§ 4-5. Installment payment agreement.

(a) Offer; Effect of compliance.

(1) The Finance Director shall offer an installment payment agreement to each customer who has been issued a cut-off notice.

(2) Execution of an installment payment agreement acceptable to the Finance Director will enable the customer to:

(i) avoid service cut-off;

(ii) avoid accrual of the penalties imposed under § 4-2(c) {"Metered water charges...: Penalties"} of this subtitle; and

(iii) enable service that has been turned off to be restored, provided that the customer remains in compliance with the agreement.

(b) Effect of breach.

If payment is missed and the payment agreement declared to be breached, the suspended penalties shall be reinstated a nd all subsequent penalties shall continue to accrue.

(c) Notice.

Each offer of an installment payment agreement must:

(1) inform the customer of the availability of an agreement;

(2) state the minimum terms of the agreement that would be acceptable to the Director;

(3) explain any alternate terms that may be available;

(4) state the date by which the customer must contact the Department and execute an agreement in order to avoid service cut-off;

(5) indicate the name and telephone number of a Department representative that the customer may call to discuss an agreement; and

(6) state what action the Department will take if an installment payment agreement is not executed and returned by its due date.

(d) Terms of agreement.

An installment payment agreement shall set forth:

(1) the total amount and dates of the delinquent charges covered by the agreement;

(2) the time period over which the total amount shall be paid;

(3) the number, due date, and amount of each periodic payment due under the agreement;

(4) the amount of the required down payment or initial installment due on the customer's execution of the agreement, which may not exceed 25% of the total amount covered by the agreement;

(5) the interest rate to be charged on the unpaid balance under the agreement, which shall be equal to the interest rate then being charged by the City for unpaid real estate taxes on a property where the annual real estate taxes are $2,750 or less; and

(6) the customer's right under § 2-17 et seq. of this article to the services of a Customer Advocate in seeking resolution of any billing or other dispute.

(e) Notice of installment payments due.

The Finance Department shall mail to the customer 30 days' notice of each installment payment due.