NEW YORK—A new reform legislation aims to help those who fail to pay their water bills.
In 2007, city council passed legislation that allows the city to place liens on the homes of those delinquent on their water bills. When the house is in a lien sale, it means that the city’s records show that the homeowners owe property taxes, water and other property-related charges.
Back then in 2007, mayor Bloomberg explained the tough approach, by saying that this was less severe than turning off the water to a building, which would force people to move out.
But Council Member Al Vann, the only member to vote against the legislation in 2007, thought this legislation targeting low to moderate income homeowners created another way for them to lose their homes.
“Getting additional revenue at the risk of putting our seniors and disabled at the risk of losing their homes is insensitive,” Vann said in an interview. “I think it’s unintended but now we’re going to correct that,” he added.
Council Member Vann’s office checked the lien sale and found that of the 9,000 homeowners in the lean sale, 80% of them are because of water alone.
On Wednesday, almost two years later, he announced the introduction of “water lien reform” to remedy some of the problems that water lien law from 2007 has created.
“Significant thing that this bill does is under property tax delinquency”, said Councilman Vann. “You’re only considered for the list if you’re twelve quarters [three years] behind. With the [current] water tax lien, you only have to be one year behind and that’s ridiculous. One year delinquent could be as little as $1,000. So this bill would help even this out,” he explained.
The bill also seeks to help senior citizens claim they are eligible for an exemption.
“Most seniors aren’t that sophisticated, they don’t know how to do it,” said Vann. “So now this bill would put the owners on the Environment Protection and the Department of Finance to look at those lists and to exempt them if they meet those qualifications. That’s a very significant thing,” he concluded.
The proposed legislation that will be presented to the city council on Thursday is currently co-sponsored by eight council members.
