an initial fee up to $600 plus an additional $300 to renew every six months. It would have been a travesty to me, for [my parents] to go through what they went through to be home owners and, while its in my care, the city takes it.. to reconnect services. But she kept getting billed every six months, Public Works: publicworks@westchicago.org, West Chicago City Hall Pastor Darryl Hickman owed $9,212.22. Once a multi-million-dollar company, the business supported the Kohn family through two World Wars and the Great Depression. the attention of the rightpeople. the newmeters. Until a Foreclosure Deed is executed, the borrower may still have certain rights to the property. Learn more about how WBEZ investigated water debt in Chicago and the data behind After serving in the military, her grandfather Chicagos Inspector General Joseph Fergusons office uncovered emails that extended to senior levels of department management More than 60% of the debt is concentrated in the city's majority Black ZIP codes. The City accepts the following major credit cards: Visa, Master Card, American Express, and Discover. In 2017, then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel implemented a water-sewer tax on top of the earlier rate hike. More than 60% of the debt is concentrated in the citys majority Black ZIP, The citys debt collection system has moved delinquent water bills into the hands of private debt collectors,with little transparency. Please enter valid email address to continue. Still, at least one Harvey alderman doesn't believe Chicago was stiffed for purely altruistic reasons. way of collecting waterdebt. size and number of plumbing fixtures instead of the actual number of gallons used. "We're working on our final billing district," City Administrator Michael Guttman said Thursday. Follow her @Kat_Nagasawa. If an adjustment is made to your account as a result of the dispute, you will receive a credit. "Obviously, I am not in a position to pay a water bill of $5,195.14 for water consumption that should (be) less than $200," Otubusin wrote in his letter, according to court documents. Shortly after taking office in 2011, when faced with his first budget deficit, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel followed the footsteps of his predecessor former Mayor Richard M. Daley. Check or money order only. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. A drop box is available in the City Hall parking lot for check or money order payments to Groot. to a statement from the waterdepartment. How do I start garbage pickup? Matt Kiefer is WBEZs data editor. The notetaker was probably parroting what the owner was tellinghim.. Within a few months, Taylor was To promote safe browsing, we will be changing our web address (also known as the URL) from chicago.docugateway.com to utilitybill.chicago.gov. Some payment options are outlined here in English and in Spanish. Homeowners stuck in water debt can lead to properties But the city delayed her building permits for that house for Effective July 1, 2022, the following Minimum Usage Charges will be applied to City of West Chicago customers' bi-monthly bills based on the following individual meter sizes: Minimum Usage Charge (for the first 2,491 gallons of water used) Meter Size Current 7/1/2022 or less $20.00 $30.00 1 $30.00 $40.00 1 $40.00 $50.00 2 $100.00 If you have lost your property through a foreclosure and are still receiving a water bill, please provide a copy of the executed Foreclosure Deed via fax to 312.747.6894, email to utilitybilll@cityofchicago.org or mail to P.O. says Kerry Kohn. After the hearing, the town's spokesman took a different tack, questioning Chicago's actions over the years. delinquent water debt ended up with defaultjudgements. Former City Council Black Caucus chair Ald. The Kohns' renter, American Ideal 1, amassed a $6,213.84 water bill in their first five months renting the business in 2014. If that tree right there could talk, thats why you see I got a picture on it. Use the self-addressed envelope enclosed with the water/sewer bill, or mail payment directly to: City of West Chicago I could see my breath, she said of her Englewood home. quality, there was no consistent information that was being delivered from the customer service representative to the watercustomers.. Furthermore, some frown on the practice of municipalities taxing water atall. "Now it's just destroyed. Davis along with other local organizations worked together during the pandemic to reconnect water services to Chicagoans and provide free bottled water. Manuel Martinez is a visual journalist at WBEZ. Can I manage my utility billing account online? hundreds of millions of dollars, collectively, owed to the city. Federal officials, as part of a criminal probe, have subpoenaed records involving Harvey's last comptroller. In the meantime, regarding the water lawsuit, the judge Friday ordered both Harvey and Chicago's attorneys to "sit down and talk" within a week to try to settle what documents are owed and can be provided. I received a letter stating that my meter is running continuously, what does this mean? Chico issued his ruling. Or, if you prefer, you can also pay your utility bills online via E-Pay. Refuse stickers are available for sale at City Hall, area gasoline stations and grocery stores. Daley has aggressively pursued minor civil and criminal offenses, under the broken windows concept that unchecked small disorders will lead to larger ones, Jim Reilly, the first director of the administrative hearings department, His sister moved out of their childhood home in 2011, leaving behind the $257.68 debt to Water Management. of $1,100 that the city claimed she owed at thattime. Why would you penalize people for water? troubled billing system, punitive fees and aggressive collectiontactics. No account adjustments or billing cancellation can be made when, after registration, water has been used, wasted or lost through leakage. Water debt can help diminish the value of a home, keeping it from being well-maintained, sold or generating any wealth for relatives who inherit the property. Follow her @hall_marye. Elevate Energy replaced most of her interior plumbing, installed a new furnace, the statement read. Harvey aldermen, increasingly at odds with the mayor, have told the Tribune they're looking for ways to drastically cut the budget. This letter is sent to you as a courtesy to inform you of a possible water leak in or on your premises. That same year, the MeterSave program, a city program that installed water meters for free, exceeded its annual goal by installing more To obtain a Payoff Letter or a Lien Release please fax your request to 312.747.6894 or email your request to utilitybill@cityofchicago.org. When the Department of Water Management is able to obtain an actual meter reading you will receive a bill that reflects the actual usage. She was desperate and contacted the mayors office asking for help restoring her water. Community Development: communitydev@westchicago.org Angela Caputo contributed fact-checking to this report. A local nonprofit told her about the citys MeterSaveprogram. Utility Bill Payment Plan Utility Billing & Customer Service has several payment plan options to residents. Around that time, local organizations partnered with the water department to help Chicagoans living without water during the pandemic Hickman's childhood home was one of the first black-owned houses in the neighborhood. billings andliens.. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune). That business is now worthless. Use our online system to pay your utility bill now by clicking on the button below. The Padgett family tree is rooted in this house. In-Person Payments How do I start utility service? Please enter the information exactly as it appears on your bill, including dashes. The billing problems began in October 2011 when the city began converting from water meters that were read manually to equipment that was supposed to send data electronically. This story is supported by the PulitzerCenter. Police: police@westchicago.org Pastor Darryl Hickman owed $9,212.22. Since 2010, Chicagoans have paid more than $937 million to address their delinquent water bills and additional fees associated with that debt. WBEZ investigated how Chicago leaders used the citys water supply to raise revenue over the past decade, leaving tens of thousands like Padgett in debt and facing serious legal consequences. If Utility Billing & Customer Service does not have a record of the Full Payment Certificate from your closing, you may be required to provide us with a copy of the deed and/ or full payment certificate. . "We're trying to donate it, but nobody will even take it because there's a $60,000 water bill," says Kohn in a small voice as he stands, tortured, in the basement by a water meter. If your current charges are not paid, we have the right to proceed with collection efforts including the termination of your water service. This is something that you should investigate. Her argument and probably WBEZs argument is likely that she has been unfairly billed continuously and her property has been vacant since 2007, an unnamed FOIA officer from the water department wrote in an email to former Before you dispute your bill, please take the time to understand your bill. Neither did the fourth person called. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) A man who was sent a $5,347 water bill in Homewood is suing the south suburban village . Over the years, Taylor made five requests to disconnect the water, documents show. Police: police@westchicago.org Taylor said beating City Hall is even sweeter because the city may have underestimated her a Black woman fromEnglewood. 131 in order to obtain a sprinkler meter. How do I start recycling? When Connor retired in December, deputy commissioner Andrea Cheng stepped in temporarily and was later named commissioner. Mayor Lightfoot has been focused on improving water affordability for lower-income residents from the beginning of her administration, wrote Cesar Rodriguez, Lightfoots press secretary. It ended only when they were informed that the noise was so loud it was interrupting another hearing that had begun in the courtroom. "You wait nearly six years to come along and say I owe you $9,000.". And you have to convince the representative that you are entitled to the information," Kohn said. Use the Illinois E-Pay system to make a one-time payment, or create an account to pay bills conveniently online with no signatures required. Does filing bankruptcy relieve me of outstanding utility charges? Late penalties, posting notices or interruption of water service can be avoided if payment arrangements are made prior to assessment of fees or shut off. After two minutes of discussion, Nearly four years after West Chicago revealed that new water meter reading equipment was causing a billing headache, hundreds of customers still are being adversely affected. forced to move into the vacant Englewood home that had been without water for more than a decade. This may happen because we cannot pick up an electronic signal from your meter or access to the meter has been prevented. An official website of the City of Chicago, Permit for Business ID and Advertising Signs, Vital Records from the Cook County Clerk's Office, AIC (Annual Inspection Certification) Inspections, Economic Disclosure, Affidavit, Online EDS, City Council Office of Financial Analysis, Community Commission for Public Safety & Accountability. For the remaining customers who still have an outstanding balance, please continue to make substantive payments to become current. The ordinance, which is still on the books, also allowed the city to issue interest, fines andfees. The State receives a service charge in proportion to the amount of your bill. Tired and frustrated, Taylor turned to the media forhelp. She said the city told her that months because of the erroneous delinquent water bill. "The only workaround is to try to obtain the account number by calling the department and then getting them to send you a copy of the bill through their duplicate document portal. Internal emails show officials discussing WBEZs requests. For a list of recycling material, visitwww.groot.com. than a $60 million cut from thattotal. "The city is still billing us even though the water meter hasn't moved and there's no water being used!" Im already struggling hard enough just to pay my mortgage, Padgett said. The city also went after 75 delinquent water accounts by filing liens against those properties with The drop box is emptied at 8:00 a.m. each weekday. The easiest way to pay is through the City's new web portal for utility billing. For information on Full Payment Certificates, please see Full Payment Certificates. Either way, the increasingly bitter two-year legal battle comes as the suburb's longtime mayor faces mounting pressure from inside and outside Harvey. For information on the Senior Sewer Exemption and how to apply, please see Apply for Water and Sewer Charge Exemptions. / CBS Chicago. When DWM is able to obtain an actual meter reading you will receive a bill that reflects that actual usage. An attorney for Harvey, Benjamin Jacobi, has countered in a legal brief that the suburb provided about 15,000 documents, none of which were false or misleading. It's been nearly a year since Sandie Robertson received a water bill from West Chicago. Water and sewer taxes put a disproportionately heavy burden on the population that is least able topay.. Its unclear how many of those And that water debt can have profound effects both on the generational wealth of individual families and on the long-term stability and economic viability of entire communities. Padgetts divorce and a subsequent job loss triggered a series of financial hardships that led to a bankruptcy. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and are an important tool for ending the global pandemic. Make a payment on your utility bill. "All that combined gets us to where we are today," Guttman said. reputation, previous clients evaluation as well as the client departments needs and evaluations, the law department wrote in a statement. Periodically, the Department of Water Management (DWM) is unable to obtain an actual meter reading. If you are set up for automatic withdrawal, your water and sewer is paid on the last banking day of the month. Chicago has fought for records to prove the misuse, with Cook County Associate Judge Rita Novak last month ordering the suburb to produce documents showing where the water money went.