A. It is the intent of the city that all utility deliveries, whether water, sewer, garbage or some combination thereof, shall be deliveries of services and/or utilities to the property served. All such delivery of utilities and/or services shall be a claim against the property and a claim against the owner of that property served or furnished utilities and/or services. It shall be the responsibility of each property owner served by city utilities to determine the extent of utility services and deliveries being made and/or furnished to the owner's property. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to pay all claims, charges, penalties and/or costs imposed by the city for the furnishing and/or delivery of utilities and/or services to the owner's property. The property owner's responsibility shall exist independent of any claim of lien the city may have or make pursuant to any statute, rule or regulation. The fact the owner has directed or allowed the billings for utilities furnished and/or services delivered to the owner's property to be delivered to a tenant or other third person does not in any way reduce or extinguish the property owner's responsibility for water, sewer and/or garbage billings, charges, costs or penalties imposed by the city. All delinquent charges for water, sewer, garbage or some combination thereof, shall bear interest at the maximum rate allowed by law.

B. All applications for garbage service shall be made by the property owner or someone acting on behalf of the owner of the property to be provided garbage service, unless the service is initiated or changed by the city in order to protect the public health, welfare and safety, and responsibility for billing payment shall be borne by the property owner. All charges for garbage service will be sent directly to the property address unless the property owner directs otherwise, or in the event of a combined utility billing, the billing shall be sent to the address maintained by the finance director for such combined billing.

C. Upon a failure to pay the charges for garbage collection and/or disposal, the amount thereof shall become a lien against the real property furnished the service as provided by law.