City Threatens Blind Woman For Unpaid 1-Cent Bill

[Kor37 9]

City threatens blind woman over unpaid 1-cent bill

 

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -A 74-year-old blind woman was shocked when her daughter found a letter from the city saying a lien would be placed on her home unless she paid an overdue water bill.

The amount? 1 cent.

Eileen Wilbur told The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro the letter sent her blood pressure soaring, and pointed out that stamps cost 42 cents.

City Collector Debora Marcoccio said the letter was among 2,000 sent out. A computer automatically prints letters for accounts with an overdue balance, and they are not reviewed by staff before being mailed, she said.

The letter warned of a lien and a $48 penalty if the overdue bill is not paid by Dec. 10. The charge was from the previous fiscal year, which ran from July 2007 to July 2008.

"My question is, how come it wasn't paid when the (original) bills went out?" Marcoccio said.

Wilbur's daughter, Rose Brederson, who discovered the bill in her mother's mail, called the situation "ridiculous." But she said her mother, who has lived in the home since 1959, would likely end up paying the penny.

 

[PhaseSniper 0]

 

I read that as: "City threatens TO blind woman over unpaid 1 cent bill".

Edited November 18, 2008 by PhaseSniper

[Ian Wood 1]

Drastic! lol

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

The same thing happened at a company I used to work for.

 

I sent a photocopy of the one cent past due notice to our accounts payable center - not that I seriously expected them to pay it but I figured they could use the laugh.

 

Then I reached into my pocket for a penny and mailed it off. I never heard back from the vendor.