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Blind Woman Threatened With Suit Over 1 Cent

themoonisdown09

themoonisdown09

macrumors 601
Original poster
Nov 19, 2007
4,319
18
Georgia, USA
CNN said:
ATTLEBORO, Massachusetts (AP) -- A 74-year-old blind woman was shocked when her daughter found a letter from the city saying a lien would be placed on her home unless she paid an overdue water bill.

The amount? 1 cent.

Eileen Wilbur told The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro the letter sent her blood pressure soaring, and pointed out that stamps cost 42 cents.

City Collector Debora Marcoccio said the letter was among 2,000 sent out. A computer automatically prints letters for accounts with an overdue balance, and they are not reviewed by staff before being mailed, she said.

The letter warned of a lien and a $48 penalty if the overdue bill is not paid by December 10. The charge was from the previous fiscal year, which ran from July 2007 to July 2008.

"My question is, how come it wasn't paid when the (original) bills went out?" Marcoccio said.

Wilbur's daughter, Rose Brederson, who discovered the bill in her mother's mail, called the situation "ridiculous." But she said her mother, who has lived in the home since 1959, would likely end up paying the penny.
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CNN link

I just thought this was funny.
 
I am reminded of what occurs, every time my kids pass a gumball machine:

"Daddy, can I have a quarter?"
"You know what your mother says. I have no cents at all."
 
That is ridiculous that they sent out a bill. When I did Accounts Receivable the company I worked for would not even bother sending a bill for account balances of less then $1.

But the government likes to forcefully steal every cent they can from you.
 
Indeed.. I have $0.06 in a "flex" account from college.. from 14 years ago.
Every quarter they send me a paper notification that there's $0.06 in that account. For 14 years.

:D
 
How does that $0.01 even propagate?

If I don't pay, or underpay any of my bills the overdue amount is immediately tacked onto my next months bill. It would actually take work for me to propagate any deficit for more than a single month...
 
yellow said:
A former government official payed it for her, IIRC.

I read this yesterday.. local news scooping CNN. Awesome! :) Mass. woman's 1-cent debt paid in full
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"Mayor Kevin Dumas says the whole situation was blown out of proportion."

Holy **** I would have never thought Dumas is a real name.

.Andy said:
She needs to see a doctor about this.
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And send a bill to the city.

yellow said:
She should send them a picture of a spider. :cool:
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Well unless you are using very cheap paper, the paper might cost more than a penny. =p
 
yellow said:
Indeed.. I have $0.06 in a "flex" account from college.. from 14 years ago.
Every quarter they send me a paper notification that there's $0.06 in that account. For 14 years.

:D
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HAHAHAHAHA that's awesome. keep up the good work!
 
Aeolius said:
I am reminded of what occurs, every time my kids pass a gumball machine:

"Daddy, can I have a quarter?"
"You know what your mother says. I have no cents at all."
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HAHA! That's gold, pure gold.


I do have a question though (not directed at Aeolius). Why is there a need to say that the lady is blind. It is not like the city tried to exploit her disability. I am fairly sure it would have happened whether she was blind or not.
 
synth3tik said:
HAHA! That's gold, pure gold.


I do have a question though (not directed at Aeolius). Why is there a need to say that the lady is blind. It is not like the city tried to exploit her disability. I am fairly sure it would have happened whether she was blind or not.
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from a media standpoint it makes the story "better" If she wasn't it wouldn't generate that much press but because she is, the media can play off her disability
 
themoonisdown09 said:
It's so pathetic because it cost the government more to send the bill, than what they would collect from it. It also cost more for the person to pay the bill than the bill was actually for.
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That's government for you.:rolleyes: Every month my company receives an invoice from the US Food and Drugs Admin saying we owe -$0.05 (that's right, they owe us a nickel:eek:). I called them up to say they can keep the nickel, but nothing changes. This started 3 years ago. I'm expecting another bill from them any day now.:p
 
cantthinkofone said:
Good grief. :rolleyes:

I hate energy companies.
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It wasn't an energy company, it was the town Department of Public Works.

yellow said:
A former government official payed it for her, IIRC.

I read this yesterday.. local news scooping CNN. Awesome! :) Mass. woman's 1-cent debt paid in full

.
Click to expand...

They interviewed both the woman and the former town official on the local news here in Massachusetts and they both commented on how the town spent far more than the one cent in order to send an invoice. And since the former town official payed by check, it will cost them even more to process the payment.
 
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