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Council agrees to let resident present a signed payment plan tomorrow; sheriff sale to be held if plan fails
Summary
Palmyra Borough Council told a resident with a $4,058.92 delinquent utility balance that it will accept a written payment plan if she appears at borough offices and signs it, but council directed staff to continue collection proceedings if the plan is not kept.
Palmyra Borough Council discussed a long-delinquent utility account held by a resident identified as Ms. Miller and agreed to let her present a signed payment plan at borough offices; council directed staff that the writ and sheriff-sale process would not be stopped unless the written plan is executed and timely payments are made.
Borough staff said Ms. Miller's balance is $4,058.92 and outlined three prior payment plans (Feb. 2020, Nov. 2021, Feb. 2024) that were not completed. Staff advised council they had no additional administrative remedies and recommended against another informal plan. Ms. Miller told council she was now employed full time and proposed a repayment sequence totaling the outstanding balance: a $500 payment already made, $300 presented that night, $1,600 on 05/16, and a final $1,600 on 06/11 when she expected a Social Security check.
Council members agreed to let Ms. Miller come to the borough office the following day to sign a formal agreement; staff said they would postpone taking her property to the next sheriff sale cycle only if the written agreement is executed and kept. A councilor emphasized the condition: one missed payment would reinstate the collection proceedings. "If this agreement is not met," staff said, "we can hold until the following sheriff sale which would be, I believe, August." Council asked for written documentation and signatures to formalize the agreement.
Why it matters: the action balances the borough's directive to collect delinquent accounts with a willingness to accept a resident-proposed plan when accompanied by a formal, signed agreement and immediate partial payment.
What happens next: Ms. Miller was asked to visit the borough office to sign the written agreement; staff will monitor payments and resume sheriff-sale proceedings if payments are missed.
