What a total scam!! Looks like yet another way to get rich off of poor folk with little power. Really - that one example showed where the city of Baltimore sold a couple hundred dollar water bill to a private debt collector who then added lawyer fees and interest making the bill almost $5,000 - an impossible amount for this poor homeowner. So the company took the house - and then sold it for over $85,000!!! How is that not a crime?

If people would pay their bills before buying big screen TVs, Falcon ticket, cigarettes, liquor....they wouldn't have to worry about their homes being sold under them.

We have received multiple complaints concerning water bills from the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County. I am forwarding examples of some of the problems identified with billing from DeKalb Department of Watershed Management. Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management installed automated water meters and found that 25 percent (approx. 9,139) had problems to include incorrectly installed, broken, and/or malfunction.
This issue goes beyond not paying your water bill. Should the homeowners who are experiencing problem with the water bill have the added worry of losing their homes? Turning off the water is not enough?

DeKalb Homeowner Gets $1,500 Water Bill
http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/dekalb-homeowner-gets-1500-water-bill/vCb7J/

DeKalb Homeowner Gets $9,224.40 Water Bill
http://www.thisphotographerslife.com/2012/06/my-9224-40-water-bill.html

The government should never be allowed to take private property...PERIOD!

This smells like an idea that came from the DeKalb Board of Education.

The central issue - should fees have the power of a tax. Remember, taxes are increased by the representatives of the people while fees are increased "at will" by unelected people.