Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-09-02 | Page 28 | New Plan to Settle Waster Levy Squabbles between Owner and Tenant Arranged in Virginia

i New Play Plan to Settle Water Levy Squabbles Between Owner and Tenant Arranged in Virginia Norfolk City Adopts Idea Advanced by Real Estate Board r Who is responsible for water bills the tenants or the house owner A Arid d It if the city may not levy against the property owner for the collection of Its water rents how is it to to avoid financial loss and how Is It to a void avoid assessing such loss through hIgher rates against users who honestly pay their bills ThIs has been the problem which the city of Norfolk Va and the Norfolk real estate board have attempted attempted at- at tempted to work out together And the solution which they have arrived arrived ar- ar rived at in a recent conference between between be- be tween W W. H. H Taylor director ot of public works for tor Norfolk and representatives representatives rep rep- ot of the Norfolk real realI I estate board brInging the settlement settlement settle settle- ment ot of a longstandIng dispute between between be- be tween the city and its property owners will be of interest to the large number of cities throughout the country which are operating under the plan formerly used in Norfolk the National Association ot of Real Estate Boards points out A city cannot by ordInance hold the landlord responsible for unpaid water bills bUls ot of tenants In the absence absence ab- ab sence ot of specific statute authority for such an ordinance This was determIned by the VirgInia supreme court ot of appeals In a test case brought by property owners of Norfolk Norfolk Nor Nor- folk under the leadership ot of the Norfolk real estate board OWNER NOT liABLE The hIghest court of the state in inthIs inthis thIs case handed down a decision that In the absence ot of legislative authority the Norfolk city ordinance in so tar far as It sought to tomake make the owner ot of premises per per- I liable Irrespective ot of con con- cono- cono for tor water consumed on such owners owner's premises by a lessee lesee thereof there there- of is repugnant to the fourteenth amendment ot of the constitution and to section 11 ot of the constitution the of VIrgInia In that It deprives such owner ot of his property without due process of law But But there are It is estimated some users ot of city i water from whom the city must i collect under the court ruling Special SpecIa cIa cial legIslation to hold the property owner for tor hIs tenants tenant's unpaid water bills would be inequitable and a detriment to real estate develop develop- ment Rising water rates resulting from bills bUls would likewIse be disadvantageous to to city progress This is the plan recommended recommended mended by the Norfolk real estate I board after detailed stud study and adopted by city officials for avoiding avoid avold- In ing the horns of the water rates dilemma Water Vater consumers will be required to enter Into a contract with the city for tor the payment ot of their water bills The tenant will thus be held definitely responsible for the bill The The contracts contracts will be mailed to the occupants ot of houses for their signatures signatures sig- sig natures thereby eliminating any inconvenience nce to the tenant No o deposit will be required for the amount ot of the bill but the city will ot of course retain the right to cut of off water supply for tor nonpayment ment meni ot of the bill and users who move to a new resIdence without without payment ot of their water bills will I have their water supplY cut oft off inthe in inthe the new residence until such time as It is p paid ld The real estate board has agreed agreed that Its members will furnish the city at once with Information that thata a tenant h has I vacated so that the department ot of public works may readily make make- It its check