ATLANTA — A woman in southwest Atlanta is disputing a water bill that’s more than $1,000, claiming she was charged for water she did not use.
Charmaine Joseph contacted Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln after receiving a bill for over 37,000 gallons of water usage in one month. Her August bill totaled more than $1,200, which she says is unaffordable.
“No, that’s my mortgage,” Joseph said. “I think somebody tampered with the meter.”
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Michael Shepherd, a member of the Peyton Place homeowner association board, supports Joseph’s claim, noting that the meter appears to be faulty.
“You can see it spinning sporadically,” he said.
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In March, other condo owners at the same complex reported receiving inflated water bills, leading to complaints against Jasber Utilities, the company responsible for billing.
Jasber Utilities has stated that it only handles billing and cannot explain the spikes in usage, although it does offer a meter testing service for $100. If the meter is found to be inaccurate, the fee is refunded.
The HOA’s contract with Jasber Utilities is set to end in October.
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