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Town Of Century Spends $478 On Lawyer To Decide If They Could Collect Woman’s $629 Sewer Bill
January 8, 2009
The Town of Century spent $478.50 on legal services to determine if they should collect a $629 sewer bill from a woman that at one time vowed to go to jail or hell before she paid up.
When Leola Robinson (pictured left) placed a mobile home on property she owns in 1999, 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.
The town lowered that bill to $624 in early June due to a four year statute of limitations. With a late charge, the bill grew to $629. Robinson made her vow not to pay the bill at the council’s November 3 meeting, where she and council member Henry Hawkins questioned if the bill was due at all. Robinson has a tenant in the mobile home, and she contended that she did not owe the bill. At the request of Council President Ann Brooks, the matter was tabled until the November 17 meeting of the council.
On November 4, Mayor Freddie McCall called Matt Dannheisser, the town’s attorney, to discuss the $629 bill. According to Dannheiser’s bill obtained by NorthEscambia.com, Brooks also called him to discuss the same matter. He drafted a letter to the mayor and town council. He billed the town for 1.10 hours at $165 an hour for a total of $181.50.
Later that day, Dannheisser received a fax from Brooks that included various documentation, and he held a telephone conference with Brooks as to whether the tenant or Robinson was responsible for the bill. He billed the town for 1.20 hours at $165 an hour for a total of $198.00.
After a story about Robinson ran on NorthEscambia.com, WKRG reporter Debbie Williams visited Century to do a story for the television station. She called Dannheisser, who conferenced in Mayor Freddie McCall, according to the lawyer’s bill. He billed 0.30 hours at $165 for a total of $49.50 for WKRG’s request. In WKRG’s report, Williams stated that McCall refused to comment and the town attorney also refused comment.
McCall made one additional call to Dannheisser over Robinson’s bill on November 11. It was billed at 0.30 hours for a total of another $49.50.
That grand total, according to Dannheisser’s bill to the town, was 2.90 hours for $478.50.
At the November 17 council meeting, Brooks produced documents that showed the town had actually denied requests by Robinson and her tenant to hook into the Century sewer system. Based upon those documents, the town voted to forgive the $629 bill by a 5-0 vote.
Read the November 4 story “Woman Says She’ll Go To Jail Or Go To Hell Before She Pays Sewer Bill” here.
Read the November 18 story “Town Forgives Sewer Bill For Woman That Vowed Not To Pay” here.
Comments
10 Responses to “Town Of Century Spends $478 On Lawyer To Decide If They Could Collect Woman’s $629 Sewer Bill”
This is wrong for her not to pay, she was told that she would be charged. The county health dept should not have come into any city that has rules on the books and try to over ride them. Maybe the county should pay the bill since they are as much at fault as Ms. Robinson. I do not understand why in the world Ms. Brooks was calling on the town lawyer on the same issues he already discussed with the mayor. Maybe there should be a check and balance on calling the lawyer. If you call and talk to him, you have to let the other know before the call and give a description after the call of what was discussed. That would cut down on the repeat calling and double billing…. And why are WE paying for the TV crews interview?? If they wanted to talk to the lawyer, they should have called on their own dime, or be sent a bill. JMO
CENTURY’S FINEST AT WORK.
Beegee on January 10th, 2009 2:48 pm What a farce…..does anyone out there think the lady should have been made to be responsible for the usage,besides me???????
What useage?
You think she should pay for the denied usage??
What a farce…..does anyone out there think the lady should have been made to be responsible for the usage,besides me???????
Stupid actions like this is exactly why Century and it’ssurrounding communities appear tobe right for the picking. Come on public officials, can’t any of you see why downtown can make such a heart wrenching case that “we need them.” Quit trying to make friends or throw your weight around, and think before you act, quit making these uninformed decisions that make our area look like the “Beverly Hillbillies.” Lead by example, even when the results may not be the most popular or politically correct. You might be surprised at how much public respect and backing you could enjoy if only you would listen to what the people who put you in the position are saying. Didn’t anyone’s parents ever teach them to look five seconds into the future of what the ramifications of their actions would be???? I guess that was the day after you missed the using a calculator class.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA — another GREAT example of our wonderful gov. system!
Very typical County/ City Administration.”NO” thought went into finding out what it would cost to investigate the issue. Then later their are remind how stupid it was in the first place. Reminds me of the Escambia County School Disrtict…by the way has anyone checked to see if the Preacher at the Old Century High paid any of that $75k he received in free Taxpayer Dollars?????? Bet not. As Ronnie said. It just slipped though the cracks…I bet you if anyother employee lost or mis-used anything costing $75K or $300.00 dollars, it would have cost them their JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! without question, Don’t do as I do….Do as I say.
That’s as dumb as your credit card company spending .42 cents to mail you a .50 bill. Why was Annie Brooks calling the laywer if they mayor had already done that? And why the heck did they not make WKRG pay?
Looks to me the council should make the person (town clerk) that denied services to Mrs. Robinson pay the $478 bill…..
Insert lawyer jokes here.