Cleveland Water Department Billing Errors Get Even Weirder

This month, things even got weirder. Look at this from the Plain Dealer;

"A new trend in complaints is about who is responsible for reading the meters. Gluntz wasn't the only one to report water department customer-service representatives saying the task is the consumers' job."

Dean Scerbin said he was baffled when a representative told him that his parents should have alerted the division to their own four-year string of estimated bills.

{I was told this also. HUH?}

"How is it my responsibility to tell you that you're estimating my bills?" Scerbin asked. "Shouldn't you know that?"

Read that article here, with interesting comments.

Comments

[Michael Herb]

December 17, 2010

To: Newchannel 5

Re: Water/Sewer Bill from Cleveland Division of Water
We are having more than a little difficulty getting assistance with our water/sewer bill. My Mom and Dad purchased this home for summer-seasonal use back in 2006. They utilized the home and therefore the water in the summer of 2006 and the fall of 2007. My Father became ill and passed away in February of 2008. No one has used the property since the fall of 2007. I go there to check on the property regularly.
I contacted the Water Department regarding the continuous estimated water bills and auto pay, which have never stopped coming. I followed their instructions to go and check the inside and outside water meter readings. I sent this information to Lori Reed @ Cleveland water. Nothing happened. Since then I have called and spoken with 6 different representatives of the Water Department. Each of them stated that they would call or contact me with a resolution. Nobody has followed up with a call. Meanwhile, the billing has not stopped. My Mom, who lives in Arizona has been receiving and paying these “estimated” bills. She has been worrying that someone has been “tapping” into her home and using water or that there might be an underground leak. I have assured her that this is not the case because the meter reads the same as is has for 3 years. The meter is not broken. No water is being used. I cannot get the Cleveland Water Department to even call me.
I spoke with Lisa customer service representative on September 24th to ask for some assistance. They said that I should call back in October after the 24th to inquire about the “Billing Adjustment Request”. I followed up in October after the 24th customer service representative, Brian he said that the earliest information would be after the 24th of November. I waited and called again after the 24th of November . It was December 16th that customer service representative Renee she stated that he would present this case to a supervisor and call me with some resolution. I again received no call. I called again on the 17th of December and spoke with Mary. She told me that she going to present this case to a supervisor and that she would stop the automatic billing. That, by the way, is the first time anything has been done to try and correct this problem following many calls over months..
I decided that it is time to try to get some help. I hope that before I start legal action that you folks can intercede. My Mother has been paying hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars for water and sewer services during the past 3 years that weren’t used. Meanwhile the meter readings remain the same and the Cleveland Water Department does nothing.
I am writing this letter following my discussion with Mary today, her last words for me were that she going to have a supervisor call me and that it was going to take until at least January 21st 2011 until something can be resolved, but that she would stop the auto billing.
My goal is to have the billing adjusted properly and request to have a refund for the credit amount sent to my Mom.

Thanks for Listening

cc: Ohio Consumers’ Council
Public Utilities Commision of Ohio
Cleveland Water Dept.
Newschannel 5

[Joseph Cashiotta]

Water dept. excavated under my front porch a few years ago, and since then a sink hole formed, and now there is this big gap and skunks live therel

what can I do?