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Woman Says She’ll Go To Jail Or Go To Hell Before She Pays Sewer Bill
November 4, 2008
A Century woman says she’ll go to jail, or will go to hell, before she pays a $629 sewer bill from the Town of Century.
“I’ll go to jail and spend my little time in jail,” Leola Robinson told the Century Council Monday night about paying the bill.
When Robinson placed a mobile home on property she owns, she did not connect the trailer to the town’s sewer system. The town billed her each month for the minimum sewage usage charge, and that bill reach about $3,000 by the time the issue came before the town council in May.
Town ordinances indicate that every property owner in the town must connect any structure to the town’s sewer service within three months. If not, the ordinances say the town can charge the property owner a minimum monthly fee and enter the person’s property to connect the service. The ordinances also prohibit septic tanks in the town unless approved by the health department and the council. At that May meeting, Mayor Freddie McCall said the most the town could collect from Robinson by law would be charges from the past four years….$624. The bill is now $629 with the addition of a late charge.
“I’ve got a bill here that says 370,” Robinson said of the street address on the bill. “My house number is 350.” She said that the sewer bill should have gone to her tenant in the rental mobile home on the property, not to her as property owner.
“How are you charging for something I ain’t ever had?” she asked.
“The sewer was available at the property line,” McCall said. According to the law it was available; it was at the property line.”
“We’ve been through this before,” Council President Ann Brooks said. She said the council had already heard all of the facts on the issue.
“I’ll go on to jail or go to hell before I pay that bill,” Robinson said.
“Be quiet or I will have to call the sheriff,” Brooks responded.
Marilyn Robinson told council members that Leola Robinson had been told by county commissioners that it was permissible to place a septic tank on the property.
“The county commission has not right to tell you that you can put a septic tank in the town of Century,” Brooks said.
Town Clerk Dorothy Sims said that Leola Robinson had attempted to deed the property to Marilyn Robinson in such a way that it did not have frontage on any street in an attempt to avoid being required to have sewer service. That attempt, Sims said, failed.
“That bill should be going to the person that occupies the mobile home, not the landowner,” Council member Henry Hawkins said. “Why are we messing with Mrs. Robinson on a sewer bill?”
Brooks said that billing Leola Robinson was the recommendation of the town’s attorney. Brooks said she would call the attorney and discuss the bill further. The council took no action on the bill Monday night.
Pictured above: Leola Robinson at Monday night’s Century Town Council meeting. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
20 Responses to “Woman Says She’ll Go To Jail Or Go To Hell Before She Pays Sewer Bill”
Simple Girl,
Please allow Century to move on, this type of pettiness is what boggs down progress, right or wrong this is a very minor issue considering what the town really needs to be concentrating on.
Terri,
No Mr. Hawkins does not need to get off the council, he just needs to also let go of petty issues, as we all could stand to do more of, maybe as a buisness and community leader, you could take the first step, be the better person so to speak and lead him and others in the right direction by keeping them focused on the things that really need attention, such as the Electric Car Plant, this will benefit you, as well as all the citizens and surrounding communities. Lets show Northwest Florida that we are ready to do buisness.
What a mess…..it’s a wonder anyone lives in the BIG town of Century!!!!!!!!!!!!
messing with the low income people will cost you!!!!!!!!!!!
People of Century need to get out…then who will pay their sewer Bill’s……
CENTURY IS A LOST CAUSE BECAUSE EVERYONE WANTS A HAND OUT AND MOST GET IT
HER SLATE WILL BE WIPED CLEAN AND SOMEONE WILL LOSE THERE JOB TO PAY FOR IT!!!!
The County can NOT go around the city ordinance. The COUNTY messed up and should have checked with the city first before issuing her permission (IF they even did)! She OWES the money and NEEDS to pay, just like everyone else. She is no more special than the rest!
My advice to Mayor McCall, let this go, you have much bigger issues to deal with, and to Mrs Brooks you are intelligent enough to know that this issue isn’t worth the time, money, and effort that you are putting into it. Move on to securing the multi-million dollar electric vehicle plant, that is what Century needs to be known for.
Well here is the kicker, the property Mrs Robinson is referring to, was not accesible to a sewer line 10 years ago when this started, and none of this would have never been an issue if Benny Barnes had not been mad at Central Water Works for filing and winning a Lawsuit over a similar issue an Tedder Rd. Then he really got mad when is Mrs Robinson had a water meter installed legally with Central Water Works, and because there was no sewer available, she installed a septic tank that was approved and permitted by Escambia County. That my friends are the facts, and knowing the background can give insight to why Mrs. Robinson is standing her ground.
How can a bill go so far without being paid? I know that if I don’t pay my bill on time it gets turned off . Is it not the same for everyone??Alan and Terri are on the money with their comments.
You can’t put up a home/apartment/mobile home to rent and NOT hook it up to the sewer systems. When you do so trying to cheat and steal, they will catch you. If she would have done it the right way to begin with and had it hooked up, with it’s own meters etc. Whoever rented it would HAVE to get it turned on in THEIR name or the toilet wouldn’t flush (Because there would be NO WATER). She should not have been trying to go around the back way and take what is not hers.
If that were the case, I could put up a bunch of mobile home parks and not have them hooked up to the system (legally) and take as much as I wanted.
I agree with the other poster that said that it is the PROPERTY owners’ responsibility to make sure things are done right. Otherwise do not complain! This was not dropped in her lap all at once, she has been getting bills all along! She is always at the meetings asking for something and wanting a handout, and this is no different. She has received the services on her property she needs to pay! IF it is NOT paid, cut it off to the trailer. When they get thirsty or the toilet starts to stink, they will come and fix it!
Amen Chuck! Isn’t that the TRUTH!
Too bad ol’ Leola isnt the son of the previous mayor. If she were this bill would be swept under a rug somewhere.
Henry Hawkins need to get off the city council,he is as dumb as they come about what is legal and who is responsible.The LAND OWNER is responsible for the debts incurred on property,not the occupant of the premises.Hey,that is why the land owners pay the taxes,not the tennant.
I think it was a poor judgement call to let all those people off the hook who claimed they never knew that their garbage fee was not included in their bill.Come on…you put a garbage can out full of garbage and it mysteriously dissappers every week?They used the service,they owed the bill.but what a lucky break they got to not even have to pay a portion,which by the way,I think is as bad as freeloading.There are NO free rides,someone has to pay somewhere down the road.Decisions like this may be why the town’s budget is so far in the red.How can you not give Leola a break? You gave plenty of others a break! She doesn’t deserve a break but neither did all the others who got of scott free.Kudos to Ann Brooks!She is going to get the town in tip top shape or die trying.What an asset to the council.but cleaning up behind someone else is never popular .You can’t please everyone,and Ann will stick to the law and not worry too much about popularity.
Oops…Mr. or Mrs. “!”…you are right, I misspelled GRAMMAR. However, I did use the correct word. I think most people (with the exception of maybe you) understood my point. When the good citizens from the North end of the county type and speak like they were raised in the “wild”, then it only adds fuel to the “city folk” calling us “back woods” and “dumb”. We are every bit as intelligent as the people in the South end of the county and I was just trying to point out that we need to act, speak and type like it.
Thank you!!
I’d pay 629 bucks to keep from going to Hell….or jail for that matter.
SOMETHING IS OBVIOUSLY WRONG IN THE CENTURY CITY HALL. HOW CAN BILLS (BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TO BE BROUGHT UP OF PEOPLE OWING LOTS) BE LET GO FOR SO LONG WITHOUT BEING CAUGHT BEFORE THEY GET UPWARDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS????? ISN’T THERE A CHECK AND BALANCE SYSTEM? POOR LADY….I HOPE HER OUTCOME IS A POSITIVE ONE…..THE ECONOMY IS BAD ENOUGH RIGHT NOW WITHOUT HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS PUT ON HER PLATE…..
Maybe this is why Century will never be nothing but a spot on a map.Wy don’t you leave this kind lady alone and wipe the slate clear.This is a prime example of poor city management. If this lady chooses to go to hell and not pay here bill she will probably trip over all of the so called city for fathers on here way down.Wave the bill its already cost more than you can collect,by the way Ronnie Mac needs a job.
Good going Alan, when I started reading the comments I wondered if anyone would point out the incorrect words.
And wake up people, the law is the law. Everyone has to abide by the laws of the town, do it or or be ready to go to jail. What makes one person so special that they can get away with something but other people can not? We don’t just pick and choose which laws we want to follow. If you want a septic tank then move out of city limits.
Things like this make me sick. Not only charging for service that she never had, the charge to hook into that sewer line “that is available” is no doubt the reason for not hooking into it.
It is all about the money and taxes, and what we “have” to do as citizens to abide by all the rules and government and taxes.
I feel sorry for her. Because it is so important to the government and town and all, that they probably will put her in jail, or make the rest of her life a living hell….
Alan, While you are teaching spelling, grammar, and proper use of language, I would suggest checking your own spelling of “grammar”. That might help to ensure your credibility. “Grammer” is not the correct spelling.
Regarding the subject of the story, ignorance is not always bliss. It has a way of coming back to haunt you. If Rev. Stallworth can be beaten with a club and required to pay up, so should this lady.
Okay…I just got to point this out…”John”, do you KNOW the difference in “know” and “no”? If you mean that the TOC has few people, few schools and few jobs, then you should use the word “NO”.
It matters not whether you live in “the country” – meaning a rural location – or if you live in the “city”, in this day and age, you have been afforded an education and can use proper language, grammer and spelling.
and you wonder why every body is leaving the little communist town know jobs know school next know people, my lord, you people live in the country give your people a break…………………