Looking for a change of scenery, the Borowski family decided to sell their home in Lakeview, trading in their tree-lined street for a bird’s eye view of Lake Michigan. When they accepted an offer and their home was inspected, an issue popped up, said Steven Borowski. “The inspector noticed that there was a leak on the city side in the water supply.”
According to City of Chicago rules, if a leak is coming from the city side of a property, the city is responsible for the cost of repairs.
Borowski said he reported the inspection report findings to the city, and repair work began. After the sale of the home went through, Borowski got a final water bill from the city.
The amount came to over $13,000. “We were shocked,” Borowski said. “We had no clue at all that it would be that much or why it was that much.”
According to Borowski, he’d never experienced any water billing issues in the past. For months, he says he went back and forth with the water department. “I just kept getting bounced around,” he said.
Additionally, Borowski said he continued to receive bills for the new owners of his former home even after their closing date.
His mounting bills now surpassed $14,000. The water department threatened to send him to collections, garnish his wages, issue a personal judgement, in addition to other penalties.
Bill Reduced by Thousands of Dollars
NBC 5 Responds asked the Chicago Department of Water Management for its understanding of the situation. The city told us, “The City of Chicago is not able to comment on the details of private customer accounts”. In less than two weeks, the Borowski’s bill was adjusted to $370, amounting to total savings of $14,258.
Key Takeaways
If you run into a billing issue with the Chicago Department of Water Management and you can’t seem to get anywhere, your alderman may be able to help. According to 32nd Ward Ald. Scott Waguespack, his office would ask to see paid bills going back a few months to show a comparison of what you’d usually pay, and the bill you’re disputing. From there, the bill would be sent to the finance department for an investigation.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
