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RELEVANT LINKS: <br /> <br />League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 6/22/2016 <br />Securing Payment of Utility Charges Page 31 <br /> <br /> City water utilities do not need to change their billing practices and can <br />keep accounts in the landlord’s name. If there are multiple tenants in a <br />building, the city has to offer the right to pay current charges to only one <br />tenant in a 12-month period. The law does not change city water utilities’ <br />authority to make contracts with and impose utility charges against <br />property owners and to certify unpaid water charges to the county auditor <br />to be collected as other taxes are collected. <br /> b. Tenant paying for electric and gas <br />See sample notice for <br />electricity disconnection <br />when the landlord fails to <br />pay. <br />If a landlord fails to pay for electricity or gas service, or the service is shut <br />off, a tenant or tenants may pay the current charges for the most recent <br />billing period. The city must restore the service for at least one billing <br />period. In a residential building with less than five units, one of the tenants <br />may notify the city that the tenant agrees to be the customer of record, and <br />the city must put the account in the tenant’s name as long as the tenant <br />meets all the city’s requirements for establishing service. A tenant can <br />choose to pay current charges and still exercise the right to become <br />responsible for paying the bills. However, the city need not offer this <br />option to more than one tenant in a 12-month period. <br /> c. Landlord options <br /> The new law allows a landlord to re-establish responsibility for gas and <br />electric accounts by paying all overdue charges or reaching an acceptable <br />agreement with the city. <br /> XII. Foreclosures <br /> Unpaid charges for city utility services may be very difficult to recover <br />when a property heads into foreclosure proceedings or is vacant. <br /> One way to stay on top of properties in trouble is to request disconnection <br />information from private utility companies. <br />Minn. Stat. § 216B.0976. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />See Appendix C, Contact <br />information for investor- <br />owned utilities. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Minn. Stat. § 13.681. <br />As discussed subsequently, vacant or abandoned properties in the <br />foreclosure process pose significant challenges for cities, especially in <br />winter when pipes may freeze and burst. To remedy this situation, if a city <br />requests it, investor owned or private gas and electric utility companies <br />must notify cities when they disconnect a residential property during cold <br />weather months. Specifically, between Oct. 15 and April 15, private utility <br />companies that disconnect a residence must provide notice and the <br />residential address to any city that requests the information. The <br />information must be available on Oct. 15 and Nov. 1 of each year.