County Will Add Late Fee To Garbage Bills
County Will Add Late Fee To Garbage Bills
By David Howell
Editor
WATER VALLEY – Starting in October the county will add a $5 late charge for garbage bills not paid by the 10th of the month, the latest attempt by supervisors to reduce the staggering $284,961.76 in delinquent garbage bills on the books.
In conjunction with the new policy, county officials are also taking steps to make it more convenient for customers to pay the bills. Earlier in the month Chancery Clerk Amy McMinn offered the use of her Water Valley office for customers to make payments. The primary garbage collection office is located in the Coffeeville courthouse, and customers are still required to utilize this office to set up a new account or resolve questions about a past due bill.
Supervisors are also exploring other payment options including accepting credit card and debit card payments, a topic that was discussed at length during the most recent meeting held Sept. 19.
Collecting the $13 monthly garbage bill has long been a recurring topic as the county is required to provide curbside garbage pickup. Unlike other utilities, the service cannot be terminated if the bill is not paid. This means some customers have bills that accumulate to hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars.
Garbage clerk Casey Byford reported Tuesday there are currently 1,306 accounts that are delinquent, although not all of the accounts are active. Delinquent accounts remain on the books indefinitely and aggressive collection practices have resulted in collecting bills as much as a decade old in recent months.
The primary collection method is flagging car tags for garbage customers who are over 90 days delinquent. Once the tag is flagged, it cannot be renewed until the garbage bill is paid in full.
Board attorney John Crow also identified other collection methods already implemented by the county. They include:
1) A civil action can be commenced against the generator, users and/or land owner. Court costs, collection and/or late fees, and attorneys fees will be added to the delinquent amount.
2) A lien may be placed on the land provided the services;
3) A notice of delinquency (lis pendens) will be placed in the land records of Yalobusha County.
Garbage customers are also reminded that if they move from a dwelling, they must notify the garbage collection clerk at 675-8555 immediately after vacating the dwelling. If you fail to do so, your obligation to continue paying for the service is not terminated.
