Homeowners stunned by insensitivity after staff screwed up billing — 10 years ago
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They came to Elgin St. to see if it really was possible to fight city hall.
They left within half an hour, frustrated, angry as hell and several thousand dollars in the hole.
The group of Navan Rd. residents had been sent bills back in May -- ranging from about $10,000 to $15,000 -- for work done by the city 10 years ago.
For whatever reason, the bills were just never sent out.
Staff apparently was too busy doing other things.
And so, residents are reeling under the weight of the bills.
The work was done under a neighbhourhood improvement plan, which the original residents have not just agreed to, but requested.
Under the improvement plan, residents who don't want to wait for the city to make the projects a reality, can request the work be done, as long as they're willing to pay for it.
They all knew they had to pay for the work but understandably a sense of complacency develops after a decade.
Several of the residents bought their homes years after the work was done and did their due diligence to make sure there were no outstanding monies owed, only to receive the same bills their neighbours got.
How in the real world is that fair?
Of course, for the city, it's a no-win in terms of public relations.
They can force the homeowners to pay the bills or they could force the rest of us to share in the city's mistakes.
That's not so palatable either, is it?
And if the city hadn't messed up in the first place, sent out the bills in a timely fashion, none of this would be happening.
"We bought our bungalow six years, did our due diligence and then got a bill out of the blue for nearly $13,000. And that's for work done almost four-and-a-half years after we moved in. We didn't know anything about," said Ava Hardie, one of several residents at Thursday's court of revision.
It's made up of three city councillors, whose work is heavily propped up by city staff.
While the meeting for the Navan group only lasted about 15 minutes, that was enough time to create a lot of mass confusion.
In fact, the residents didn't appear to understand there was a glimmer of hope for some of them, namely those who bought their houses after the work was done, and had something called title insurance.
This group of people got title insurance to make certain there wasn't anything owed on the homes they were purchasing.
But at this point in time, the city doesn't honour title insurance, just tax certificates.
Members of the court of revision promised they would have staff investigate whether there was something that could be done to help that group.
Like Hardie, Barry Hayden bought his home six years ago.
He was unhappy both with being shut down and by the attitudes of the members of the court of revision.
"It's pretty nasty. What happened today is typical, they just push it forward. That's all they want to do, get the money coming, being able to collect. There was very little compassion in there for anyone," he said.
The group is considering a class action suit.
On Navan Rd., nine property owners share a bill for city water service for a total of more than $111,000 -- for work done in 2003.
Navan Rd. isn't the only part of town getting the surprise bills.
In the past year the city has gone knocking on doors on Pagé road in Gloucester for a sewer finished in 2006; and on Eagleson Rd. in Kanata where residents wanted a noise barrier - and get one in 2004.
It's a crazy way to run a city.
And homeowners and taxpayers are being left to pay for the mess.
susan.sherring@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @suncityhall
