Non-Usage Water CHARGE - Are you kidding me?!

I live in the country. I have owned my home for the past 10 years. I have well water. The town decided to pipe in their water to my surrounding area. They came out, dug up the roads to put in their pipes. I received a letter informing me that I had to either sign up for the town water, or decline it. No problem, I do not want it.

I received another letter today stating since I chose not to hook up to the town water, if I decide to in the future it will be an $1,800.00 hook up charge. Also, once the town water is turned on in my area, I will be getting a monthly bill of $34.00 for NON-USAGE CHARGE.

Let me get this correct. You, the town, offered your fluoridated water to me, I declined it - chose to stay connected to my spring well water. Now you inform me I have to pay you MONTHLY for NOT using your water! You can't be serious!!

What are they going to do if I don't pay it? Disconnect my well? I am so damn mad right now

Any other ATS members encounter this kind of crap?

Take it to the courts man. This is despicable. Just like obamacare taxing you if you do not buy insurance. What a load of crap! Would somebody please tell me how much more we are going to take?

I hope that you don't live around me!
I would bet that you would be able to fight that in court.

reply to post by summer5


This sort of thing has been going on all around the country for sometime. They usually start a water district council to oversee the county water dept. All which get a fat check for presiding on it. They have to get they paychecks somehow. Most people in the counties are on well water and don't want city crap water. Its not about service its about control and making money.

reply to post by summer5


This is so sad and so wrong,I wonder if there is anything you
can do about this?Have you tried talking to a lawyer?

reply to post by sonofliberty1776


I am with you! I am so damn disgusted right now. Good thing its Saturday! If it were a work day, my a$$ would have been at city hall the minute I opened that letter. I'm sure I will still be feeling the same way first thing Monday morning.

reply to post by Submarines


I'm in south west VA. The thought of going to court over using my own water ...

Tell them to go straight to hell.

If you don't pay and they try to sue you, you will then have your day in court and a great amount of PR to back you. It's actually what you want to happen in order to bring this crap out in the open.

Make a stand!

reply to post by redrose123


You're not kidding! Total control for the almighty dollar. As the saying goes, you can't fight city hall, but I am going to down trying!

reply to post by jude11


That just sounds crazy. To think you could be sued for not paying a water bill that you don't even have!! OMG!

reply to post by mamabeth


I can try and talk to a lawyer, but that's money out of my pocket I really don't have at the moment.

If I knew I could fight it and win, plus court costs...I would in a heart beat...but sadly I don't think it would turn out that way.

reply to post by summer5


Wow that's messed up! I would tell them to shove it up their (insert orifice here)! I'm so sick of utilities it makes me sick. But I'm hooked so I'm stuck. AT&T is implementing a minimum usage charge for their land line phone service. Use X amount of long distance or get charged a fee. I think it's only 2-4 bucks but it's still BS! They're not gonna stop until they have extracted every last penny from our pockets! Dam I need to go off the grid.

reply to post by summer5
Some lawyers give free consultation,anyway worth looking into...Good Luck..ATS is behind you,
by the way,are there any lawyers on ATS?

That is priceless I worked for the state and in addition part of a union...I could decline being part of a union when I started but would still have to pay union dues because some benefits come from it....man what dirt bags in your city...

I really can't see how they could possibly get away with that. You said it was a Non usage CHARGE? If it's not a tax I can't see how they could enforce it. The only way I see them shutting your water off is shutting off the power to your property, and hence, your well. I think I would traipse down to the city hall building Monday and see what they say. However, government being government, stupidity abounds. I'm assuming if they got enough "back charge" on you that they would put a lien against your property. Good luck!

I live in an unincorporated area of San Diego County in a mobile home park. I own my home outright, but still pay monthly rent and water, gas, electric, sewage trash and paramedic. That's right, $9.95 per month for paramedic.

This is not a senior park. Its a family park. I have never used paramedic, but if I do, I'll betcha I get a bill! I asked about this, my property manger said its some ordinance. IDK.

Seems like they find ways to get our money no matter what.

F them. Ugh. on my time warner cable bill, theres a note about some new charges, and they arnt required by law to collect it, its not a tax, but their charging it anyway... Let me find that bill...

"state cost recovery fee" its intended to recover a portion of the costs imposed by texas on twc... So I have to pay them because they want to do business in texas. Wtf?

I agree with Jude 11. Let them take you to court.

Clearly, this is extortion.

However, if this is AWS, American Water Supply that's bullying you, then I'm not sure about going to court.

AWS is tied in with corrupt politicians in a quid pro quo type of set-up ... kick-back$.

AWS is slowly trying to take over the country's water supply, little by little ...so if one is in Florida, the water bill says FL American Water Supply and for customers in California then the water bill says, CA American Water Supply, and so on. They fluoridate their (crappy) water on purpose to make people sick. They are also money grubbing extortionists, as are all 'alphabet agencies'.

Their disturbingly, twisted plans ... a population that's sick and broke can't fight back.

reply to post by imawlinn


That's just it, I have been slowly trying to move off the grid.That was one of the reasons I moved to the country to begin with. Dropped home phone, been looking into alternative electricity, I was on the well so that wasn't an issue, (until NOW). The way I see it, no matter how hard you try, they find away to keep you hooked in to the system.

reply to post by Jana12


All I know is I am getting letters from Water Department through City Hall. Now, that could be just for initial hook-up, I'm not sure. But I will be looking into it. Thanks for mentioning it.