Delinquent Accounts
Water bills are issued, either monthly or quarterly, with a due date. After that date the billed amount is subject to a 10% penalty. Because we are a Town Water Department or utility, we are by Town Law, allowed to put unpaid water bills on the Tax Roll November 1. This means unpaid water bills will appear on the Town and County Tax bill as a Relevy. Letters are sent to remind all delinquent accounts of this pending action in November. In the Town of Big Flats, the unpaid balance plus a fee of $300 is added to your tax bill.
It is up to the customer to make sure that water bills are received. We have no control over the Post Office, we mail them to the address we have on file. If that address needs to be updated, please call the office or update it online. Online access to your account is free so if you don't receive a bill, you can check your account 24/7 online. Or you can call the office to check your balance during business hours.
Also, please note that that in the case of a sale, any unpaid water bills become the new owner's responsibility. Water rents follow the property not the person. Please call for a final bill in case of a sale as closing dates rarely land on our regularly scheduled dates. Most lawyers prefer to have these final bills addressed at closing so everyone is aware and it gets paid at the time of transfer.
It is up to the customer to make sure that water bills are received. We have no control over the Post Office, we mail them to the address we have on file. If that address needs to be updated, please call the office or update it online. Online access to your account is free so if you don't receive a bill, you can check your account 24/7 online. Or you can call the office to check your balance during business hours.
Also, please note that that in the case of a sale, any unpaid water bills become the new owner's responsibility. Water rents follow the property not the person. Please call for a final bill in case of a sale as closing dates rarely land on our regularly scheduled dates. Most lawyers prefer to have these final bills addressed at closing so everyone is aware and it gets paid at the time of transfer.