Chenowith Water Pud

For some unknown reason we did not receive our regular bill. We missed this fact while preparing to go out of town for a ten day trip. On our return we found the past due notice in the mail and immediately paid the bill along with the past due charge electronically as usual. The next day we got the shut off notice with more threats and penalties. As far we know no one rang the door bell to communicate directly with us. We do not lack funds to pay our bill and routinely do so as soon as it arrives. A simple text or phone call could have easily resolved the payment oversight. Instead the Pud treated us, their "patrons", like
deadbeats. Pity to the patrons that really have trouble paying their bills. While this is undoubtedly all according to Pud policy, as the generated penalties must come in handy, it is none the less odious.

I am writing you to respond to the complaint filed on October 25, 2015.  Chenowith Water PUD has a billing structure that has a base rate of $35.24 per month. Chenowith Water PUD doesn’t hold leans on property’s they keep the customer’s name on an account till the next customer moves in. [redacted]...

[redacted] lived at [redacted] in our District with [redacted] living there as well.  [redacted] had his name on the application for service along with [redacted].  [redacted] wanted to end her service with the District and we were not able to change the customer account until the next customer applied. We ended up putting [redacted] on the account because his name was on the account as well.  Since then the property has been sold and [redacted] and [redacted] have been removed from our system.  The property has a new owner which has a new customer account.  If you have any questions feel free to contact me at [redacted] or [redacted]
Jeb M[redacted]
District Manager Chenowith Water PUD

This letter is in repose to a complaint made against Chenowith Water PUD December 3, 2015.  Chenowith Water PUD is a nonprofit  government entity that is operated by a five member Board of Directors.  The Board sets the policies, ordinances, resolutions, that make Chenowith Water PUD...

 run on a day to day bases.  The Districts  delinquency policy is set forth as well by the Board of Directors and is available to all customers served by Chenowith Water PUD.  The policy states that the bill will be paid by the twenty first of the month giving the customer twenty days to pay for the water usage for the previous month.  If a customer has received a past due notice they are twenty days behind for the previous months water bill.  Once the late notices have been sent out, the customer has till the end of the month to pay the past due.  The fee acquired for a past due is $10.00 plus a 1.5% of the total bill is added,  based on an 18% per annum late charge.  After the end of the month we deliver door tags on the first working day of the month and the fees are applied to the customer’s account soon as the field crew leave the office. The fee for a door tag is $25.00 and has the shut off date stamped on it.  The door tag states “Unless your delinquent utility bill and the $25.00 door tag fee* is paid before 1:00 PM on:”  (See attachment of door tag).   The customer has two days to come in and pay the bill before it goes to shut off.  On the third working day of the month the District does shut offs.  Once the crew goes out into the field we apply the shut off fee.  The fee for a shut off is $50.00 which is required to be paid in full plus the door tag and the past due fee and balance.  Once a customer has received all the late fees it adds up to $85 total dollars for non-pay.  If the customer requests the water to be turned on after hours there is a $100.00 fee which is $50.00 added on to the shut off fee of $50.00.  It states on the door tag  “After Hours Reconnection fee - $100.00 due by 10am next business day”.  This extra $50.00 dollars pays for the overtime it takes for the field staff to come out and turn water on.  This after hours fee runs the late charges total up to $135.00 after hours.  Once the total is paid for past due charges, the customer is turned back on.  Chenowith Water PUD does not charge any fees on the current bill of the month, only the past months usage. Our meter reading days fall on the last working week of the month giving us a few days to process bills.  The door tags go out on the first working day of the month.  Shut offs are on the third working day of the month.  Once the twentieth comes around we start the process over for past dues.  If a customer receives a past due they are twenty days late, if customer receives a door tag they are a month late on paying the bill and if shut off they are one month and three days late. 
On December 1,2015 a [redacted] came in to pay her bill.  She had acquired a past due of $10.80 on November 21st, 2015 for non-pay.  Then on December 1, 2015 she received a door tag for $25.00. This past due and door tag where for water that was used in November.   [redacted] came in after the crew went out to hang door tags, so she accrued door tag charge of $25.00 and $10.80 for the past due fee bringing the total to $35.80.    This was the only charges that were issued to [redacted] for this billing cycle. 
I regret to inform you that Chenowith Water PUD is not willing to give a refund of $50.00 since the late fees and door tag fee only added up to $35.80.  Since the customer has had multiple late charges we are not waving the $35.80 ether.  Chenowith Water PUD has been running off this delinquency policy that was revised in January of 2014.  (See: Water Service Charges with Delinquency & Shut off Policy attached above Scan 0007). 
We have recently for this next 2016 year started taking credit and debit cards in the office which would provide customers to call there payment in.  Chenowith Water PUD strives to help the customers out with making there payment on time.  If this would be a better option for Sue C. Steele to make payment she is more than welcome to call it in.  We have not had this option in the past years but customers seem to be happy about calling it in and not receiving late fees.
If you have any more questions please feel free to email or contact at the information below. 
 
 
 
Jeb S. M[redacted]
District Manager
Chenowith Water PUD
Office: (541) 296-5363
Cell: [redacted]
[redacted]@chenowithwater.com