Woman pays $200 bill with coins, town says no more

[jeff of pa]

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania township is asking residents to keep the change.
Officials in Millcreek Township, along with its water and sewer authorities, have adopted a policy limiting how much change they'll accept from residents paying sewer bills and other fees.
David Sterrett, executive director of the authorities, tells the Erie Times-News that officials came up with the policy after a woman showed up last month with a shoebox full of nickels, dimes and quarters to pay a $200 sewer bill.

Sterrett says it took four employees an hour to count, sort and put the money into paper sleeves.
The new policy limits residents to using $10 in unrolled coins or $20 in rolled coins when paying bills.

Woman pays $200 bill with coins, town says no more - Humboldt Beacon

 

[Shunkaha]

Now she needs to start paying this bill with 9 dollars and 99 cents in change each day. Screw these screwballs. The rest of the town should follow suit.

 

[Gold Maven]

Paying your bill with change, as a protest to the bill, never made any sense to me.

The person who has to count your pennies, and the people behind you in line are the one's that are punished.

Go to a city council meeting if you want to protest an unfair bill.

 

[dieselram94]

Is this town so backwards that the bank doesn't have a coin machine?
Cash is cash. Just more communistic rules...

sent from a potato...

 

[jerseyben]

Is this really "sticking it to the man"? To me, this sounds like a person being overly obnoxious and making the clerk's life miserable for no good reason.

 

[dieselram94]

Is this really "sticking it to the man"? To me, this sounds like a person being overly obnoxious and making the clerk's life miserable for no good reason.

I agree its obnoxious, but cash is cash right. Especially if the town imposes a " convenience fee" for using a debit or credit card. In fact the town I live in does not even accept cards, so it's cash or check.

sent from a potato...

 

[Limitool]

Years ago in MI. I went to go pay my phone bill on the way to work. I pull up to outside window and hand her the bill and the cash. She says "We don't except cash only check or money orders". WHAT!!! It says for "all debts private and public" on the Federal issued money. So I said put an order in to pull out my phone then. So the manager comes over and says we'll take the cash today... but it's the last time. He was right about that!!!! After I paid the bill I said NOW... take out the phone. And then HE"S pissed.... Go figure. To many rules.....

 

[jerseyben]

"Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," states: "United States coins and currency [including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks] are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."
This statute means that all United States money as identified above is a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person, or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether to accept cash unless there is a state law which says otherwise. "

 

[dieselram94]

"Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," states: "United States coins and currency [including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks] are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."
This statute means that all United States money as identified above is a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person, or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether to accept cash unless there is a state law which says otherwise. "

Absolutely, however a town is government entity. I guess even the government doesn't want United States currency! Lol

sent from a potato...

 

[Limitool]

"Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," states: "United States coins and currency [including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks] are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."
This statute means that all United States money as identified above is a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person, or an organization must accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether to accept cash unless there is a state law which says otherwise. "

I don't give a damn if a private business has a "rule" or the state "has a law" .... I'll decide how to pay for a service I requested and received. If I don't like the way they do business than I'll go without their service. And I did for 5 years.... Got along just fine.

And the lady above who paid her bill with change and then the city government changes the rules (probably again) would have a field day with me. I'd tell'em cut off the service. But wait.... she's probably mandated by them to have their service.... Can't live off the grid now can we??

 

[dieselram94]

I don't give a damn if a private business has a "rule" or the state "has a law" .... I'll decide how to pay for a service I requested and received. If I don't like the way they do business than I'll go without their service. And I did for 5 years.... Got along just fine.

And the lady above who paid her bill with change and then the city government changes the rules (probably again) would have a field day with me. I'd tell'em cut off the service. But wait.... she's probably mandated by them to have their service.... Can't live off the grid now can we??

Yup, my other house in Florida is mandated by the city to have garbage service along with water. All I want is water so we can maintain the pool level when I'm not there. So most of the year I get to pay for a service I won't use. So they got you...

sent from a potato...

 

[Limitool]

Yup, my other house in Florida is mandated by the city to have garbage service along with water. All I want is water so we can maintain the pool level when I'm not there. So most of the year I get to pay for a service I won't use. So they got you...

If I had that situation going on I'd make that city a pet project of mine. I truly don't mind following the "rules" if they make sense. But I'm not one to follow the herd. I'll lead or be off to one side watching making up my own mind on what's right.

 

[against the wind]

I'm lucky in a sense, because I have a well and a septic tank. I will pay for septic tank cleaning or a new well pump if needed as well as water filters and UV bulbs when they are due for replacement.. I haven't had a landline phone in close to 10 years. I live right outside the borough limits so I'm allowed a Burn Barrel. I have fox, skunk, raccoon, possum, and bear, along with the neighborhood cats, that take care of food scraps. I have 8.68 acres of which 6.5 are woods. I don't need to pay for trash pickup. There is a recycle center for glass and plastic less than 2 miles down the road.
For big stuff like refrigerators, stoves, and washing machines, there are people who will pick it up and take it to the scrap yard. They keep whatever the scrap dealers pay.
If I want to pay for entrance to a truly private buisness like a restaurant or movie theatre, I will pay cash. I'm not angry at anyone so there is no call for any vindictive actions.

 

[jeff of pa]

I'm lucky in a sense, because I have a well and a septic tank. I will pay for septic tank cleaning or a new well pump if needed as well as water filters and UV bulbs when they are due for replacement.. I haven't had a landline phone in close to 10 years. I live right outside the borough limits so I'm allowed a Burn Barrel. I have fox, skunk, raccoon, possum, and bear, along with the neighborhood cats, that take care of food scraps. I have 8.68 acres of which 6.5 are woods. I don't need to pay for trash pickup. There is a recycle center for glass and plastic less than 2 miles down the road.
For big stuff like refrigerators, stoves, and washing machines, there are people who will pick it up and take it to the scrap yard. They keep whatever the scrap dealers pay.
If I want to pay for entrance to a truly private buisness like a restaurant or movie theatre, I will pay cash. I'm not angry at anyone so there is no call for any vindictive actions.

Sounds like here, but "No Need" / and "doing it for entertainment" are 2 different things at times