Dear Claudienne,

I am the beneficiary of a house (a studio) in Hellshire Park, Hellshire, St Catherine.

My mother migrated to the United States of America in 1998, but before she left she went to both utility companies and got the water and electricity disconnected. As a result of the disconnection of the light and water, the house was not rented and was unoccupiied.

My mother lived in the United States for approximately eight years after which she became ill and died in 2007.

In 2016 I decided to rent the house. I went to the National Water Commission’s (NWC) office in Portmore and applied for water and was told that there was an outstanding bill for approximately $140,000.

I told the clerk that the bill was an error, as my mother migrated and died in the USA and nobody had been living there. The clerk then asked me if any repairs or construction was done at the premises and I told her that the studio remained in its original state.

I was informed that an inspector would visit the premises and was given a date to return to the NWC office.

When I returned to the water commission office it was apparent that the inspectors report confirmed what I had explained before. I was then asked to make some payments, after which the water was connected.

However, when I voiced my dissatisfaction about the estimated bills that I received, a water meter was installed two months later.

After the title for the premises was transferred into my name, I requested that the NWC replace my mother’s name with my name on the water contract.

A female supervisor at the NWC office informed me that my name would not be put on the water contract until the estimated balance on the bill had been removed.

She instructed me to ignore the estimated balance and to just pay the current bill and I have been doing that. She also outlined the documents that would be needed for the transfer to be done.

I visited the office sometime last year (2018) to receive an update and was told that they would give me a call. However, I have never received a call. In May 2019, I visited the NWC office in Portmore twice and a supervisor told me that I would receive a call; I have been waiting on that call until now.

I am now extremely frustrated seeing that I have been waiting since 2016 to have this matter resolved.

I am kindly asking for your assistance in resolving this matter.

OC

Dear OC

Tell Claudienne has been in communication with the NWC’s vice-president of customer service delivery, and they have now agreed to clear the amount that was previously said to be owing.

On Friday September 27, Tell Claudienne received the following e-mail from the Customer Relations Manager (Acting) Portmore, St Catherine:

“Please be informed that the adjustment in the amount of $140,057.85 is now approved and posted to the account for the captioned address. The amount on the account currently is $2,066.85.

OC may now proceed to do the transfer of ownership.

The National Water Commission thanks you for your business and looks forward to serving you even better in the future.”

Please contact the NWC Portmore Office immediately.

We wish you all the best.