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Bloomfield forgives most sewer charge for renter after water‑heater failure
Summary
A renter at 108 E. Franklin asked the council to forgive sewer charges after an internal water‑heater failure; council forgave the sewer portion except a $50 minimum and directed billing adjustments for water charges to proceed.
A renter at 108 E. Franklin asked Bloomfield’s city council to forgive sewer charges after a water heater burst and flooded a basement earlier this month.
The resident, who identified herself as Darcy, told the council she had rented the space for about a year and said the damaged water heater released a large amount of water into a basement area that she said did not reach the municipal sewer. She asked the council to forgive the sewer portion of the bill and to recalculate or review associated sales and excise taxes.
"I currently rent 108 East Franklin ... the water heater bust ... I think it's 81,000 gallons into the basement so it did not reach the sewer system," Darcy said.
Council members discussed prior precedent for forgiving charges when water did not enter the sewer system. One council member moved to forgive the sewer portion of the bill, with the tenant remaining responsible for the $50 minimum sewer charge and for applicable water charges and taxes. The motion passed with council consent.
A Lynch Realty representative later clarified that the buildings in question had been inspected. The council did not specify adjustments to sales-tax reporting (staff noted the city must report certain excise taxes to the state) and directed staff to carry out the billing adjustments consistent with precedent.
Outcome: the council forgave the sewer service charge except for a minimum $50 charge and asked staff to coordinate final billing details with the tenant and property owner.
