Claypool Writes Off Most Unpaid Water Bills, Will Collect Remainder
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jordan Fouts-
Claypool Clerk-Treasurer Connie Morgan presented the council with two stacks of unpaid bills. She said the larger stack, which go back to 2005 or older, couldn’t be collected on since the three collection agencies she contacted said they can only go back two to three years.
Many of those bills also involve bankruptcies or former residents who are now deceased, so the council agreed they had no option but to write them off. They also voted to allow Morgan to find an agency to collect on the newer unpaid bills.
Morgan first presented the stacks of unpaid accounts during the September meeting, noting the unpaid bills could total between $7,000 and $12,000. She told the council the bills were never collected because past clerks gave each water customer a new account number, linking accounts to tenants rather than property owners.
She said Monday that she expects new unpaid bills to be more easy to collect on next year.
Also Monday, the council began taking ownership of a vacant property at 411 S. Graceland Ave., a process they heard could take several months – nor do they have money budgeted toward the property until 2015.
Kosciusko County Commissioners on Nov. 5 voted to transfer the house and land to Claypool. Town attorney Tom Earhart said Monday he will need to clear up any issues with liens or encumbrances on the four-lot property and that the town may have to pay the county about $400 in delinquent tax assessments.
The town also may have to demolish the condemned house once it takes ownership. Council briefly debated whether the property would be worth the trouble, but eventually voted to proceed on ownership and to allow for expenses incurred.
“We should specify ‘Not to exceed the value of the property,’” councilman Don Miller remarked with a laugh.
And council also approved Monday a $2,528 contract with Multi-Township Emergency Medical Services, which they heard is the same amount as last year; and heard that a town utility truck may need about $2,000 in repairs.[[In-content Ad]]
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Claypool Clerk-Treasurer Connie Morgan presented the council with two stacks of unpaid bills. She said the larger stack, which go back to 2005 or older, couldn’t be collected on since the three collection agencies she contacted said they can only go back two to three years.
Many of those bills also involve bankruptcies or former residents who are now deceased, so the council agreed they had no option but to write them off. They also voted to allow Morgan to find an agency to collect on the newer unpaid bills.
Morgan first presented the stacks of unpaid accounts during the September meeting, noting the unpaid bills could total between $7,000 and $12,000. She told the council the bills were never collected because past clerks gave each water customer a new account number, linking accounts to tenants rather than property owners.
She said Monday that she expects new unpaid bills to be more easy to collect on next year.
Also Monday, the council began taking ownership of a vacant property at 411 S. Graceland Ave., a process they heard could take several months – nor do they have money budgeted toward the property until 2015.
Kosciusko County Commissioners on Nov. 5 voted to transfer the house and land to Claypool. Town attorney Tom Earhart said Monday he will need to clear up any issues with liens or encumbrances on the four-lot property and that the town may have to pay the county about $400 in delinquent tax assessments.
The town also may have to demolish the condemned house once it takes ownership. Council briefly debated whether the property would be worth the trouble, but eventually voted to proceed on ownership and to allow for expenses incurred.
“We should specify ‘Not to exceed the value of the property,’” councilman Don Miller remarked with a laugh.
And council also approved Monday a $2,528 contract with Multi-Township Emergency Medical Services, which they heard is the same amount as last year; and heard that a town utility truck may need about $2,000 in repairs.[[In-content Ad]]
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