§ 160A-676. Authority to fix and enforce rates. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 160A‑676. Authority to fix and enforce rates.

(a)        A district may establish and revise from time to timeschedules of rents, rates, fees, charges, and penalties made applicablethroughout the district for the gas services. Schedules of rents, rates, fees,charges, or penalties may vary according to classes of service. Before itestablishes or revises a schedule of rents, rates, fees, charges, or penalties,the district Board of Trustees shall hold a public hearing on the matter. Anotice of the hearing shall be given at least once in a newspaper havinggeneral circulation in the area, not less than seven days before the publichearing.

(b)        A district may collect delinquent accounts by any remedyprovided by law for collecting and enforcing private debts. A district may alsodiscontinue service to any customer whose account remains delinquent for morethan 30 days. When service is discontinued for delinquency, it shall beunlawful for any person other than a duly authorized agent or employee of thedistrict to do any act that results in a resumption of services. If adelinquent customer is not the owner of the premises to which the services aredelivered, the payment of the delinquent account may not be required beforeproviding services at the request of a new and different tenant or occupant ofthe premises, but this restriction shall not apply when the premises areoccupied by two or more tenants whose services are measured by the same meter.

(c)        Rents, rates, fees, charges, and penalties for servicesshall be legal obligations of the person contracting for them and shall in nocase be a lien upon the property or premises served.

(d)        Rents, rates, fees, charges, and penalties for servicesshall be legal obligations of the owner of the premises served when theproperty or premises are leased or rented to more than one tenant and servicesrendered to more than one tenant are measured by the same meter. (1997‑426, s. 2.)