In Attleboro, Massachusetts, the city is threatening a 74-year-old blind woman with a lien on her house because she owes 1 cent on a 2007-2008 utility bill.
Eileen Wilbur’s daughter opened her mail and told her the city threatened a lien on her house, and the 1 cent bill would increase to $48 if not paid by December 10.
According to the Sun Chronicle:
“They wasted taxpayer money on the letter,” Wilbur said, noting the 42 cent charge for a stamp.
City Collector Debora Marcoccio said the bill was sent out along with more than 2,000 others as the city tries to recoup outstanding balances before resorting to putting liens on property.
A computer automatically printed the letters for any account with a balance remaining, and they were not reviewed by staff before being sent out, Marcoccio said.
“It would be fiscally irresponsible for me to have staff weed through the bills and pull out any below a certain amount,” Marcoccio said. ” And what would that amount be?”
Actually, it is fiscally irresponsible to send a 42 cent letter, not including the paper and envelope, to collect 1 cent. However, I guess if there is a $48 bonanza a few weeks later if it is not paid, then it is a good investment.
As indignant as Marcoccio sounds, she is not through with her public relations performance.
“My question is, how come it wasn’t paid when the bills went out?” Marcoccio said.
Umm, people make mistakes. There is not a person in the country who has not miswritten a check for a few cents less or a few cents more at sometime.
Marcoccio, who called the whole situation “ridiculous,” said the city will not waive the balance.
“If there’s a bill, it must be paid,” she said.
Just to set the record straight, there are plenty of government entities in the country that do not bill or put liens on properties with a miniscule amount owed. Some places even have $10 to $20 limits before they take action. It is called being practical, reasonable, even sensible.
Nevertheless, the real loser in this mess will be Marcoccio. The city will get a mountain of complaints from locals and out-of-towners. The city officials will look for someone to point a finger at for this public relations mistake.
I hope Deborah Marcoccio thinks that Attleboro will get its 1 cent worth out of this. As Marcoccio says, “If there’s a bill, it must be paid.” Well, the public relations one is due now. Guess who pays?
UPDATE: Antonio Viveiros, a former city councilor, paid the 1 cent bill because the Federal government will pay billions for a bailout, but an elderly woman is threatened with a lien for 1 cent.
The Mayor of Attleboro, Kevin Dumas, called the incident “blown out of proportion.”
