Oct 30, 2009 9:29 pm US/Pacific
Call Kurtis: Billing Backlog
STOCKTON (CBS13) ―
So what are your rights if your utility company fails to bill you for years then comes knocking with their hand out? Do you have to pay them?
An elderly viewer in Stockton had that happen to her and she called on Kurtis Ming for answers.
"According to our records we have not received payments on your account" Annie Sessions says as she reads her latest letter from her water company.
Annie got the notice in the mail last month.
"Your current balance due is $2,582.40."
That hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Yes, yes, and I was fumin'."
You see, California Water Service didn't bill Annie since she moved into this rental home three years ago.
CWS tells us she's one of many who got caught in a billing backlog.
But boy are they playing catch-up; they're back-billing her to the day she moved in.
She took her bill to the CWS office in Stockton.
"I told the girl I said you know if I had a million dollars I don't think I should pay it because I didn't get a bill."
Annie doesn't have a million dollars; she's on a fixed income.
And by the time she left the office nothing was resolved.
She only knew California Water Service wanted their money, and since she didn't have it.
It looked like her water, sewer, and garbage service was going to come to a screeching halt.
"I am the little person that's sitting under the tree where the birds come to roost."
And you know what that means.
Annie then turned to us.
We learned state law says she is responsible for the bill.
However, she's entitled to make payments.
We also contacted CWS.
District manager Ross Moilan said they started working on a bill-reduction for
Annie, after her September visit to their office.
But she says they failed to tell her that.
She also got a final notice this week.
CWS told us they, along with the San Joaquin Rental Association, and Annie's landlord, were able to get Stockton to waive more than $1,500 worth of city charges.
That left about $750 on her water bill.
But after our inquiries, CWS decided Annie's was a special circumstance; they are now waiving all past-due fees.
Her new and improved bill is $70, her current bill.
We gave Annie the full scoop tonight and she's thrilled.
It looks like when she moved into her rental home she was confused as to who would be paying the water bill; that's why she didn't press the issue early on.
As for California Water Service, they say staffing shortages led to their billing backlog.
They tell us they're finally caught up and working on ways to prevent this from happening again.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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