Managing a Vacant Property in Foreclosure or for Sale

A customer may wish to have their water disconnected and may even wish to have the water meter removed if the residence will not be heated while sitting vacant or during the time of temporary disconnection. Any damage that may result from allowing a water meter to become frozen shall be paid for by the customer, property manager, or owner of the premises.

Additionally, a customer may wish to have their water temporarily disconnected as a security measure to prevent extensive damage as well as water/sewer consumption charges should a pipe freeze and burst in their home during their absence.

It’s always a good idea to contact the Utilities Office to ask questions regarding your options if the property is going to be vacant , whether for a sale, foreclosure, vacation, etc, to understand the billing and other ramifications specific to your situation.

Preparing for the Sale of a Property

The La Crosse Utilities Office requires final readings on all property transfers, including vacant lots that have no water meter, but may have impervious surface that is billed for Stormwater charges. 

Requests for final reads can be made up to two weeks prior, but no less than 3 business days prior, to the date you wish the final reading to be obtained. The Final Bill is then processed the next business day after the final reading is obtained.

Final reads are e-mailed or mailed to the requestor by noon on the day they are processed.  If the property is a rental, a final is still needed to transfer ownership. It will be between the buyer and the seller to determine on how to deal with any amounts owed at that time by the tenants. 

NOTE: If a sale falls through, the party who ordered the final reading has the responsibility for canceling the final reading with the Utility. If notification is not made, late fees will be applied in accordance with PSC requirements if the final bill is not paid within 20 days of the final billing date. The Utilities will include the name we have as the buyer, as well as the seller, on any Pre-Tax Notice mailings in October of each year if any final bills remain unpaid. 

Final readings can be scheduled:

• Online: Request for Final Utilities Billing - Sale of Property 
• By Email: utilities@cityoflacrosse.org
• By Phone: (608) 789-7536

For the water and sewer related charges, a meter reading will be obtained on the date requested and a final bill is issued to the occupant vacating the premises the following business day. For stormwater charges, this date will be used to final the account and pro-rate the charges.

The following information is required to request service changes:

• Parcel being sold and associated addresses
  • If there are a large number of addresses on a parcel, it is not necessary to include every address on the parcel in the request. We will search by the parcel in our billing system to be sure all accounts are included.
• Email or mailing address to send the Final Billing statement
• Full Name of new owner(s)   (First,   MI,    Last)
• Billing/Mailing Address of new customer
  • It is important the requestor knows this address is accurate for the buyer's future utility bills.  It may not be the same as the service address.
• Phone number of new customer (s) 
  • It is important the requestor has confirmed this is a valid and working phone number to reach the buyer in the event of an emergency.  
  • If there are two owners, you can provide a phone number for each person. 
• Date of Birth (Only if the buyer does not have a Middle Initial)

If the seller was billed recently, they may have a recent bill that is still not due, and that balance will be included on the Final Bill. The title company should communicate with the seller to see if they are registered for autopay and ensure they are not sending in any other payments to avoid a double payment and the need for a refund to either party. Payment of the balance due from the bill marked as “Final Bill” for the current utility account, along with any prior utility accounts for the same property with unpaid Final Bills, will eliminate the possibility of an unpaid bill being assessed to the new owner’s property taxes.

If the property is a rental, it is recommended that a final bill be obtained and that the buyer and seller have worked out an agreement on how to deal with any past due balances due by the tenant at the time of the sale. The seller needs to understand that if the tenant fails to pay any utility bill during their tenancy, those unpaid charges will ultimately become their responsibility, as the property owner, at the time of the annual tax transfer in November of each year.