DIYbanter - View Single Post - Accidental use of water and water company?

Bart Byers

wrote:
politics require a political solution, if enough people get mad then
run someone for office on a change the water company position.

heck if even half the customers refused to pay the bills the company
would reform itself

The town clerk, who lives 20 miles away, set the policies. Those who
supported her have been voted out. In campaigning, the mayor and one
of the councilmen were quite outspoken in their anger, having been
victimized.

She works short hours. If the office is closed, you put your payment in
the night deposit slot. Once I happened to check my bank balance online
on the 24th. I discovered that the check I'd put in the slot on the
12th had not been cashed, which meant my water would have been
disconnected the next day. The clerk told me somehow they had not
received the check, and I had to pay a 10% penalty.

You avoid the penalty by paying before closing time on the 15th. Once I
arrived an hour before closing time. The place was locked and no car was
in the lot. I assumed the clerk was home sick. I put my payment in the
slot. The clerk charged me the penalty. She said sometimes they locked
up early to have a meeting, and in that case anyone who found the door
locked had to pay the penalty. As there were no cars present, she was
lying about the meeting. She took some time off and billed me for it.

It's unclear how she and her assistant fill their short hours, but she
is often there at night with the doors locked. People have warned the
council that she is not working but accruing overtime so she can retire
early and demand compensation.

The mayor and the council are against her but she continues to rule
because she knows how to fill out the forms the federal government
demands of a tiny town.