Court: Property owners on hook for fees

Owners of rental property are responsible for paying sewer fees if their tenants fail to pay the bills, the Indiana Supreme Court said today.

Municipalities can transfer delinquent balances to property owners without notice because the owners ultimately are responsible for paying the fees, said the unanimous ruling, which upheld lower court decisions.

Pinnacle Properties Development Group, a Jeffersonville company that owns rental property in southern Indiana, challenged the authority of the city to transfer unpaid sewer bills. Pinnacle tenants are billed directly for sewer use.