FRESNO, Calif. (KMPH) -
$222 in the trash -a Fresno family feels like they're being forced to throw away that money, because of an error on their garbage bill.
The city of Fresno says, the family has to pay for the 8-year-long mistake.
For 8 years, Phillip Rivera took the same trash bin out every week.
But last month, his bin was damaged, so he called the city and asked for a new one.
That's when they found out - they had a 96 gallon bin, but were being billed and paying a 64-gallon rate.
"City of Fresno says, well you should've looked at your bill. Well how many people out there look and see what size and what kind of trash can," said Patricia Rivera.
Now, the city wants the Riveras to pay them back.
This week this city sent the family a letter.
It says they have to pay three years worth of back pay, three years is all the city can legally recoup.
That adds up to about $222.
"We don't believe we owe this bill, because this is the product the city of Fresno gave us, for 8 years. When we moved in and started our service, this is what they brought us," said Rivera.
KMPH asked Public Utilities Director Patrick Wiemiller if he thought it was fair to have the Riveras pay for a city mixup.
"I believe it's fair, it is equitable. It's the level of service he's been receiving all these years, so yes it is fair to then go back and have him pay for the amount of service he's been getting," said Wiemiller.
He says, the Riveras are responsible for the billing mistake, even though they had no clue the charges were wrong.
"It's not as though he didn't get the service, he received the service, so if we provide those services and he doesn't pay then we forgive that, that could be viewed as a gift of public funds, and I would imagine other customers would care to be paying for the money he didn't pay," said Wiemiller.
"I think they're strong arming us. Who has $222 just to give away. I don't know anybody. But it seems like the waste department doesn't care, and they're going to take you and take you," said Phillip Rivera.
Fresno city officials say, it's unusual for a billing mistake like this to happen.
The only way the department could find out about other cases like this is if it conducts an audit, or if the customer makes changes to their service, and a worker notices the discrepancy.
