Troubleshooters: Woman Speaks Out Over Unfair Late Fee

No one likes paying late fees; especially if it is the company's fault that you're late. That is exactly what one Ark-La-Tex woman says she's dealing with. She asked the KTAL Trouble Shooters to help her sort it out and that's what they did.

Cindy Cortese pays her water bill every month. Yet, this month, there's a charge she won't pay: a late fee. "It's their duty to get it out to me in time," Cortese said. But, this past February, that did not happen. "When I got my bill on the 21st, i noticed the due date said February 20th," Cortese said," I said that's crazy I just got it yesterday." The envelope proves that. It's postmarked February 20: the same day Cortese's City of Shreveport water bill was marked due. When she paid the bill on the 22nd, however, she was hit with a late fee.

Cortese initially thought it was a mistake so she called the Department of Water & Sewage billing office. She was told by a representative that even though she recieved her bill on the day it was due she still had to pay the late fee. When she refused to pay the late fee, Cortese says the representative told her that her water would be turned off in less than a month if she did not pay the $2.74 late fee. Cortese then took the envelope to the billing office to prove that she had no choice but to pay the bill late and speak with a supervisor. However, she was not directed to a supervisor and she never recieved a straight answer. "They didn't act like they believed me," Cortese said," and even when I showed it to them they acted like it didn't matter."

The KTAL Troubleshooters took her complaint all the way to the Director of Operational Services Mike Strong. He says the fee was waived the day Cortese notified the department of the error. However, Cindy says no one called to inform her. Strong says her water was not going to be turned off. Yet, he could not explain why the bill was sent the day it was marked due nor would he discuss why Cortese never recieved a phone call from a supervisor. One thing is for sure though, the Cortese family will be keeping a close eye on their water bill from now on.

Strong apologized for the inconvenience. The Director of Customer Service says he will look into this matter. He also says the problem could stem from a simple clerical error. If you are dealing with a similar situation, contact the KTAL Troubleshooters at (318) 629-7113 or by email at troubleshooters@ktalnews.tv.