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Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,168
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: NEED HELP WRITING A TRULY STINGING ANALOGY

Several neighbors here are having this same issue....we know it means the water main is about to break as it has on every other block when the water bills started to soar. If you are dealing with a private, for-profit entity,I say an attorney would be your best option. Their fee may be less than paying for huge amounts of water....and you may be paying a lot more in the future
Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,278
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: NEED HELP WRITING A TRULY STINGING ANALOGY

If it's a Municipal Authority you're out of luck.  They pretty much answer to no one and can do what they want or don't want...

Honored Contributor
Posts: 30,916
Registered: ‎05-10-2010

Re: NEED HELP WRITING A TRULY STINGING ANALOGY

It's a business, no one cares about your sarcasm and pithy comments.  Don't waste your time with foolish and childish antics.  They must have an appeals process; it's probably included with the bill.  If you cannot find it, call them and request that they mail you a copy of the appeals process and then follow that process.  That no exceptions for leaks is common, I think all water companies do that.  Appeal anway.  Also, if you are a senior citizen on a fixed income, call them and ask for someone in management and ask if they can give you a discount.  As a last resort, you could hire an attorney to get some resolution but I think I would only do that if there were some extenuating circumstances.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,775
Registered: ‎07-09-2011

Re: NEED HELP WRITING A TRULY STINGING ANALOGY

@PickyPicky3 

 

My Dad had an identical situation 2 months ago, except his bill was ONLY 9,000 gallons for a month.

 

He delivered a letter to them stating that they would need to prove to him in writing exactly how much of the water had been treated for sewage, and how it made it’s way to the treatment system as it did not take it’s usual course.

 

He also went to the City Manager.

 

They adjusted the bill to 250 gallons - twice his historical monthly usage.

 

Best Wishes 

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,889
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: NEED HELP WRITING A TRULY STINGING ANALOGY


@x Hedge wrote:

 @PickyPicky3   Two points struck me.

 

One, I wouldn't look for an equivalent 'other situation' to argue or exemplify my point. It says (to me) your angle is weak on it's own and needs bolstering.

 

 


 

I agree.  Don't throw analogies in.  Stick to the facts.  Analogies are irrelevant and unnecessary.  No flowery language, no attempts to be clever, no emotion.  I'm a big fan of all of that (!), but not for something like this.

 

Just the straight facts. What happened, and why you're disputing. 

 

Good luck!!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,486
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: NEED HELP WRITING A TRULY STINGING ANALOGY

If the leak occurred between the main line and your house, it did not get into your home, therefore, technically, it didn't enter the sewer system.

 

Good luck with any argument you choose to go with.  It's an uphill battle.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,736
Registered: ‎02-19-2014

Re: NEED HELP WRITING A TRULY STINGING ANALOGY

If an athlete were running a race, and the timekeeper started the stopwatch and then forgot to stop it (or if the stopwatch were faulty and wouldn't stop), the officials wouldn't insist on entering in the official record books that it took the runner over 2 hours to run a 50 yard dash. They'd throw out the whole thing.

 

The problem as I see it, is that the meter was faulty under the circumstances. It did not accurately record the amount of water that was processed by the sewer. That is not your fault. And the amount they are claiming is so ridiculous that it makes it even more obvious.

 

They need to prove to you that they processed that amount of water from your house. If they had done so, they should be able to show a report with a spike in processing demand for your specific area in that timeframe. They can't, so they need to adjust their bill to you accordingly.

When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.
"Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,019
Registered: ‎10-22-2018

I'm sorry -- I didn't say the argument is for future explanations of the problem, not for the utility itself. They couldn't care less. That ship has long sailed. All of your suggestions were good, but not in this extremely unusual situation. 

 

The leak was found and repaired.  The water leaked from my mobile home into the ground. I didn't contest the water charges, only the sewer treatment that never took place. The company's policy is that sewer charges are based on the amount of water that enters the home, since there's no outflow meter. Common industry practice. Just totally unfair with a large leak.

 

This company is exploiting to the hilt a crack in the legal system. The water comes from wells in the mobile home park. A private water source on private land, therefore not regulated. They are breaking no laws. The attorney general's office will only bring the parties together to talk, not make a decision. If I take them to court I will lose. They don't have to answer to anyone, except the park owners, and I have no idea how their contractual relationship works. That's why they have an F rating from the Better Business Bureau -- they choose not to be fair in their business practices, and legally they can do just  that.

 

The only remedy is legislative and regulatory change. Which brings us back to the analogy.

 

The reason it's so hard to write one is this situation, thankfully, is so unusual.There are few comparables.  I keep having images of seeking justice in the old wild west. And I love a good analogy and find them to be effective. It just has to be really good.

 

Thanks to you all.