I have told you all how sick I was and how much work I missed between that and having the baby. Then other things that came up over the year as I was trying to get back on track.
So most the bills other than rent have been running a month behind. I have been paying what was needed to keep it on each month. Me and JW sat down and went over all the bills and credit cards. I showed him what was owed on everything and we figured out what we could pay on everything Wednesday when we get our checks.
We had figured out we could pay on everything and get some things paid to a zero balance. The other stuff we would pay on it and then pay the rest off next Wednesday. The credit cards wouldn’t be paid off of course but once we paid the monthly bills down the zero we would have more to pay on them and get them down lower. Paid off soon.
Yesterday he gets off work and goes home, in a bit he is messaging me the water is off. My note said the 13 and we had just plan to pay it the 1st. It was off. They won’t let someone else pay on your bill even if they are using your card. He called to make a payment before to help out and they three way a call to me. Another time way back a friend went to pay it for me and the kids as a gift. That was before I got my two good jobs and was really struggling right after father of the year disappeared and stop paying. I didn’t even know they were going. But they refused to let them pay it for me because he wasn’t on the account. When my dad was so sick and was on hospice care father of the year went to pay it. They looked his name up and seen he had a water bill he didn’t pay and added it to my bill. I fought and fought it because we were not together we lived in different houses and I was not on the account for the house. They said it didn’t matter we were still legally married so I was responsible too. Because any debt enquired while married is debt of the marriage and both are responsible. The only thing I could do is make it part of my divorce and have them make him pay me back. No where else does that kind of thing when it comes to bills. If you didn’t sign being responsible for it they can’t come back on you. But if you file for divorce then the parties can fight it out in court and try to make the other responsible for it even if they didn’t but that is the court not just Jo blow company decided that is what they are going to do.
But anyway I tell my daughter to please call give them the info and have them turn it back on. Over the phone a female calls she just acts as if she is me and they do it. Well they wouldn’t let her. They said I had to come in bring my lease and id in. I couldn’t get off work for a bit as soon as I could I left. Stopped at the house and picked him up and went over there.
I get to the counter and they tell me I need to pay over $800. My bill wasn’t even close to $800. I was prepared to pay half of my normal bill. I was flooded where did all these other charges come from? She starts telling me that back in January they turned my water off. Then she tells me I did not come in and pay it. I just turned it back on and started using it!!!! So when they figured it out they came out turned it off, took my meter out and locked it up. That is where all these other fees came from.
I have no idea what they are talking about. I was mortified she is saying this and the place is full of people. I have never in my life done such a thing and wouldn’t. I wouldn’t want to deal with all the trouble I could get into for that matter.
If I truly did not have the money to pay it I would do without before I did that. I could of asked oldest to borrow enough to pay it. Or my sister. If it came down to it I would take the walk of shame and go ask for an advancement on my check or even a loan so I could take care of it. Not go turn it back on and use it.
I don’t even know when they are talking about it went off. Because I went in and made a cash payment that month. And of course now they say they never got it. I never make cash payment I always pay over the phone but I had cash I did not want to put in the bank and was right by the water place. I just stopped and paid it. But it wasn’t off. But of course they are the only water company for most of the county if not the whole county and I have to use them and they know it. They do what they want. I about died the other day when I called their little recording that plays when you call says thank you for calling the water department. Where customer service IS NOW a priority for us. Basically flat out saying we don’t care but now we will try to act like we do.
Why I am hear asking them what they are talking about and where my payment for January went I heard another guy down the way demanding to know why they came out and locked his meter up. Saying he didn’t know what they were talking about he wasn’t late on his bill or anything like that. I wanted to talk to him but he got away before I could. I was trying to hurry up and get their stuff done and get them paid so they would turn it on that day. It was so close to closing time they almost didn’t. I made arrangement’s to pay what I had to yesterday and then pay almost $500 of it next week to get them to turn it back on. I am going to continue to fight it and try to get it done away with because I did not do something like that. But until I can get it taken care of I have to pay it because I can’t be here with no water for the kids. If it was just me and JW I probably would of just left it off and fought it. I am going to go on line and ask if anyone else has had this problems or others with the water company and get a group together and see if we can get something done. I may call the utility commissioner if they don’t listen and do something about it.
But now that is hundreds of dollars I did not plan to put out and it is money that is to pay everything else including my rent. I don’t know what to do at this point. I do not get vacation again until the 18 of March. Normally they will not let us cash it in. If they do a week only. We had plan to take a vacation over the summer or sooner and go see his dad. Now we will have to save enough money for the trip and then enough for the pay that I will be missing that week because it will be unpaid time off. We can cash it in then take time off later unpaid still if we want to. Then my 2nd week I wanted to save for Christmas time. I was going to take off 12/26 since it is a Tuesday through 1/3 to spend time with the kids. I will have Saturday Sunday and Monday off for Christmas so I will start my vacation the day we are supposed to go back. Then have the same off the following week for New years. But I don’t want to go back on the 2nd so I will go back the 3rd. I want to get tickets to the theme park for the kids maybe we will drive over a few days and go why I am off. But now we have to save to have pay for that week I will be missing as well as Christmas and the bills. I am going to do that walk of shame and go talk to my boss and explain I had something come up and that I really need my time now and to cash in both weeks so I can get everything on track once and for all. I hope he can talk the owner into it or just do it and no one say anything. But I think the owner has to approve it so he will most likely have to talk him into it. But he is big on us taking our time off and getting a break from work.
I just can not believe they are saying I did such a thing. I wish I had a camera so that I can show no one ever messed with the meter. That I hadn’t had the kids clean the car out a while back, because they threw the paper where I paid it away. It wasn’t their fault. I told them I had everything I didn’t need it. It had been almost a month I didn’t think I did. I am now going to start saving every paper I get from them if I pay in cash.
Single___Parent___Life 