Title
Deleting the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 52 MAGNOLIA AVENUE WEST. (File No. CG2004A5, Assessment No. 200167)
Hearing Date(s)
Date of LH: 1/21/2021
Time of LH: 9:00 AM
Date of CPH: 3/17/2021
Tax Assessment Worksheet
Postcard Returned by: Rachel Rystedt
Cost: $3.36
Hauling Service(s) Provided: Q3 2020 Delinquent Garbage Bill; Service provided July-September 2020
Type of Order/Fee: Trash Hauling
Billing Time Period: 3rd Quarter of 2020 (July 1 - Sept 30)
Invoice Date(s): July 1 - Sept 30
Garbage Hauler: Advanced Disposal Services
Returned Mail/Notice Concerns?:
Stated Reason for Appeal (if given): I have contacted Advanced Disposal at least three times regarding this issue. Before the garbage consolidation I had one account with Advanced disposal, then after the consolidation my first account was never merged and I figured out after contacting them that a whole new account had been created, so then I had two accounts under my one property at 52 Magnolia Ave W. I contacted the company in November 2020 about a late charge on my bill and explained the above situation and that I had made a payment with auto-pay. But it wasn't applied to my 'new' account, and after contacting Advanced the first time they never bothered to get rid of my first account or merge it with my new account information. I asked to talk to a supervisor he said he could take the late charge off by getting in contact with the City of Saint Paul and told me not to worry about it, on the call I even set up my auto-pay on my "new" account during this call with them and have an email 11/10/2020 from that time as I wanted to prevent additional issues from happening with the company. Today 1/2/2021 I received a Public Hearing Notice for the late charge, I am a bit upset that I didn't have a tape recorder or email proof of my conversation with Advanced Disposal but hoping this correspondence to be sufficient. I have never been late on any of my water, electricity, property taxes or mortgage payments. I hold excellent credit and have saved my money to buy my own house in Saint Paul at 23, but I have never lived in a city where the garbage has given me such a headache! I even went online to stpaul.gov/assessments to pay the $3.36 so that I wouldn't have to invest this much time but it is stuck as a pending assessment against the property. I am hoping this helps bring some light to the situation with Advanced Disposal, It feels as if the company doesn't care because they are in a contract and the customer is the one who has to front all the extra costs and hassel.
Staff Comments: Hauler records show that the old account with Advanced Disposal has not been billed for garbage service since August 2018. Records of contact with the property owner show that the Customer Service Representative informed the property owner that they would look into removing the late fee. However, it was determined that since the property owner was not on auto pay during Quarter 3 2020, that it was their responsibility to pay their invoice on time and therefore the hauler would not request that the late fee be removed from the assessment. Staff agrees with this analysis. The Quarter 3 2020 invoice was not paid by the property owner until 08/10/2020. As the Quarter 3 2020 invoice was due on 07/25/2020, the payment would be have been received after that deadline and therefore would have received a late fee of 5%, or $3.36. Staff therefore recommends approving the assessment.
Body
WHEREAS, the Office of Financial Services Real Estate Section has attached to this Council File both a report of completion outlining the costs and fees associated with Collection of Delinquent Garbage Bills for services during July to September 2020. (File No. CG2004A5, Assessment No. 200167) and the assessment roll including all properties for which these assessments are proposed for Council ratification; and
WHEREAS, the City Council’s Legislative Hearing Officer has reviewed an appeal of this assessment and developed a recommendation for the City Council with respect to this assessment; and
WHEREAS, a public hearing having been conducted for the above improvement, and said assessment having been further considered by the Council and having been considered financially satisfactory; Now, Therefore, Be It
RESOLVED, that pursuant to Chapter 14 of the Saint Paul City Charter, said assessment is hereby deleted.