US News Empty Atlanta lot with no water line gets nearly $30K bill, owner appeals and loses

[tom_mai78101]

ATLANTA - A small metro Atlanta business owner fought the water company over a large bill. He lost. He appealed. Lost again. But the devil is in the details. The address in question didn't even have a water line.

The FOX 5 I-Team has reported for months about the Department of Watershed Management's appeals process where it's hard to win a case. The I-Team pored over 18 months of cases appealed by DWM customers. In these situations, when Watershed denied adjustments to disputed bills, customers then went to the Sewer and Water Appeals Board. In our research, they lost 80% of the time.

"It was a kangaroo court to be honest." That's how Jeff Raw, a frustrated business owner and Atlanta city taxpayer, describes dealing with the Department of Watershed Management's appeals process.

Raw runs a small, family-owned company called Revive Construction Group that appealed a nearly $30,000 bill. Even when a higher-up in the water company sided with the customer, his decision was overturned.

In an email to DWM, Raw called the appeals board's decision "criminal."

Empty Atlanta lot with no water line gets nearly $30K bill, owner appeals and loses

Water bills for an empty Atlanta lot with no connection to the meter ended up coming in at nearly $30,000 after five months. The small business owner appealed the bill. He lost.

www.fox5atlanta.com

 

[The Helper]

Yeah municipalities do not give a fuck the reason if the leak is on your side of the property it is your cost whether or not you have water or not. There side is they provide the service and if there meter on there side has useage you pay and that is it. I had a 500 dollar water bill one time when I owned a house because the water line broke on the other side of there meter and even though I was not living in the house because it had toxic mold I still had to pay that bill or I would never have water again LOL!