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I need to dispute the water / sewer bill that my apartment manager has been giving me - but wanted to get some input first:
Background
My apartment management company has my water meter read and sends me a bill for water (and sewer), along with 'service fees', that I must pay directly to the apartment managing company.
I read somewhere that this was handled differently than other utilities like power, gas, cable, for a reason, but I don't remember why. Only that the water and sewer bills were collected by the apartment owners (or management companies). All the other utilities were billed by and paid to those utility companies.
After living in my apartment complex for several years, I was used to paying my water/sewer bills to the apartments each month, no bother or problem, and averaged over several years at $30/month.
This cost has varied only a few dollars per month. (I'm alone, so my water consumption should very only by me taking longer showers, running the dishwasher etc. differently each month, just a bit). No yard watering, so it's weather independent.
The ownership changed a few months ago, and the new management also means new meter-reading and billing firm, but still paid directly to the apartments.
Problem
The new water/sewer bill they've sent out for several months is about $15 more than in the past, and more interesting, it's exactly the same - to the penny, each month, even though the gallons consumed vary like it has in months & years past, and even the number of days per month varies.
Question:
Does anyone know where in the Raleigh statues it identifies the process of apartment owners metering and collecting for water/sewer? (I"m looking for the actual statues so I can read what is required, and what my rights for error-dispute are, and what is allowed or limited regarding 'service' fees).
Has anyone disputed the water / sewer billing process with their apartment managers? Note; the actual gallons consumed is NOT in dispute. Just the billing, service fees, etc.
I need to dispute the water / sewer bill that my apartment manager has been giving me - but wanted to get some input first:
Background
My apartment management company has my water meter read and sends me a bill for water (and sewer), along with 'service fees', that I must pay directly to the apartment managing company.
I read somewhere that this was handled differently than other utilities like power, gas, cable, for a reason, but I don't remember why. Only that the water and sewer bills were collected by the apartment owners (or management companies). All the other utilities were billed by and paid to those utility companies.
After living in my apartment complex for several years, I was used to paying my water/sewer bills to the apartments each month, no bother or problem, and averaged over several years at $30/month.
This cost has varied only a few dollars per month. (I'm alone, so my water consumption should very only by me taking longer showers, running the dishwasher etc. differently each month, just a bit). No yard watering, so it's weather independent.
The ownership changed a few months ago, and the new management also means new meter-reading and billing firm, but still paid directly to the apartments.
Problem
The new water/sewer bill they've sent out for several months is about $15 more than in the past, and more interesting, it's exactly the same - to the penny, each month, even though the gallons consumed vary like it has in months & years past, and even the number of days per month varies.
Question:
Does anyone know where in the Raleigh statues it identifies the process of apartment owners metering and collecting for water/sewer? (I"m looking for the actual statues so I can read what is required, and what my rights for error-dispute are, and what is allowed or limited regarding 'service' fees).
Has anyone disputed the water / sewer billing process with their apartment managers? Note; the actual gallons consumed is NOT in dispute. Just the billing, service fees, etc.
Thanks!
Submetering is not regulated but may the Good Lord help you if you deal directly with the city.
Our bill from Rraleigh just went up again this week to over $70/month for a 2 BR with no lawn or car wash use.
The junk fees on the bill look like Spirit Airlines.
The city does not bill exact gallons. It rounds into units called CCF which are 748 gallons each. They round up but never down. So you may get the same bill every month even if your usage varies.
You do have a right to an explanation of the bill either from the landlord or the billing contractor. Demand one but you may be getting a better deal than from Raleigh direct.
This is one public utility not running in the public good.
Submetering is not regulated but may the Good Lord help you if you deal directly with the city.
Our bill from Rraleigh just went up again this week to over $70/month for a 2 BR with no lawn or car wash use.
The junk fees on the bill look like Spirit Airlines.
The city does not bill exact gallons. It rounds into units called CCF which are 748 gallons each. They round up but never down. So you may get the same bill every month even if your usage varies.
You do have a right to an explanation of the bill either from the landlord or the billing contractor. Demand one but you may be getting a better deal than from Raleigh direct.
This is one public utility not running in the public good.
$70/month for a 2 br? My bill last month for my 2 br also with no lawn or car wash use was $39/month.
The city does not bill exact gallons. It rounds into units called CCF which are 748 gallons each. They round up but never down. So you may get the same bill every month even if your usage varies.
The meter doesn't reset to zero each month, so you get the benefit of any rounding up in the next month.
Once everything is accounted for, you will be subject to one "rounding up" for the entire period (years? decades?) you have water service. A CCF in Raleigh currently costs between $2.47 and $5.49 depending on how much you're using...they're not exactly soaking you with this rounding.
Thanks for the responses, but as I said in the OP, the actual water-consumed amounts are NOT what bothers me.
Each apartment has a meter that is read monthly (remotely), by a meter reading firm that gives the numbers to the apartment manager, who then mails me a bill.
My problem is that in several years past, the consumption very pretty consistent, with the cost gradually increasing as Raleigh gradually upped the fees. (averaging maybe a dollar or two increase each month or two).
Then the new firm came along, and the bill is now $15 more, and absolutely the same from month to month, even though my water consumption is the same, (fluctuating a bit from month to month). The bill no longer fluctuates $0.50 here and there.
Maybe the rate changed so that rounding makes my consumption range all fall within it's unchanging fee, but I doubt it.
I searched in the utility section of Raleigh's law (that I could find online), but it's all about homeowners rates.
Here's something I found in state guidance...it looks like if the water service is in the landlord's name and they're billing you, they can't charge you based on actual usage or else they become considered a regulated utility provider, which I'm sure they don't want to be.
That would explain why you're being billed a flat rate, and presuming you were a low-usage person before, your bill has gone up because they're now averaging total usage for the entire complex on a per-unit basis.
I think the easiest place to start is just to ask your management company for an accounting of how the bill is being calculated, expressing concern that it went up 50% with the change in ownership.
Here's something I found in state guidance...it looks like if the water service is in the landlord's name and they're billing you, they can't charge you based on actual usage or else they become considered a regulated utility provider, which I'm sure they don't want to be.
That would explain why you're being billed a flat rate, and presuming you were a low-usage person before, your bill has gone up because they're now averaging total usage for the entire complex on a per-unit basis.
I think the easiest place to start is just to ask your management company for an accounting of how the bill is being calculated, expressing concern that it went up 50% with the change in ownership.
Thanks for the info, and you are exactly right. I posted here to get some foundation before I went into their office.
I know the actual amount in dispute is small for me, but I feel I have the right to a full and detailed accounting, especially for something like a public utility.
Thanks for the info, and you are exactly right. I posted here to get some foundation before I went into their office.
I know the actual amount in dispute is small for me, but I feel I have the right to a full and detailed accounting, especially for something like a public utility.
Raleigh constantly lies saying they must raise rates because they are selling less water.
Bullfeathers! What are the new residents drinking and bathing in?
Just like the court fees and tolls. Government is always trying to get the money to support the needs of the new transplants without discouraging the influx of lemmings with proper fees.
We were asked to conserve water in the last drought. Guess what was our reward? Higher rates and tiered rates that pushed low volume users into tiers 2 and 3.
You have a right to the rates and can then compare them with Raleigh rates. You may now be experienced the junk fees added to water bills to make up for lax regulation in the past such as storm water control.
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