Losing Homes Over Unpaid Water Bills

Miss Management January 2, 2013 at 04:31 pm

What a total scam!! Looks like yet another way to get rich off of poor folk with little power. Really - that one example showed where the city of Baltimore sold a couple hundred dollar water bill to a private debt collector who then added lawyer fees and interest making the bill almost $5,000 - an impossible amount for this poor homeowner. So the company took the house - and then sold it for over $85,000!!! How is that not a crime?

Tom January 2, 2013 at 11:21 pm

If people would pay their bills before buying big screen TVs, Falcon ticket, cigarettes, liquor....they wouldn't have to worry about their homes being sold under them.

jimmie January 3, 2013 at 02:04 am

Funny Tom... But ohh so true!

Viola Davis RN BSN January 3, 2013 at 04:30 pm

We have received multiple complaints concerning water bills from the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County. I am forwarding examples of some of the problems identified with billing from DeKalb Department of Watershed Management. Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management installed automated water meters and found that 25 percent (approx. 9,139) had problems to include incorrectly installed, broken, and/or malfunction.
This issue goes beyond not paying your water bill. Should the homeowners who are experiencing problem with the water bill have the added worry of losing their homes? Turning off the water is not enough? DeKalb Homeowner Gets $1,500 Water Bill http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/dekalb-homeowner-gets-1500-water-bill/vCb7J/ DeKalb Homeowner Gets $9,224.40 Water Bill http://www.thisphotographerslife.com/2012/06/my-9224-40-water-bill.html

Ty Griffin January 3, 2013 at 07:05 pm

The government should never be allowed to take private property...PERIOD!

bae January 5, 2013 at 03:23 pm

This smells like an idea that came from the DeKalb Board of Education.

Viola Davis RN BSN January 6, 2013 at 02:35 pm

The central issue - should fees have the power of a tax. Remember, taxes are increased by the representatives of the people while fees are increased "at will" by unelected people.