By: Diane Benjamin
Bloomington can’t find a company to process payments closer than Kansas City, Mo? Buy local? Bloomington sends your tax dollars out of State on purpose.
I remember hearing payments are outsourced to limited carpal tunnel claims. It also could be because of a huge embezzlement case years ago.
The household billed below was surprised to see a $6.06 penalty on this month’s bill since the check was mailed 6 days before it was due. The wife called Public Works. She was then transferred to another lady who was hesitant to provide her name. She was belligerent when asked. Knowing that a name is required for all interactions if you want to prove what happened later, the wife persisted and finally got one. No relation I’m sure, but her name was Diane.
The husband told me a remedial course in Customer Service is needed. Businesses know they work for the customer. Bloomington staff doesn’t know they only have a job because of taxpayers.
Bloomington is now charging late fees again because COVID is gone. (ha) The wife was told the payment wasn’t posted until 10/31 because the company only processes payments a couple time a month. So, they probably had the check but held on to it until they had time.
“Diane” suggested checks be mailed to City Hall or dropped off instead. It must be over her head to see that defeats the purpose of hiring an outside company. How about changing the DUE DATE to the date they process Bloomington payments!
Quote from the email I received:
A 6% penalty for a payment allegedly 5 days late… using my public school math comes out to 438% interest. A quick google search shows that Illinois payday loan lenders are capped at a 403% interest rate on a 14-day loan on $100. So Bloomington is hitting local residents with up to (if not over) payday loan rates for late payments on their city bills?
To her credit, Diane waived the late payment fee. But she also made it a point to say that was a one-time adjustment.
Understand LIMITED GOVERNMENT now?
When government grows into abusive behemoths they rule instead of govern. Common sense handling of the people’s business becomes impossible. Know where the $60,000,000 budget increase in the last 8 years is yet?
Fees are apparently big business. This relatively small community cannot be bothered to care about the details. Apparently easier to pay for outsourcing and factor the receivables.
I had the same experience with my property tax bill. Despite personally dropping off my payment on time, my payment was returned to me about 10 days later with the original check and a new late fee attached. The city employee I spoke with said that they don’t always acknowledge delivery – it jest depends in when they call it a day. In any case her position was “too bad.. pay or else.. not my problem”. Instead of accepting the payment and disputing/resolving a made-up penalty, they rejected all of it and were on the way to note my account in default for non-payment.. I expect better in a community I have spent my adult life trying to better in every way. Now, I can’t wait to move out of this damned state. There’s nothing here but the wardens.
As an aside, I “went to bat ” against “uptown” back when I was in college. since I didn’t have a red parking sticker-(couldn’t afford one) I parked at the end of Franklin avenue and was SAMRT ENOUGH to make it over the tracks to school.
One day I come back and there’s a $25 NO PARKING ticket on my window, and a sign in front of my car saying as much. To make a long story short, a local contractor was wanting to do work in the area and I got there before him, and HE put up the sign, police saw the sign and WHAM!! . Instant ticket. I had to go through the ordnance books for that area to get it dismissed, but sure wasn’t going to give uptown my $25. And the sign got taken down.
That was my first lesson about uptown..
The local water bills are a huge rip off and the rates are too high.
You should see how they rob landlords over residents who do not pay their water bills. They justify the late fees and penalties (which are calculated on top of late fees and penalties) because it is not their problem that someone has not paid their water bill – and somehow the landlords should know what is going on with the water at all times. Never mind that they do not allow access to the water bills until they are giant.
I have asked for access to all water bills at all times, but I am declined access to “other people’s water bills” Of course, I can FOIA them after the fact. And of course, I am stuck paying them.
Here is a fun fact
The Town of Normal water folks will call you on the day the bill is printed to tell you that they are mailing you a “large” water bill. I always ask why they bother to call at that point – apparently some genius at the Town of Normal has made it their practice. What a waste of their time and tax dollars – if they wanted to provide good service, they would call you on the day that they noticed the high water usage – instead they will call you 3 weeks later to let you know water has been running for 3 weeks straight.
I was called by Normal water department 65hrs After I had a faucet break 45min of water raised the bill 45.00.happened on a Friday late afternoon..they knew of a problem Due to usage is electronically monitored!
MAYBE instead of spending time on TRYING to eradicate Columbus Day, the councils SHOULD pass an ordinance making it MANDATORY to call ANYONE with a water bill of $100! But that would make just too much sense!