City of Trenton Utility Bills

  I have a house on Lakeview St. in Trenton been there about six years now. There's myself and my wife and once in awhile our grand kids stay over. About two years ago I asked the Trenton Water Department if they could check my meter and any other type of problem I might have because it just seemed that our utility bill was always so high.

  They sent a man over he checked the meter then went into the bathrooms and said he could hear water running in the toilets I could not hear anything. We went back down to the meter and he pointed at this little red arrow and said that would not be moving if you had no water running. That week I changed all the insides of the toilet tanks and the arrow was not moving it was great.

  Now why is it nobody can still tell me why my utility bill averages about $1500.00 a year. My bill has been around this much now for the last six years and honestly I cannot keep up with it, so I went to trying to pay the bill yearly when I get my tax returns. But in the City of Trenton you have to be carefull because if you can't pay that by the deadline each year this city will put it on your taxes.

  Most people have a hard enough time now trying to keep up with the bills and the mortgage payments to have to worry about the water also. This city could care less not only will they put the bill on your taxes they also tack on another forty percent then another charge for who knows what and then your mortgage company pays the taxes without even knowing that there's a unpaid water bill added in.

  Now you really have problems your mortgage payment goes up about $200.00 or more a month because your escrow is so short. If you have a $1500.00 water bill and they tack on forty percent which will be $600.00 plus there other $150.00 charge you now just had $2250.00 added on to your taxes. this to me is an out right crime. The city's not a credit card company that allows them to charge as much as they can get. 

  Then if you think you can go to the city and ask for time to pay the bill so it won't go on your taxes forget it, I tried and even paid $570.00 on the last day it was due but that didn't stop them. After paying $570.00 dollars I still owed $915.00 plus forty percent $366.00 plus the other $150.00 charge which totals $1431.00 which of course went on my taxes. That alone wouls raise your mortgage payment $120.00 a month.

  So in the long run have they ever even tried to see why my water bill is so high will of course not why should they care it's just like your taxes if your house is losing it's value it's like pulling teeth to get them to lower your taxes.  Rick S