WAC 24-12-012   Collection of accounts.  (1) The commission shall obtain from the department of agriculture a record of all shipments of fresh apples and shall from this record periodically invoice all apple dealers and handlers shown thereon for assessments on apples levied pursuant to WAC 24-12-010. The date of the invoice shall be known as the billing date.

     (2) Assessments not paid within twenty days from the billing date shall be delinquent. If the delinquent assessments are not paid within thirty-five days from the billing date, a notice of delinquency shall be sent to the dealer or handler involved with a copy to the district inspection office of the department of agriculture stating that if the delinquent assessments are not paid within forty-five days from the billing date the dealer or handler involved will thereafter be put on a cash basis until the delinquent assessments are paid, and that the Compliance Certificate Book will be removed by the department of agriculture, and if the delinquent assessments are not paid within sixty days from the billing date, inspection service will be withdrawn.

     If at any time an account thereafter is again unpaid in the same crop year shipping season for more than thirty-five days from the billing date, the commission may, without further notice, immediately place the dealer or handler on a cash basis for the remainder of the crop year shipping season, or such shorter period as the commission may at its option specify, and the Compliance Certificate Book will be removed by the department of agriculture. If said subsequent delinquency shall continue more than sixty days from the billing date, inspection service will be withdrawn.

     Once withdrawn, inspection service will be reinstated only upon mutual agreement of the department of agriculture and the commission and after all delinquent assessments have been paid.

     (3) Delinquent assessments not paid within thirty-five days of the billing date shall bear interest at the maximum legal rate, not to exceed 1-1/2% per month, and in case of suit to collect said delinquent assessments, the prevailing party shall, in addition to any other relief granted, be allowed an attorneys fee in such amount as the court in its discretion deems reasonable, together with costs of suit.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 15.24.070(1). 86-01-082 (Order 17), § 24-12-012, filed 12/18/85; 84-20-002 (Order 16), § 24-12-012, filed 9/20/84.]