Glenn is reporting on an important truth.
The City is slow to cash checks.
They have improved.
Several years ago, an Auditor found Mail Bags full of checks to the city,
totaling MILLIONS.
Some were so old that they were no longer valid.
The City does not gain in the delay.
Even though the late fees and penalties are usually not contested the City
loses interest on the deposits and pays out interest on its bonds and debts.
This becomes such a nightmare at Settlements that I often tell my clients not
to pay Gas and Water if they are less than 21 days from Settlement.
I explain that lateness of less than 30 days may not be reported.
Title companies must verify Water and Gas because they are lien-able items.
It is generally less frustrating to pay a small late fee than to be forced to
pay the bills again, at Settlement, and than have the post-Settlement hassle of
trying to get money back from the city.
The City has also made Realtors and Title Clerks de facto meter readers and
bill collectors.
I have been at Settlements at which the City claimed THOUSANDS of Dollars in
past due gas or Water fines.
Twice the bills exceeded Settlement Proceeds.
One time the City Solicitor suggested I cut my commission so that there would
be enough money, from Settlement proceeds, to pay a PGW Bill.
I refused, but it took almost three hours for the City to agree that it was
better to get most of their money, while retaining the right to pursue the
Seller later, than to torpedo the deal, retain the deadbeat, and cause harm to
the Buyer.
I never got an apology for being used by the city for:
Access,
Communication,
Collection,
Suffering the Settlement surprise of late reporting of old debts,
The attempt to extort my payment of bills not collected in any timely
manner,
The higher prices I (all PGW customers) pay because the city does such a
piss-poor job of collection.
Glenn, keep advocating for changes that might improve the billing system.
I think everyone should have reasonable heat in the winter, and I think better
collection might make it more affordable for all, and could even pay for
programs that might determine situations requiring assistance.
Best!
Liz
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Glenn moyer <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: [UC] Tax penalties for the unconnected
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:48:45 -0400 (EDT)
Neighbors,
I want everyone to be aware that the city does not cash its checks in a timely
fashion.
I did a test this year because i serendipitously discovered that the city had
secretly levied charges against me for property taxes a year or two ago. Like
most Philadelphians outside of the old boys and girls network, I pay my
property taxes in full.
On April 15 of this year, I paid my city business taxes at the municipal
services cashier and mailed my state and federal tax bills. (I wanted the time
stamp recording the time the check was presented to the city). The state and
federal government cashed the checks in a timely manner. The city waited so
long to cash the check that it appeared on the following months bank statement!
Earlier this spring, knowing that I had a zero property tax debt to the city, I
discovered that I was charged small amounts on the property taxes of each of my
properties in a previous year. After the initial shock, I realized that these
amounts look like interest and penalty charges, yet I had no recollection of
paying late.
Clearly, if a citizen pays taxes close to the deadline, he or she is penalized
because the city delays cashing the checks.
For those of you who have ever tried to correct mistakes caused by the city,
you know that it is nothing but an exercise in futility. (One neighbor once
remarked, "I don't bother trying, I just look for a way to cheat the city and
even things out!") Nobody knows nothin at city hall. The city workers usually
blow off citizens telling them to "go to their councilman with complaints!"
It does no good to tell them that the entire councilman staff is too busy to
return calls or e-mails, let alone work on the problems in government that have
serious consequences for constituents!
Neighbors, as long as we have two separate systems, one for the politically
connected, and nothing for everyone else; the complete helplessness at the
hands of our government will continue. Like usual, I will be forced to pay
more, even though I was cheated by the incompetence of the city system.
Should the city place a grace period, before adding penalties, equal to the
delay caused by their incompetence? But going to the mayor's office of
complaints or the offices of city council is a complete waste of time because
these people don't want to change the system and view this cheating as "revenue
enhancement" like the bogus trash tickets. It's really nice that city
employees get handicapped stickers, don't have to pay parking tickets, don't
have to pay trash tickets, or taxes. But when they condescendingly insist that
little people should have a stiff upper lip when cheated, it doesn't allow the
little people to feel good too.
I don't want to see city workers cheated like the rest of us. I want city
officials who listen and respond to the real problems of ordinary
Philadelphians. They need to stop the damn photo ops and stop depending on the
special perks in the old boys network, so that they have time to fix the
government!
Sincerely,
Glenn, a cheated citizen
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