Another Unhappy Water Dept. Customer ?
Re: Refund for 1885 Creekwater Blvd. October 31, 2013 10:32 AM
From: “Patrick Stajdel Sr” <lpstajdel@yahoo.com>
To: “Heather McDonald” <hmcdonald@port-orange.org>
Cc: “Greg Kisela” <gkisela@port-orange.org>
Heather,
Once again I am extremely stressed as to how Port Orange does business and how they bill their water customers. Lets review the steps I have taken so far to try and get my water bill account closed out and any money refunded that was set aside in my deposit.
1. I called the PO Water Customer service dept on July 8 and informed them of the sale of my house with a closing date of July 25 and asked for the water to be turned off on that date. I was informed that they would not turn water off until I faxed them my closing statement on the day of closing and call to verify that they received it.
2. On 25 July a fax from Watson realty was sent to Customer Svc and followed up with a phone call asking again that my water be turned off.
3. I than received another water bill, which went to my old address and then forwarded to my new address with water charges from 7-12 to 8-14-13, which was $100.27. The way I figure that bill should be prorated to be around $45.00 for services rendered between 7-12 to 7-25-13.
4. I went in person and told them that I had moved and did not understand how I was responsible for the water bill when I had completed their request on how to terminate my water charges. I was told that they never received my fax and wanted to know who I spoke with on the follow up call. I explained that I did not remember who I spoke with but I could provide evidence of the fax transmittal which I did. I was told that for me to be proffessional, I should have also documented whom I spoke with and without that, they could not verify that I followed up on the fax and with out that there was know way they would have taken action on closing my water bill.
5. I received another bill, statement date 9/19/13 requesting payment of $74.41 which was adjusted by $25.46 without explanation.
6. I made another call complaining about my bill on 9/27/13 and they requested that I send documents showing I had faxed in the closing statement on 7-25-13 which I did sending this info by email to Heather.
7. On 10/9/13 I called back and talked to Jenny and Heather following up the status of my bill and was told that it was approved by their office but it now had to be approved by finance which may take 4-6 weeks.
8. On 10/28/13 I called back and again talked to Heather and asked about status of bill and she stated that I could expect a check in about 4-6 weeks for the amount of $28.85 which I was told was the remaining part I owed after subtracting my $100.00 deposit. I asked her to email me how that amount was calculated which she did.
9. Upon review of the final billing and calculation, I still believe that I am being billed incorrectly. I noticed that the billing calculations were based on a termination date of 8/19/13 which is clearly well after the sale of my property which was 7/25/13.
I would like your help in resolving this issue. This has been going on way to long and I feel that I am being forestalled in order to make me just go away. I am not happy on the way I am being treated and feel an explanation is warranted.
Patrick J Stajdel
Mr. Stajdel, I understand your frustration and all this is not new to water customers in the U.S. trying to conduct honest business with any governmental agency. My mother had $1200 retained in escrow when she sold her home in Queens New York, in the 1980s, because the city of new York was suing the manufacturer of faulty water meters. It took a lawyer to get the city of new York to resolve the water bill with my Mother and the new owners.
In 1994 I moved from Selden L.I. to Port Orange, and I filed all the proper papers and requested the water department to come and read my water meter on the day of our closing on the sale of the home. The water department did not come on that date to read the water meter. The water meter was located inside the home on the bottom floor of the dwelling. The new owners would not let the water meter in to read the water meter, so the water department tracked me down in Florida and sent me a bill for 4 months of water usage, which was being used by the new owners.
It took many phone calls to clear up the matter.
It should be clear to all, that our governmental agencies are not primed to be people friendly, but they protect the system and are slaves to computers. Being slaves to computers makes excuses for not doing the work they are being paid to do.
I come from a civil service background, but that of a generation which worked in the 50s and 60s. Even in those days civil servants were thought to be lazy, but I would venture to say that now in 2013, the perception is that civil servants are criminally negligent.
I am amazed how the city of Port Orange can not help an honest citizen get out of his water billing problem, but can spend pay 19 dollars a minute for a lawyer to recoup a million dollar mistake in water bills.
It sinks, it stinks, it stinks. And I tell you, no amount of words and dialogue from you, me, Ted Noftall, Mark Schaefer,Corey Berman, or Newton White will change this crowd in city hall. The new city manager has been taken over by the country slick boy, Allen Green, and Port Orange is still just like the good old days with Parker and Shelley. The we are family crowd are still in power.
Vote in the next city election. And keep on them. They deserve to be watched by us and an inspector general.
— hank springer