Sharon Sanitary Authority Wednesday filed civil lawsuits against eight members of the Baldarelli family and two of their businesses for a total of $10,851 in back sewer bills for 18 rental properties since 2007.

“They’re in for a big lawsuit,” family spokesman Levio J. Baldarelli Jr. said, questioning the validity of the claim that the family is liable for tenants’ use of sewers. “If I owed them money, I’d pay.”

The two suits, filed by city solicitor William J. Madden, are the first by the authority in an attempt to collect delinquent accounts. Madden said he will be preparing more lawsuits against other scofflaws.

Officials have said about 20 landlords owe “several hundred thousand dollars” in delinquent sewer bills.

According to the lawsuits, members of the Baldarelli family since September 2007 have not paid for sewer services at 10 properties between 91 and 127 North Irvine Ave., 122, 126 and 134 Stambaugh Ave., 301 and 303 Spruce Ave. and 306, 310 and 314 Baldwin Ave.

Some bills get sent to the Baldarellis and some go to the tenants, Baldarelli said.

“They want to sue me and my family — we don’t even live in Sharon — because these people aren’t paying their bills,” he said.

Madden said the authority bills property owners for sewage and the city has never billed tenants. The law allows them to do it either way, he said.

Baldarelli said it’s unfair that officials want the family to raise tenants’ rent to cover a sewer bill that’s doubled since last year and questioned the billing process that allowed people to get years behind without penalties.

He noted that some tenants live in units enrolled in the federal Section 8 Housing Voucher Choice Program and their rent is capped. Sometimes people leave apartments after only a few months, too, and he’s stuck with the bill, he said.

Baldarelli said he’s upset by the suit because city officials are “lazy” and want him to do their job for them.

“Why do I have to collect it? I don’t work for the city,” Baldarelli said.

Baldarelli said he’s asked officials to stop sending the family the bills for other people’s sewage and noted that they own nearly 100 apartments in the city.

If the amounts listed in the suit were paid it would bring the accounts current as of May, Madden said.

The Baldarellis and their businesses owed about $37,000 to the city in 2005, according to Herald files, and Baldarelli said that amount was settled with Mayor Bob Lucas prior to the authority taking over collections.