Agenda Item 5b Attachment C
Policy No.
Date:
Page 1 of 3
COLLECTION POLICY AND PROCEDURES
I.
PURPOSE
To establish policies and procedures for collecting revenues owed to the City of Rio Vista
from accounts that are in arrears.
II.
SCOPE
This policy shall apply to individuals, businesses, and/or organizations who receive
services from the City of Rio Vista. Services include but are not limited to fees and rents
paid to the City in accordance with an agreement, licenses, fares, utilities, and/or the
master fee schedule adopted by ordinance or resolution of the City Council.
III.
POLICY
The City of Rio Vista is committed to collecting all revenues from users of the City’s
facilities, programs, and services as established by Agreement, License, fare structure,
and/or the Master Fee Schedule. The City expects timely payments of revenues to not
only pay expenses, continue vital City services, and to provide the Community with
programs.
When receipt of rents, fees, fares, and/or revenues due to the City are delinquent Staff
will follow the procedures laid out below in an effort to recover all outstanding balances
owed to the City.
IV.
PROCEDURES
A. A customer owing the City of Rio Vista any rents, fees, fares, and/or revenues shall
have thirty (30) days from the date of invoice or bill to pay the City of Rio Vista by
the approved method of payment determined by the Finance Department.
B. All accounts not paid following thirty days (30) of the invoice or bill will be assessed
a 10% penalty charge.
C. A delinquency notice will then be sent to the responsible party stating the amount
owed and delinquent, as well as a date in which the balance must be paid.
D. The City of Rio Vista may discontinue providing any service, program or facility use
to the customer until the account is paid in full.
E. The City may send a follow up notice after forty-five (45) and sixty (60) days of
being in default.
F. Should a customer not make any payments or discuss payment arrangements with the
City’s Finance Manager or City Manager within sixty (60) days of being in default,
the City of Rio Vista may submit the account to a collections agency.
Agenda Item 5b Attachment C
Policy No.
Date:
Page 2 of 3
G. Upon the submission of the customer’s delinquent account to a collections agency,
the City of Rio Vista shall suspend any service, program or facility use to the
customer until the account is resolved with the collections agency.
H. The City shall not resolve the account in debt once the account has been submitted to
the collections agency.
I. The City of Rio Vista or its collection agency may pursue legal action, upon review
and approval by the City Attorney to collect a debt that is delinquent for sixty (60)
days or greater.
J. If customer is leasing a City owned property or has a license to use a City facility, the
City of Rio Vista may cancel its lease or license, and take any legal action as outlined
in the agreements.
V.
PARTIAL PAYMENT
Customer may apply partial payment to their delinquent account prior to the City
referring the account to a collection agency. Any payments of less than the full amount
owed to the City shall be applied to pay the following (if applicable) in the order listed:




1st to late charges/penalties,
2nd to interest charges,
3rd to outstanding balance,
4th to legal fees.
If the City accepts the partial payment, an agreement will be drafted between the party
and the City reflecting a payment schedule. The agreement may also include continued
charge of interest/penalties until account is paid in full.
City may continue services during the agreed upon payment schedule. If at any time, the
customer defaults on the payment schedule the City may immediately send the account to
a collection agency.
VI.
DISPUTES
In case of a dispute as to payment or amount of an amount due to the City, the
individual, business, and/or organization will be required to present evidence to support
their claim.
If upon initial review the Finance Manager and/or City Manager determine that the
dispute may be valid, services may be continued until the dispute is resolved. However,
individual, business, and/or organization must remain current on all billing.
Agenda Item 5b Attachment C
Policy No.
Date:
Page 3 of 3
VII.
EXCEPTIONS
There will be no exceptions to this policy unless provided and approved in writing by the
City Manager and/or the City Attorney.