts new rules requiring landlords to come current between tenants or set payment plans
Summary
The board approved Resolution UA 2024-12 to replace prior rules: customers may request more frequent billing extensions and property owners (landlords) must come current on accrued minimum charges between tenants or sign a 12-month special payment arrangement; the measure removes automatic liens as the default practice and triggers enforcement at the time of a new tenant request.
The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority board voted unanimously to adopt Resolution UA 2024-12, revising its general rules and regulations to allow customers additional billing extensions and to require property owners to address accrued minimum charges when new tenants move in.
Daniel Rutherford, director of Utility Support Services, explained the two substantive changes in the proposed resolution: first, customers may request billing extensions more often (monthly rather than the prior limit), and second, property owners who rent units must either make their account current between tenants or sign a special payment arrangement (SPA) of up to 12 months when a new tenant requests service. Rutherford said the change is intended to stop decades of small minimum charges accumulating on owner accounts and creating large, lingering liens.
"The changes remove the lien process completely. At the time of a new tenant request the property owner must come current on his minimum charges, or at least sign up with a 12-month maximum special payment arrangement," Rutherford said. He described the policy as a way to prevent minimum charges from becoming a perpetual liability on property records and noted the authority will send notice to affected owners when the change becomes effective.
Board members pressed staff on how older liens and large unpaid balances will be handled, whether buyers could be surprised by unpaid charges if liens are removed, and what happens if an owner refuses to pay. Rutherford said existing liens will not be discharged until paid under current arrangements; going forward, the new tenant request will be the trigger to require SPA or payment, and delinquent SPAs will be turned over to collections.
Members sought clarity on edge cases such as inherited properties or long-uninhabited parcels. Rutherford said staff will continue to use collections where necessary and intends to notify property owners of the rule change and enforcement timeline before it takes effect.
The board approved the resolution after motion and second and recorded unanimous roll-call votes in favor.
