12.— (1) All household charges, late payment fees and late payment interest payable to a local authority pursuant to this Act are placed under the care and management of the local authority concerned.

(2) It is a function of each local authority to collect household charges, late payment fees and late payment interest due to it under this Act and to deal with matters associated with such collection.

(3) A local authority may recover from an owner of a residential property, as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction, any household charges, late payment fees and late payment interest due and owing to the local authority in respect of that property.