A vacant two-flat building in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood that has sat empty for years somehow accumulated a nearly $67,000 water bill. Adding to the mystery, the property did not even have a meter.
The situation was just one example of property owners alleging that they were receiving massive, unjustified water bills running into five and six figures, WLS reported.
Here's what to know
At the Hyde Park duplex, water bills started arriving in 2020, even though the building had been vacant since 2014, according to Michael Applegate, the property manager. Over time, the total water-related debt climbed to nearly $67,000.
Applegate said the city later found no meter at the building, and a 2022 police report described the meter as missing. Separate inspection work, he added, did not uncover any leaks.
"We're just asking for transparency," Applegate said, per ABC7. "The owner just wants the city to really look into how those numbers were calculated when there's proof of the building being vacant."
According to Applegate, the disputed balance is hurting the owner's credit and stalling plans to renovate the vacant two-flat.
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"So, it's prevented us from working with the city to get this place renovated," he said. "We provide a lot of affordable housing throughout the city of Chicago."
ABC7 also spoke with South Shore property owner Amadou Mara, who said his six-unit building usually ran about $5,000 a year in water charges before one bill spiked to $52,000. He said penalties and alleged usage later pushed the total to more than $274,000, even after the meter was replaced.
For property owners like Mara, such massive, unexpected expenses can be financially devastating.
"They destroy my life," Mara told ABC7. "They destroy my business. They destroy everything I've been working for."
More background
Based on the number of complaints from property owners, the issue appeared to be widespread. ABC7 reported receiving about a dozen complaints involving unusually large water bills. Another case, it said, involved a vacant home in the Back of the Yards neighborhood that had a reported bill totaling nearly $250,000.
As property owners struggle with massive water bills, officials have been slow to take action.
In a June statement, Michael Belsky, the Department of Finance comptroller, said his department and the Department of Water take equitable and accurate water billing seriously and that they "routinely reach out to customers facing billing spikes to assist in determining underlying causes" such as leaks and meter accuracy.
An updated statement from a Chicago Department of Finance spokesperson said the departments are "committed to hearing all disputes," per ABC7.
Whether officials will follow through with meaningful action remains to be seen.
What can be done?
For property owners seeking to challenge a charge, ABC7 said the city's stated process is to formally dispute the bill by contacting Utility Billing & Customer Service at 312-744-4426 or emailing utilitybill@cityofchicago.org.
Where can I learn more?
Big water-bill disputes like these have also hit renters and property owners elsewhere. They involve sudden billing spikes, leak disputes, and fights over who should pay.
• In Terry, Mississippi, a resident saw his water bill jump overnight from $28 to $179.
• At a rental home, a tenant moved to fight an astronomical water bill tied to a suspected leak.
• In another rental dispute, a renter was left with a massive water bill after alleged landlord neglect.
• A landlord sent a monstrous water bill to a tenant without warning amid leak concerns.
• A tenant fought an inexplicably high water bill after a landlord demanded money for hose use.
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