ERMUSR HANDOUT 01-13-2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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1. Follow above procedure but dispatch utility personnel to determine status of occupancy if the owner does not respond to the 24 hour warning. If the home is apparently occupied, contact will be attempted and notice of termination of service within 24 hours is delivered in person or left on the front door. If it appears unoccupied, no attempt to shut off electricity will be made until the mortgage holder is contacted. 2. There are two new sources of foreclosure information now available. The one lists gas shut offs made by Centerpoint Energy, and the other is compiled by the City as part of the Federal Foreclosure Grant. The later lists the mortgage holder and law firm representing the mortgage holder. 3. The law firm representing the mortgage holder will be contacted and notice to terminate service within 2 weeks will be given. It is assumed this is ample time for the structure to be winterized. Additional time can be negotiated with an agreement to pay past due bills. 4. Two weeks after the law firm representing the mortgage holder has been notified, ERMU will shut off both the electric and water service. NO ELECTRIC SERVICE SHOULD BE TERMINATED UNLESS THE WATER SERVICE IS ALSO TERMINATED! Notice of same in writing will be forwarded to the law firm representing the mortgage holder, the mortgage holder (if identified), Sherburne County, and City Police. 5. Note: by the time the utility service is terminated, the property has consumed electricity and water for at least 4 months with payment for same. 6. Attempts to collect for past due utility bills will be made prior to returning the services to normal. If that attempt fails, turn the past due water bill, bill to turn the curb stop off and on, garbage bill, and sewer bill in to the County to be assessed to the property taxes. Check to make sure the sewer bill has been turned over to the County for assessment to property taxes in the past! 7. Since the State does not allow the electric or gas bills to be assessed to the property taxes, lobby State to change the law to allow it at least for abandoned properties! ! Once that is accomplished, or a way to do it legally without a change in the law, ask the City for an ordinance for same.