DWP CUTOFF PLAN REJECTED : POLICY WOULD HARM TENANTS, COUNCIL SAYS.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to block the Department of Water and Power from enacting a get-tough policy that would have cut water and power service to apartment buildings whose owners fail to pay their utility bills.

Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas said the DWP plan to terminate utility service to master-metered apartment buildings with delinquent accounts would unfairly hurt people who live in the buildings.

``It seems to me this is particularly punitive for tenants who may or may not be responsible,'' Ridley-Thomas said.

Apartment building owners are delinquent on about $52 million in DWP utility bills, and some landlords are ignoring DWP requests to pay their bills, some council members said.

``Slumlords know we won't turn the water off and the electricity off so they simply don't pay,'' said Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg. ``We are allowing tenants to be held hostage by landlords who have no interest in them.''

The council directed the DWP to suspend its termination plan, which was scheduled to start today, and instead to consider alternatives including an ordinance to protect tenants from eviction if they divert rent to pay utilities and have the city put rents in escrow to maintain utility service.

The council also agreed to consider terminating utilities for the homes of landlords who live in the city and who fail to pay utilities on separate apartment buildings.

In the past, the courts have hindered the city's ability to use liens to force landlords to pay utility bills, City Councilman Hal Bernson said.

Councilman Nate Holden said some tenants are probably paying rent designated for utility bills but landlords are pocketing the money.

``If they cut off the utilities, these people are going to suffer,'' said Councilman Nate Holden.