Not paying your garbage bill can have serious consequences, even though it may seem like an insignificant bill compared to rent or utilities. Garbage collection is a vital public service that we often take for granted. But problems arise quickly when bills go unpaid. This article will explain what can happen if you fail to pay your garbage bill.
Overdue Notices and Fees
If you miss paying your garbage bill, the first thing you’ll receive is an overdue notice. This serves as a warning that you need to pay immediately to avoid further action. Along with the overdue notice you’ll typically be charged a late fee around 1-5% of the unpaid balance. This helps cover administrative costs of collecting late payments. If you pay at this point you can resume normal service after paying the late fee.
Suspension of Service
If the overdue bill remains unpaid after the notice period, your garbage collection service will likely be suspended. This means the company will stop picking up your trash until you settle the past due amount. Suspended service is inconvenient at best and a health hazard at worst. Piles of trash accumulating outside your home can lead to sanitation issues and visits from the health department. And you will still owe the past due balance, plus additional fees to restart service.
Liens Against Property
Unlike other utilities, unpaid garbage bills can become a lien against your real property in some cases The garbage company has the right to file a lien with the town clerk or county recorder This lien attaches to the property title, meaning the bill must be paid off when you sell the home. Liens also damage your credit rating similar to other unpaid debts.
Turned Over to Collections Agency
Like an unpaid credit card, an overdue garbage account will eventually get turned over to a collection agency. These agencies specialize in collecting unpaid debts. Being sent to collections has a number of negative consequences:
- Aggressive collection tactics like phone calls and letters demanding payment
- Major damage to your credit score, over 150 points in some cases
- The full balance plus collection fees become due immediately
- Collection agency may sue you to garnish wages or put a lien on your assets
Having an unpaid garbage bill in collections makes it much harder to get loans, mortgages, rental agreements, and utility services until it’s resolved.
Misdemeanor Charges
In extreme cases, repeat offenders who continue to ignore garbage bills and collection notices may face misdemeanor criminal charges. While rare, some townships and cities have local ordinances that penalize not paying for garbage pickup. If convicted, penalties can include fines up to several hundred dollars or short jail sentences. Having a misdemeanor conviction on your record can impact background checks for jobs, housing, etc.
Restoring Service
Once you’re ready to restore your garbage service, you’ll need to pay any past due balance, late fees, and possibly additional service fees. The cost to restart service can range from $25 to over $100. You may also be required to pay a deposit or switch to prepaid garbage bills going forward. After bringing the account current, service will resume on your regular day. Expect delays up to a week or more during busy periods.
Avoiding Suspension of Service
To avoid having your garbage service suspended, be sure to:
- Open and pay bills on time
- Contact the company immediately if you’ll be late or missing a payment
- Enroll in auto-pay or recurring payments if available
- Apply for low-income payment assistance if eligible
- Pay old bills prior to setting up new service at a different address
- Reduce service level or frequency if needing to lower costs
Keeping the lines of communication open with your garbage collection provider makes it much easier to address any payment issues before extreme measures become necessary.
It’s easy to overlook a garbage bill, but the consequences make it essential to pay on time. Within a few months, you can end up with large fees, a lien against your home, collection calls, and trash piling up. While a criminal charge is unlikely, it’s still possible in some areas. Avoid headaches by making garbage bills as much a priority as other utilities. If money is tight, contact the provider right away to discuss payment plan options. With a few simple precautions, you can avoid the negatives of an unpaid trash bill.
Family gets garbage, sewer service but won’t pay the bill
FAQ
What happens if you don’t pay your bills?
How much is a garbage bill in Oregon?
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20-gallon
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90-gallon
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Monthly cost
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$36.70
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$53.85
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Weight limit
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60 pounds
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175 pounds
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Do you have to pay for garbage in Chicago?
What is the garbage fee?
Can I get incarcerated for not paying my trash bill?
Ask a lawyer – it’s free! Citizens and residents of this country are not incarcerated for failure to pay civil claims. The only recourse the trash collection company or agency (assuming it is a municipal agency) has to collect an unpaid bill is to file a claim in civil court and seek a judicial order requiring payment.
Should a trash bill be a mandatory expense?
When you’re accustomed to paying a bill, like your trash bill, every month, it’s easy to just chalk it as a mandatory expense, but it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think. For us, going from not having a trash bill at all, to suddenly having to pay for trash pickup really made us think twice.
Do you pay for garbage?
AFAIK, you always have to pay for them to collect garbage. We pay for garbage/yard waste, water/sewer, electric, gas. Some people pay for oil, if they have old oil heating systems. Part of the joy of home ownership. That’s much cheaper than garbage around me.
Do you pay a company to take your trash to the dump?
We can pay a private company to take our trash to the dump or we can take it ourselves for free. Not sure how they charge, but if it’s based on how much trash you have to be taken away, consider recycling more. When we started, nearly half to two-thirds ended up being recycled instead of just being trash.
Can you accumulate garbage in violation of a city ordinance?
Yes, you can accumulate garbage in violation of many other ordinances and get your neighbors to hate you. Or get involved in municipal politics and get town trash services instated. In my area we pay per bag. You buy stickers for $2 each that you attach to the bag. I pay 51.50 a month, but that also includes unlimited sewer use.
Is garbage collection free?
Garbage collection is definitely not free. In some places you pay the company directly, where I live its included in my annual MUD fee (a hybrid of a HOA and town), and it looks like yours is done at the county government level. In some situations, like if you pay directly, you could opt out, but that may not be an option where you live.
