In Scott Township, near Scranton, Pa., sewer authority board members this week agreed to hire debt collection firm Portnoff Law Associates LTD to collect an estimated $133,000 in delinquencies. The law firm is based in Norristown, Pa.
The board agreed in November to raise the monthly sewer rate from $78.40 to $87.91, and since then the number of delinquent accounts has jumped from roughly 80 to 101, according to The Times-Tribune in Scranton.
Rather than raise rates again to compensate for the delinquencies, board members chose to go after those whose sewer bill payments are more than 90-days late.
Portnoff Law Associates' process include sending a notice of delinquency followed by a letter notifying the property owner that a lien will be filed. According to board members, Portnoff passes the cost of its work on to the delinquent property owners rather than charging any fees to the sewer authority.
