Why does incompetence on your part constitute an emergency on my part? Here's where state or federal lawmakers could help. Make it illegal for companies to collect back payments when they fail to bill correctly. It's like the credit card companies who used to send you a small brochure in the mail that looks like junk mail, but has fine print that says they are doubling your interest rate if you don't contact them by a certain date to cancel your account. They now have to notify you clearly and obiously about rate changes. Who really looks at their utility bill every month to make sure trash pick up was included especially when it's a small part of the total bill?

Deepcscott - you missed one fine point: "When BexarMet folded, the city went through the accounts and realized some homeowners who recently moved to the area got their regular trash service but BexarMet never charged them for it." These were new residents/customers that didn't realize their trash was bill through the water company.

Yep, they owe it. Yep, they should have to pay for the services rendered. No, they (home owner) should NOT be responsible for a lump sum payment. Pro-rate it over the time BexarMet failed to do things correctly and be done with it. It didn't happen to me, but you can bet anyone reading this article is thinking the same thing: "How is it MY fault they can't bill correctly?"

Hmmm. I get my water bill. I notice it is a little smaller than usual. I notice that I haven't been charged for trash pickup. Wow, maybe I should call the water company and ask why. Do I think that trash pickup is free now? Use your brains people. Pay your bills. Doesn't surprise me that the company screwed up royal, but that is no excuse for the people that should have said something before now.

The legacy of BexarMess lives on even after they're finally gone. I say take the money for the error out of the bank accounts of the fat azzes that made huge salaries while running that organization into the ground!