After a tenant had her water shut off due to bill arrears with the city, a local landlord is calling on the city to consider the importance of running water in people’s homes and the hurdles people can face in attempting to pay their bills.
In an open letter to the mayor and council, landlord Mike Tucci explained that in late April he received a call from his tenant, who was distraught after having her water shut off.
"My tenant believed she was current with the city as we have struggled in arrears prior to this instance," Tucci wrote. "I reached out to the staff in the treasury department only to find out that the account was again in arrears. Since they had received no payment or plans to repay the outstanding balance prior to the deadline, the water was shut off."
Tucci, who lives in Bracebridge, said he arranged for a family member to pay the bill on behalf of the tenant, who was stuck at work that day, but that no one could make it in before 4:30 pm to pay the bill. Although it was squared up the following day, Tucci had concerns about the difficulty he had paying the bill, and the service fees incurred for turning the water back on.
In his letter, he made the following requests:
- That the city begin accepting credit card payments for water bills, with a 2.5 per cent service charge to cover the charges incurred through credit transactions;
- That the city abolish its $125 fee for turning water on/off. "If someone was struggling in arrears, why push them further into financial dismay"? Tucci wrote; and
- That the city structure payment plans for tenants who are struggling to get out of arrears, while keeping their water on
In his letter, Tucci explained he understands the city must follow its policies, and he feels that no one at the city did anything incorrect by turning off the water according to its policies. However, he requested the city consider a person's plight before shutting off the water.
"I don't want this to happen to anybody else. I think that a lot of us can recognize and appreciate how hard times have been in the last few years, whether it's financially, whether it's mentally, and we've all forgotten a bill ... and I don't think that should impact your basic human rights," said Tucci.
"It's 2022, they can take a credit card over the phone ... there's a million different ways that we could have got around this whole thing. The policy is flawed," Tucci said. "As human beings we all know what the right answer to what should have been done that day, and policy got in the way of doing the right thing that day."
In a statement to OrilliaMatters, John Henry, the city's CFO and treasurer, said the city followed its procedures with regard to Tucci's tenant, and encouraged anyone struggling with their payments to reach out to the city.
"In the case of the account in question, while specifics of the account cannot be provided, we can confirm that staff followed all our standard practices, and further, additional time over the 10-day (policy period) was provided before the water was shut off," he said. "If someone is having difficulty making their payment, we encourage them to contact our Finance Division to discuss options available to them."
Henry noted that water is shut off as "a last resort," and that notices are sent out prior to shutting it off.
In a statement to OrilliaMatters, Mayor Steve Clarke similarly encouraged residents to reach out if they are experiencing any difficulty with their bills.
“We do not take these situations lightly and the city provides several notices before water is shut off to a dwelling," Clarke said.
This includes delivering notices to the tenant and the landlord.
"While staff must follow the procedures that are in place, in this circumstance and in general, staff try to assist citizens as much as possible in these situations, including making payment arrangements; however, the onus is on the resident to contact us to acknowledge their account status and make arrangements before the date water is to be shut off," explained the mayor.
Clarke said the city granted an additional grace period to the tenant, but noted the city does not always hear from tenants who are facing potential water shut-offs.
"Unfortunately we do not always hear from them until the water has been shut off. In this specific circumstance, there was an additional seven days grace period given before the water was shut off and staff went above and beyond by staying over an hour after closing to try to accommodate a payment which, in turn, would have allowed the water to be turned back on," Clarke said.
"Again, not taking such occurrences lightly, we continue to look at our processes, including payment options, to assist residents in these situations and, if need be, encourage them to contact us to discuss options available to them before any potential shut-off date.”
