Home Equity Landlord Protection (H.E.L.P.)
Attention Landlords: H.E.L.P Could be a Benefit
This program offers a degree of financial protection to your present rental situation for landlord accounts and may be able to save you MONEY.
The H.E.L.P may avoid in preventing adjustments to your mortgage escrow accounts, by avoiding water and sewer penalties from your property taxes. Our billing computer can compare current consumption calculations within the past three billing quarters of use.
If the consumption is unusually high, an average of the past three quarters plus 40%, will amount to a substitute bill upon request of the owner. The amount on this substituted bill will then be accepted as payment in full. This will not eliminate your need for vigilance of your tenant's water use.
How it Works
Example: A tenant runs the sink continuously for an extended period of time before moving out, or the toilet stop is broken and the tenant has failed to bring to the landlord’s attention resulting in a quarterly bill for water and sewer of $600.
The past three quarters were billed at $120 each. The computer will calculate the quarterly average to be $120 and add 40% ($48) deriving a total of $168. The higher bill will be discarded and a bill for $168 will be substituted.
notation will be included with your bill detailing the actual consumption and urging the landlord to investigate. This system would make the water bill somewhat predictable and manageable for the landlord for that quarter.
However, should and abnormally high water bill occur again during a billing quarter within that calendar year (January 1 – December 31) no financial aid will be given because this policy can only be used once per calendar year.
To schedule a Water Board Representative to talk to you or your group in regard to this policy, please call (315) 792-0301.
This policy applies only to RENTAL PROPERTIES and can be used only once each Calendar Year (January 1 – December 31). Landlords with tenants having water/sewer bills, which are paid by Social Services, are not eligible for this program.