City Council Item

DELINQUENT UTILITY ACCOUNTS

Chanhassen City Code provides that in the event any utility service is not paid within three (3) months after the time it is rendered, the city council may certify the amount due together with penalties to the county auditor to be collected with other real estate taxes levied against the premises served.

The city bills for water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer. For accounts that are past due, the city sends a letter after the fall billing (September and October) notifying the property owner of the delinquency and that non-payment will result in certification to property taxes with certification fees. Property owners may speak at this public hearing to dispute the certification. Owners may avoid certification by paying the amount due by November 1, 2026. A final delinquent list is then prepared and sent to the county by December 1, 2026.

The list of delinquent properties is available in the Finance Department.

As of October 21, 2026, no property owners had notified the city that they planned to dispute these delinquent utility charges.

Current practice is to certify the amount due to the property taxes, as allowed by Minnesota State Statute Section 444.075 Subd. e.  There are 171 accounts with a total value of $220,346.75 to be collected this year. This compares to 188 accounts with a total dollar amount of $214,317.57 last year.  Staff expects that several accounts will be paid in full by the time that the final list is established in December. The other accounts will be certified to the county for collection with a fee of 10% added for the administrative costs incurred plus an additional $5.00 Carver County Certification Fee (for properties within Carver County).