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This thread title should be changed from "Tenants" (doesn't to involve them) to "Fighting" (which is happening)... and maybe "Winning" (at the end of the process!).
Yes! That is one of the first articles I found when researched smart meters & their issues.
What we have since found out, however, & after speaking with our friend & his lawyer/friend a little more in depth, is that they don't have smart meters on their properties. The 3rd person (who we also personally know) does. His bill was nowhere near as high as ours, but for a small rental property with an average of $200/$225 a quarter & for over a decade? A $2800 quarterly bill is a huge increase. Not $5K or $8K, but significant enough.
We also found out that our smart meter was a 2013 model that was installed on our property in 2017. Yet the testing of the meter showed that not only was it working just fine & dandy, it wasn't working as well as it should have, so we were UNDERCHARGED for that billing cycle.
At this point we aren't sure if it's a smart meter issue or a city that is intentionally screwing over it's property owners. A money-grab that property owners haven't been able to fight or prove up to this point. All seem to be landlord/rental properties so far, but those folks are the only ones who we know.
Which is a little coincidental, if you ask me.
How can we only know 3 others in this city and all 3 have also had out of control water bills?
Put on your short skirt and figure out where the guys working for the water department go for work. A few drinks and you should have your answer.
To me it sounds like a money grab. That's just way too much usage even if a tenant was pissed off at you.
I’d fight it too. If i can prove a year over year month over month a average bill of 120 bucks and all of the sudden the bill was 8,000 I would be paying the average bill so the water won’t get shut off and carry the balance forward while I’m going to go to court.
Here is how the city gets around that, from what we have learned (I may explain it poorly):
NB doesn't treat it's own sewage, it's treated by another town. Any partial payment of the water bill will not be applied to the sewer part of the water/sewer bill. So a tax lien will be slapped on the property for non-payment of the sewer bill.
Now how do folks who work out a payment plan for a normal usage water/sewer bill and NOT have a tax lien put on their property?
That remains to be answered.
Quote:
Just because they send a bill stating you owe them that much doesn’t mean you actually do. Especially if the smart meters are known to be problematic. Screw them and their smart meter. I would let a judge decide.
I would go to court and would demand
1. The factory calibration for THAT meter
2. How many times is the meter calibrated after installation..
3. Bring proof if you have of the model of meter that has a record of erroneous readings.
4. Tell them you want a new calibrated meter to be installed
5. How many smart meters have been replaced since they switched to those meters.
None of these things are unreasonable. They need to prove that their equipment is working with no faults. If there is any doubt of the meter performance it should be brought up. If the meter malfunctioned it’s not your problem.
We do not have #1 or #2. We have #3 & a full report of the meter after it was tested. We apparently have #4, and my husband has been (we have two units moving out at the end of May) at the property at least 2x a week to show potential tenants & taking pictures of the water meter readings on those days. He will be there again tomorrow morning. Don't know about #5 YET, but apparently it's also the "old meters" that have been giving outrageous readings without the properties having any leaks (checked by plumbers).
I do have to question why the city is in the early stages of making a move to convert over to smart meters, and ours was a 2013 model. Installed in 2017. Yet this meter was tested & we were told that we were actually undercharged.
Quote:
You can check yourself if the line is leaking. Close all the faucets, hose bibs in the house. Your meter should not be counting any water movement. If there is water movement on the counter
Do this
Go to the main shut off supply to the house. Turn it off. See if there is any more movement.
If there is you have a leak between the stree5 shutoff and main supply. If the movement stops you have a leak in the house.
Yes, we've BTDT! Even after the old meter was showing "normal" usage between the last billing cycle and having the meter changed out. So how could there be any leaks? My husband checked the units when the kids left for break, and there was nothing running or dripping. Not a toilet, not a faucet, nada.
I have 5 years of water/sewer bills for this property, no issue until after the smart meter was installed. But it still doesn't explain the others, who do not have smart meters, & have owned their properties for many years longer than we have owned this one, and all of sudden - when the water dept has been & currently is an internal mess? They get ridiculous water bills out of the blue (and no leaks).
The city has also been increasing the cost of water/sewer over the years....
This thread title should be changed from "Tenants" (doesn't to involve them) to "Fighting" (which is happening)... and maybe "Winning" (at the end of the process!).
SO they already have been found to be doing a poor job and then covering it up once before, and they passed the ordinance to raise rates at a meeting the day before New Year's Eve, when no one would know about it (my town council doesn't even meet after the first week of December so that people won't think they are trying to sneak stuff through.)
If I were you, I would stay on your current path. All hands on deck for this one.
After they completed the privatization, I would follow that timeline and check your bills against that.
SO they already have been found to be doing a poor job and then covering it up once before, and they passed the ordinance to raise rates at a meeting the day before New Year's Eve, when no one would know about it (my town council doesn't even meet after the first week of December so that people won't think they are trying to sneak stuff through.)
If I were you, I would stay on your current path. All hands on deck for this one.
After they completed the privatization, I would follow that timeline and check your bills against that.
Absolutely!
New Brunswick's council is in cahoots with my town council. Has been for decades. This is a well known fact around town...for those who pay attention and/or have businesses in the town.
I do think the fear is real for some.
Our "friend" who had the $5K water/sewer bill? Refuses to go to the council meeting with us. He collects a pension from the city & FINALLY told us he won't because he has seen others, like him, who have had issues with the city get targets put on their backs. He's not willing to lose his lifetime health care & pension for a $5K water/sewer bill. He was a NB police officer for as short as he needed to be in order to collect what he does - he was losing his mind. Catch and release was not working for him. He lost faith in the system and what he signed up for.
I don't understand how he could lose his benefits over fighting a water bill, but he's sticking to his guns.
He is 46/47 years old...hasn't been a NB cop for as long as we've known him, and that's going on 12 years. I've known him since HS, but we didn't run back in to each other until one of his children and one of mine were in pre-K4 together - they are now sophomores in HS and he had been "retired" for more than a few years back then.
He's willing to talk to the reporters who have contacted us, but only if he can be "anonymous". Both have said "no problem". He's ok with his property address being used. But we have to speak at the council meeting on Tues. first - before anything will be written up by these reporters.
My husband went to the council meeting last Tues. One of of the council members suggested that my tenants had a water balloon fight.
You know, those "crazy college kids". /eyeroll
Another council member suggested that we pay double the normal quarterly bill and let it be the end of it.
The city administrator said that bills are supposed to be collected upon, so "end of story" as far as he was concerned.
A woman from a community outreach program in the city gave my husband her card & said that she knows of 79 other cases where folks have had ridiculously high (not as high as ours) water/sewer bills in the recent past.
He gave her a call & we're waiting to hear back.
Our plumber flaked out, so we have a different one coming this Wed. to investigate.
Lawyer (different lawyer) said we need the plumber's report & that he also knew of others in the city who had high bills.
Still nothing from the city as to how we are to proceed, so waiting for the inspection & report & then will contact the director of the water utility.
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Informed Info
Only a few updates for anyone interested.
My husband went to the council meeting last Tues. One of of the council members suggested that my tenants had a water balloon fight.
You know, those "crazy college kids". /eyeroll
Another council member suggested that we pay double the normal quarterly bill and let it be the end of it.
The city administrator said that bills are supposed to be collected upon, so "end of story" as far as he was concerned.
A woman from a community outreach program in the city gave my husband her card & said that she knows of 79 other cases where folks have had ridiculously high (not as high as ours) water/sewer bills in the recent past.
He gave her a call & we're waiting to hear back.
Our plumber flaked out, so we have a different one coming this Wed. to investigate.
Lawyer (different lawyer) said we need the plumber's report & that he also knew of others in the city who had high bills.
Still nothing from the city as to how we are to proceed, so waiting for the inspection & report & then will contact the director of the water utility.
Good luck! What a freakin' nightmare! Wonder how much the City Administrator is lining his/her pockets with the overcharges.
What an asinine remark about water balloons.
I love getting updates so keep them coming.
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