1997 Minnesota Statutes

     256J.395 Vendor payment of rent and utilities. 

    (a) Effective July 1, 1997, when a county is required to 
 provide assistance to a recipient in vendor form for rent and 
 utilities under this chapter, or chapter 256, 256D, or 256K, the 
 cost of utilities for a given family may be assumed to be: 

    (1) the average of the actual monthly cost of utilities for 
 that family for the prior 12 months at the family's current 
 residence, if applicable; 

    (2) the monthly plan amount, if any, set by the local 
 utilities for that family at the family's current residence; or 

    (3) the estimated monthly utility costs for the dwelling in 
 which the family currently resides. 

    (b) For purposes of this section, "utility" means any of 
 the following:  municipal water and sewer service; electric, 
 gas, or heating fuel service; or wood, if that is the heating 
 source. 

    (c) In any instance where a vendor payment for rent is 
 directed to a landlord not legally entitled to the payment, the 
 county social services agency shall immediately institute 
 proceedings to collect the amount of the vendored rent payment, 
 which shall be considered a debt under section 270A.03, 
 subdivision 5. 

    HIST: 1997 c 85 art 1 s 29