My husband and I are dealing with problems with Missouri American Water. We have been out of the country for the past two and a half years. The day before we left (Aug 2007)our rented home, I called to have all utilities shut off and pay final bills, water included. Everything seemed to be fine, and then, when we came back we had a bill from a collection agency b/c of a water bill that had gone unpaid from January 2009-July2009. We hadn't been living there since Aug 2007. The tenant after us said he received a bill in our name during his first month of residency. he paid it and then asked to have the water turned over into his name. He then received bills in his name and paid every one. Then, when he moved, he asked for the water to be shut off. They said Ok and didn't do it. The landlords called to have the water shut off after the last tenant moved out because when a tenant moves out, the water is turned over into the owners name. Obviously, they didn't do it because we now have a bill for over $300. Our landlords didn't know it hadn't been shut off, because they went to the house several times and no bills had been sent to the home. We just came back from the mission field and this sounds very sad, but we can't even pay an extra $300 and we shouldn't have to. This is not our bill. We did our part. The water company did not. And, every time we call, we get different answers. But, the same one is that there is no record of my calling to shut off the water. They say I only called to pay a bill.ndai

Can the utility disconnect my service if I file a dispute?

I'll first start off by saying we moved into our (rented) home in Nov 2007. I called the water company in DEC 2007 to set up my account and they told me the previous tenents had to remove their names before we could get on the account. I checked back in Jan 08 and was told they were off and I added my name to the account. I was told I would receive a bill as soon as the meter reader came out to red the meter. Well a month passed and no info on my new account. I then received a letter addressed to 'current tenant' saying that I had not yet set up my account and I need to do so ASAP. I then again called the water company and they told me that I had to fax them a copy of my lease to set up my account, funny-the last person I talked to told me that everything was set up and ready to go. So I faxed a copy of my lease, and called 2 days later to see if it was received; it wasn't-I was told to wait a few more days (since when does it take 'days' to receive a fax??) So I called back a WEEK later to confirm my lease was faxed. The woman on the phone told me it was received and everything was perfect on my account and that yet AGAIN, I would receive my bill as soon as the meter man made his way out to read my meter. 2 months later...after still hearing no word on a bill. I call back. NO NAME ON THE ACCOUNT....WHAT!!! I am hopeless at this point..I give her my info AGAIN...and yet again she says everything is set up and to wait for the meter man..(keep in mind they don't have record of my first two calls and NEVER got any copy of my lease. They didn't even ask me for a lease this time) I also asked the lady..When will I get my bill?? It's been 5 months already and I have been trying to establish this account for months, constantly being lied to by whoever I speak to. She recommends that I save money each month for this bill and that because they have now switched to bi-monthly billing, I probably won't get my bill for another two months, and oh by the way-It will be since Dec 2007 that I will be paying for. Sooo July comes and I get a $438.00 due in 2 weeks. I set up an account to make the payment online and make my payment. a week after the bills due date I receive a letter saying my check was returned to to insufficient funds. Funny because I had more then enough to cover the bill. I am also assessed a $25 check fee. I call and inquire as to why it was returned and they tell me insufficient funds, but learn after further questioning that it is because I used a pre-paid visa card to make my payment. I don't recall any thing saying I couldn't use this type of visa card but I once again suck it up and re-pay online with a different account. A day after I make the payment online, someone from the water company emails me saying- ' We cannot accept an online payment from you because of your previously rejected check'. I say fine, and pay at a check cashing place. Well..they took the money out of my account electronically anyways. so I made 2 payments of $438. I call complaining and the water company says, I should've ' just left the payment online alone (but they told me it wouldn't be accepted!!!) anyways, I can't get any refund until the payment is posted form the check-cashing place. I file a dispute with my bank because the $438.00 they took out electronically bounced because the money I had in there to cover the bill, I had taken out to pay at the check cashing establishment. my account was $438.00 in overdraft plus the $35 fee assessed for overdraft. I had no choice but to file a dispute. The bank found in my favor and sent me a check. this was after the water company mailed me there check, which I had already cashed. (the water company cancelled this check after they found out about the dispute with my bank. So nevertheless. the check was rejected. I was once again charged a return check fee of $25 from the water company. I payed back the water company the $438, the returned check fees $50 and my current bill of $372 in a lump sum 3 weeks ago. I got a bill this last Saturday (sep 13th) saying my water would be cut off next Wednesday (23 sep) if I do not pay the $371. my first thought is' didnt't I pay that almost 3 weeks ago??' Well I call today and they tell me they sent me a letter notifying me of a 'deposit' required due to my 'returned check fees' (wasn't I already penalized by these fees in having to pay $25 for each??) This deposit was $400 which they decided they would take out of my payment I made of $785 to cover the $438 check error and my current bill of $371 and check fees. I was never notified of any 'deposit' but they say I was and that I have to be lying. So once again I have to suck it up and pay the $371 AGAIN. My son is the most at loss because his 6th birthday is this week and the $400 I had saved over for his birthday will have to be spent paying the water company once again for their mistakes and lack of communication. Oh and another thing crosses my mind..my 7 month water bill was $438..and my 3 month was $371??? does that make sense to anyone? I am afraid for the next bill to come, who knows hos much it will be..we have been conserving water and somehow our bill increased threefold. Not to mention the customer service is horrible. They blame me and make me feel like someone who is trying to get over on them, funny how my other bills have never been late. How do I get help on this?? Do I have to keep being in fear of rceiving my bill and paying it? What is this $400 deposit and when will I get it back? Isn't this double-jeopardy? Help!!

We have had a plumber out to inspect our home, our water outside was turned off for the winter, and yet the water company claims we have used over 200,000 gallons of water in 1 billing cycle. (Our typical is around 8900 a month.) Our bill is over $1000. It is simply not possible, yet despite our proof that there are no leaks in our home, the water company continues to deny that it is even feasible that they have made a mistake and are trying to make us pay the bill. We are taking them to small claims court.

Our recent monthly water bills have reflected a 103% increase over the previous year-while my family's water usage habits have not changed. I have called the City of San Diego, who indicated that my meter did not reflect a leak on the property. I am cannot image how a family of four could incur a $400+ monthly water bill. Has anyone else experienced erroneous billing by the Water Dept? I am not sure how to proceed.

My water bill doubled in one month in 2004. It was because the water meter was not read. Our water bill again has doubled, then dropped to an “estimated average” and stayed in that billing range for several months. Recently, our water statement tripled, then dropped to an “estimated average” now quad tripled. I contacted the City of San Diego Water Department and was told our current usage was 2078 HCF to 2184 HCF. The last statement left off at 2058 HCF. I went & read the meter 9/28/07 at the address the Water Department informed me where my meter is, to read and there is no such address. However, at the end of our block, on a property’s lot, is where my meter is and I read it. That reading was 2132 HCF. Noticeably, the meter has not been read in quite sometime. To read the meter, I was required to scrub off the built up grim & layers of dust and remove the cobwebs. I re-contacted the Water Dept., with my findings and a with the much different reading than what our statement reflects. I was told the City of San Diego Water Department does not adjust prior statements for credit due to it customers due to errors of overcharging by the Water Department.
I recall a newscast not long ago, where Jerry Sanders stated the homeowners of San Diego are to receive credits of reimbursements for the tumultuous amounts of wrongful billings by the City of San Diego Water Department, that goes into millions of dollars. The Water Department has been sited and continues to wrongfully bill their customers. The bottom line is, the Water Department does not check meters.

R.A. Snyder Properties, Inc. manages more than 200 properties in San Diego County... which means we pay about the same number of City of San Diego Water Department bills every few months.

Since late May, many of our payments have not been posted by the City of SD... and we are getting "Late Payment" notices on a regular basis. We have two options: Issue a stop-payment on the first check and reissue a replacement check, or, send a new check without putting a stop-payment on the first check.

Some of our properties do not have sufficient cash to simply write another check and wait to see if both checks clear... and both checks do indeed eventually clear. If we dare to issue a stop-payment on the first check when the City tells us that check did not arrive, lo and behold the check is submitted for payment 2-3 weeks later... and our bank returns it, unpaid, per the stop-payment order. The City of SD assesses us a $25 NSF fee, despite the fact that we had already communicated to them of our predicament. We are stuck between a rock and a hard place, and it hurts.

I am the V.P. of our Accounting Department, and when I called today I attempting to convey the above message... but the person taking my call would only address one account at a time... which we have already done, one at a time, as each late-payment notice arrived. I asked to speak with a supervisor at the City of SD Water Department, and I was not permitted to. I had clearly explained my request, as I wrote above to you, and I gave them my name and title... yet I was not allowed into voice mail, nor was I connected to a live person. A message was taken by "Elvira" with a promise that "Elena" would call me back. "Elvira" called back after 20 minutes. According to Elena, there is no internal problem with their AR department. (To her credit, if I had an internal problem in my office I wouldn't share that information - so I don't know how reliable that statement is.)

I asked Elena if there was a solution. She gave me two options:
Hand-deliver our payments. (With more than 200 properties in San Diego County, this is not an option.)
Mail our payments to their downtown payment center. (I will certainly give this a shot.)

I am convinced that there is a problem somewhere at the City of SD Water Department... because each and every check that they claim they never got, they eventually "find"... so my question is: Where the bleep are the checks sitting all this time? By the way, we have ruled out the possibility that it is a USPS problem, as the City of SD Water Department is the only vendor who is not receiving prompt payment.

I would love for UCAN to discuss this with Jerry Sanders, the Water Department, and whoever else might clean up the problem.

Problems at my company come through me - and I solve them. Somebody at the Water Department surely can solve this one...

Thank you!

Reminder to dispute charges you feel are unfair: Fill out the complaint form (located on home page) in most complete fashion possible. Please fax bills you want reviewed to answer questions &/or to dispute charges to 619-696-7477, scan and email bills or mail copies to 3100 5th Ave., Ste B San Diego, CA 92103. Please note that we are unable to review and dispute bills in states other than CA. However, we will provide a resource for you if you live in another state, if possible.

SAM

Maybe I'm deluded but it doesn't seem right that water customers should be charged sewer fees when they don't use the sewer. I have argued with the water dept over this issue time and again and its a waste of time.

For example: This month I got my bill after spending almost all of last month on a trip. My water usage last month was 1 HCF according to my bill - but all my other fees are the same as every other bill water base fee $15.87, sewer base fee 11.32, sewer srvc charg 11.36, drain fee $.95. Total bill is 41.23 when I only consumed $1.73 of water.

I travel a lot and many times I don't consume any water that month and am still charged for sewer fees/charges.

Also, when I am home, to save water I also converted part of my house to grey water use and water all the yard with used shower water that obviously never goes into the sewer. Doesn't matter to the water company I still get charged the same old fees every month.

How is it justified to charge consumers for services not proportional to their use?
Doesn't anyone else notice the same problem with their bill?

It seems there is no incentive to save water I may as well just turn all the taps on and waste waste waste because most months my water bill is very high no matter what I do to save.

my water bill was for $1,0050. for a 3 month period. i proved it was not leaky toilets as theym contended.
they replaced old meters with ones that are on computers. when they replaced my meter it showed i supposeedly used 144,000 gal of water for 3 minths and then mysteriously dropped to 40 gal. of water. nothing was done to repair anything at that time and i am puzzled by the erratic nature of the old meter. they did not bench test it because they said they didn't havre it!
many people in my area paid exhorbitant bills because their outside meter numbers didnt match with the meters in their homes. how could that be?
Eileen