The Water Authority of Great Neck North Board of Directors this week added a set of provisions to its commercial service billing policy, following months of requests from local business leaders for added protection against tenants who fail to pay delinquent water bills.
By changing the authority’s billing cycle from quarterly to monthly, giving property owners and tenants the ability to contract for water service directly and creating the ability to have delinquent service terminated, Water Authority of Great Neck North Board of Directors Chairman Michael Kalnick said the new policy is fair for everyone involved in the peninsula’s business community.
“It’s very fair,” said Kalnick, who is also mayor of the Village of Kings Point. “It comports with the policies of other water authorities on Long Island. We’ve had many months of discussions and I think this is fair to both sides.”
In March, Great Neck Plaza Business Improvement District Vice President Jay Corn first made a presentation to the water authority board asking for changes to its commercial service billing policy that he said would calm the increasingly “stressed” tenant-landlord relationship.
With a raise of its deposit level, by monitoring its meters more frequently and agreeing to cut off tenants’ water supply when they are in default on their bill, Corn said at that time the water authority could help landlords and protect its own interests.
Corn said on Tuesday he was disappointed with the water authority’s final decision to amend its current commercial billing policy.
“We went to them for some help,” Corn said. “We went to them for some understanding. As far as the people that I spoke to, and from my understanding, they gave us a little window dressing and they gave us nothing new.
“You can change the name of it,” he added of the policy changes, “but it is basically the same thing. They are making the property owner responsible for a bill he has no control over. They are relieving themselves of any liability.”
Water Authority of Great Neck North Director Edward Causin said board members considered suggestions made by Corn and other local business leader’s when creating its policy changes.
“There is nothing substantial in here that hasn’t been discussed at prior meetings,” Causin said during Monday’s meeting.
As part of the new commercial billing policy, local tenants will be able to contract with the water authority directly with payment of a three-month deposit.
Causin said the agreement will also require a “concurrence of signature of the property owner that they will be responsible for any unpaid charges.”
The water authority also reserves the right to adjust its required deposit if there is a 20-percent increase in usage over a 12 month period, Causin said.
“A report will be process on an annual basis to determine if the deposit is adequate or needs to be increase,” he said. “The tenant will be notified in writing if additional money is required.”
Great Neck property owners will also have the ability to contract with the water authority directly under the new policy.
“They will have the same three-month deposit requirement and will have total control over water consumption and have the ability to request water service be terminated or left on as long as there is no past-due balance owed on the account,” Causin said.
Also instead of a deposit, Causin said the water authority will accept a property lien in a recordable form, which is subject to the approval of the water authority’s attorney and will be made at the owners expense for all legal fees.
In addition, the water authority agreed to amend its “operating rules and regulations” to include the ability to terminate service once charges exceed the three-month deposit amount held by the authority, Causin said.
“What we’ve done is to have the owner and the tenant responsible,” Kalnick said of the provision. “It’s good for the owner too. It’s giving him rights … if something’s wrong, if the tenant abandons the property before (property owners) couldn’t turn the water off.”
As part of the policy changes, tenants and landlords under an existing contract will have the ability to make monthly deposit payments, it they exceed $1,000 per account, Causin said.
Radio monitoring of accounts can be made up to twice per billing cycle, Causin said.
The water authority also amended its rules to include a provision that once water service has been terminated to a property for non payment it will not be turned back on until the account and the required deposit is fully mad, Causin said.
“The requirement for a full payment will not be altered by a change of property owner or tenant,” he said.
