Two Properties Back-Billed For Sewer Services
Two homeowners will soon receive back bills for sewage services after human error and a problem in a reporting system were identified by the city.
During today’s Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting, two problems with billing were identified. The first was found on Aug. 16 by Mary Lou Plummer in the city’s wastewater billing office. In a letter to the B.O.W. she noted that the Warsaw Building and Planning department issued a temporary occupancy notice for 340 Nuthatch Dr., Warsaw, in April 2012, but her office never received the notice.
The back bill for that property is $521.60.
City planner Jeremy Skinner said a notice was sent to the billing office, but human error was likely to blame for the process never being entered into city information. “It happens once in a while,” he said.
In the second instance, a new home constructed at 442 N. Lake Placid Dr. in the Shadow Lakes subdivision, Warsaw, is also being billed for sewage services used since possibly Dec. 18, 2012. In that case, city planner Jeremy Skinner said the sewer inspection for the property was completed on Dec. 18, but because the property is outside of the city limits, and the county does not require date of occupancy certificates, the city is unsure just when the tenants moved in and began using the sewer services. “The only way to prevent that is to annex (the subdivision),” Skinner said.
The wastewater billing office began billing for the sewer services at 442 N. Lake Placid Dr. on Aug. 29. The B.O.W. decided that both property owners will be billed for services used, however, upon concerns by B.O.W. member Jeff Grose, the city said they will not demand immediate payment in full, but will work with the homeowners.