You know thanks to CN we bought our house, closed the end of September 2002. We have lived in this area for 4 years and have always paid our sewer and water bill together to the City. We moved out of the city but in my research learned that we still pay them. What I was not told is that our sewer bill is with a different place now. I didn't suspect anything because unknown to me we had a small leak so our bills were similar to the ones at our old rental house. The city noticed the useage was higher than in previous years and let us know and re repaired the leak. Now when all of this happened we had to get yard marked. That's when I learned we were with this different sewer service. The man who marked said to call in and let them know and we would get a bill. Well, we got a bill alright. They said that they never knew this house was connected to their service either. They were given the account by the county several years ago and in the transaction process it got lost so they never billed the previous owners. Now they want us to pay 8 years of bill which is about $2000. I asked them why there was no lien so we would have been protected by our title insurance and their comment was that they didn't know they should have been billing the address. I cannot imagine that this is ok. I did everything by the book to protect myself from unknown bills. The previous owners won't pay I'm sure, why would they? Aren't there any laws that protect consumers from this? For all I know they did bill the previous owner and it's all a scam. I know that is far fetched but our society has been known to get corrupt occasionally. Please tell me I do not owe this. If I was wealthy enough to cough up 2K I would have a nicer home, I would not have used a down payment assisitance program. Kim
1. I'd tell them you are absolutely not responsible for anything prior to Sept. 2002. Their not billing the previous owner is not your problem, and they need to take it up with them. 2. 2000 / 96 mths = about 21.00 per month. 3. 21 x 9 mths = $189.00 You did use the sewer. IMHO if they agree to bill you for only the time you lived there, you won't take them to court, and you will probably come out cheaper than hiring an attorney, a fight, and a possible lien on your property. 4. You might have a leg to stand on, and might not, I just don't know. But if you can get out for <$200, it might be worth it, to not deal with it. 5. Heck, I would demand a payment plan for the $189 to boot!
I suggest you find out whom in your State regulates and licenses this utility service. Send an inquiry to that agency, outlining your problem, and requesting the State and Federal regulatory guidelines on billing practices for utilties.
I already contacted the agency that is supposed to be responsible but no one was available and now they are closed until Tues. This is going to stress me out all weekend. Thanks, Kim
What about the sewer service that was billing for this property? They've been getting money for eight years...?
1*We moved out of the city but in my research learned that we still pay them. 2*Now when all of this happened we had to get yard marked. 3*That's when I learned we were with this different sewer service. 4*Well, we got a bill all right. They said that they never knew this house was connected to their service either. 5*Now they want us to pay 8 years of bill which is about $2000. 6*their comment was that they didn't know they should have been billing the address. 7*I cannot imagine that this is OK. 8*For all I know they did bill the previous owner and it's all a scam. 9*Please tell me I do not owe this. 10*The previous owners won't pay I'm sure, why would they? thecatslai ---------------------------------------- 1*Why do you pay them when you moved out? 2*Marked for what? 3*Then why were you paying the city when you were with this different sewer service. 4*This service must have been providing the sewer while the city was the one collecting on it from the former owner. 5*Me thinks the pervious owner paid the 8 years to the city. 6*You can't bill an address. 7* OK no way. 8*I don't think this sewer company billed him. I believe the city did and he paid them due to the mix up in the deal between the city county and this company. 9*I know you don't owe it; the city does, due to the confusion between the city county and this company during the transaction process. 10*I think they already have paid it. THE END ** *** ** LB 59 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1*1. I'd tell them you are absolutely not responsible for anything prior to Sept. 2002. 2*Their not billing the previous owner is not your problem, and they need to take it up with them. 3*. 21 x 9 months = $189.00 You did use the sewer. IMHO if they agree to bill you for only the time you lived there. jlynn =========== 1*Kim is not even responsible for this 9 months as she has been paying a sewer bill ever since she moved in on Sept. 2002 This sewer company needs to go to the city and pick up their money for the 87 months of service to the former owner and the 9 months of service to KIM. 2*The previous owner and KIM was billed by the city for services they weren't providing. The money the city collected for services provided by this company belongs to this sewer company. 3*See 1* & 2* Above. THE END ** *** ** LB 59 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I suggest you find out whom in your State regulates and licenses this utility service. http://community-2.webtv.net/Y-chat/WhyChatsCredit/ ======================================== I'd venture to say that the city and the county are more at fault here than is this sewer company.
Exactly right Mycroft.That sewer service has collected 8 Yrs. of bills from both the former owner and Kim for services they did not provide. The current provider of sewer service needs to collect their money from that sewer service.
Let me clarify this. The City was not billing this house for the sewer service ever. When I lived at my previoushouse, my water and sewer were on the same bill that came from the city and I assumed it was the same here and had no reason to think otherwise since my bills were always about the same as they had been for years. They were the same not because my sewer service was included but because I had a small leak. When we fixed the leak we had to get our yard marked for digging. That's when the water company told us there were sewer lines. The water company actually thought we had septic. Kim
You may HAVE sewer lines, but they MAY NOT be hooked up. Have a plumber check to see what EXACTLY your hookup IS. Also, check the Town building department for when the house was built to see what was installed at that time, and when (and if) a hookup to the sewer lines, (and when THEY were put in) was done. Many expanding communities put in sewer lines but homes remain hooked up to their septic systems as they are not REQUIRED to hook up unless and unil their septic system fails.
When we fixed the leak we had to get our yard marked for digging. That's when the water company told us there were sewer lines. The water company actually thought we had septic. Kim ============= So now you're telling me the water co. thinks they had sewer lines buried in your yard and did not even know they were there. So now that they discovered the sewer lines they want to charge you for 8 years of use for them even though no one knows for sure at this point who the sewer lines belong to. How could they have any idea of what the sewer usage was during the 8 years when they didn't even know there were any such lines?? THE END ** *** ** LB 59 """""""""```~~~```'"""""""""
. 1*We moved out of the city but in my research learned that we still pay them. 2*They said that they never knew this house was connected to their service either. 3*They were given the account by the county several years ago and in the transaction process it got lost so they never billed the previous owners. 4*Now they want us to pay 8 years of bills. 5*I asked them why there was no lien so we would have been protected by our title insurance 6*and their comment was that they didn't know they should have been billing the address. thecatslai ============ 1*Why are you still paying the city when you moved out and quit using their service??? I don't get that! 2* Must be because it isn't! 3*This isn't why they didn't bill him, They never billed him because the house wasn't connected to the sewer system 4*Ther was no 8 years of service or billing. 5*There was no lien because there was no debt because there was no service. 6*They never billed because there was no service to bill for. THE END ** *** ** LB 59 """""""""```~~~```'"""""""""
1*You may HAVE sewer lines, but they MAY NOT be hooked up. Why Chat --------------------------- 1*I'm wondering this too. It's possible that another water company had billed the previous owner for 87 months and the new owner for 9 months for sewer service on unhooked lines. This being the case the current water company has no claim as the lines were not connected for them either. But the old and new owners do have a claim. These 2 owners have already gotten skinned for 8 long years by the first company, so there is no justification in the 2nd. company screwing them for the 8 years again. THE END ** *** ** LB 59 XXXXXxxxxxXXXXXXXX
OK , I will try to explain how this worked again. In my last house I paid the City for my water and sewer. When I moved to my new house I was told that I paid the City for my water and it did not even dawn on me that the sewer was not included. The bill was always within $10 of my bills at my previous residence so I asumed all was fine. When the water company notified me I had a leak I asked them how big since my bill was the same as it had been for 4 years at my previous home. They said at that time, that when I lived there my sewer was included with my water bill but at my new house they did not supply sewer service. That is when they said I probably had a septic tank. When I called to get the yard marked so we could dig to fix the leak, the sewer lines were discovered and traced back to a completely different company. The company when looking at their records realized they have never billed this house for service. Somehow the address was not entered into their system and now they want me to pay for all of the past years of service but decided to give me a "break" and only charge me for 8 years. I have only lived here 8 months. So because of their negligence they say I owe $2000 because they never bothered to bill the previous owners. They said that they would send a bill to them if I could track down where they lived but I know that it was an elderly lady who died and then her son inherited it. He got it foreclosed so highly unlikely they will pay. Kim
1- You are not obligated EVER to pay for utility services you did not receive. 2- Although the "water company" DISCOVERED the sewer lines it DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE HOOKED UP 3- If the water company "assumed" you were on septic it is probably because OTHER homes in your service area ARE on septic, (and they TOO may have UNCONNECTED sewer lines from this inefficient sewer utility)
You owe 8 months...IF THEY PROVE YOU ARE HOOKED UP!!! They have ways of proving it either way...A CAMERA SNAKE...
