Several multi-family buildings across the city owe millions of dollars to North Miami for overdue utility bills. It’s been a troublesome situation for the city. Normally, when the utility bill of a single-family home is overdue, the city shuts off water until the bill is paid. For multi-family units, like apartments and condos, things were treated differently. Turning off the water for these building means shutting off water for perhaps hundreds of residents. And many of those residents will have already remitted their utility payments to the building management, assuming the property utility bill was being paid. They’ve been paying their bills on time and probably have no idea that management hasn’t been paying the city. But with the problem growing, the city has decided to act. In late July 2023, demand letters for buildings that owe over $50,000 to the city were sent. Each property owner is given the chance to pay their bill by a deadline. If they do not comply, water will be shut off. When that happens, building managers will no doubt tell tenants that it’s the city’s fault, deflecting blame without admitting guilt. This will cause residents to start calling the city in a fit of rage. I post this story here so it can be shared with residents. The truth is, it’s not the city’s “fault.” Building owners have not been paying the city and we can’t afford to give everyone free water. Tenants should ask management where their utility payments have been going.
