Chicago woman billed $233,000 for water she never used in vacant home with no plumbing
A senior citizen's vacant home in the Back of the Yards neighborhood racked up a staggering $233,000 water bill, despite not having any plumbing for years.
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A senior citizen's vacant home in the Back of the Yards neighborhood racked up a staggering $233,000 water bill, despite not having any plumbing for years.
Eligible homeowners and business owners would be able to have their water bills lowered if they can prove their higher bill is the result of leak in the underground service line.
David Steele got the $5,000 refund he'd been wanting for months, but didn't get an explanation why the city suddenly changed its mind.
Glenn Jones can't sell the vacant house until he figures out the water bill issue with the city.
Through our "Getting Hosed" series on bad water bills, we have found that often communication issues between different city systems have often been the source of the headaches.
Even after David Steele won the first round in his dispute over his bogus water bill, the city figured out a way to hose him again.
The Chicago City Council Finance Committee held a hearing Tuesday with the heads of the Water Management and Finance departments.
A week-by-week log of meter readings showed zero water usage on some entries. Other times, the report came back at 6 million gallons used in a week.
The family knew they had unpaid water charges to settle before selling their three-flat in Roseland, but nothing like the amount they got.
The circumstances vary from case to case, of course, but in short, the pattern involves Chicagoans getting socked with bills for water they didn't use.
"You've got people walking around on fixed income and they can't afford to pay a $500 bill," Burns said. "I would like to see mistakes corrected and I would like to see communication. There's no communication!"
"It's just nuts to me that we have this issue that continues to be reported, on and the city departments are not doing anything about it," Villegas said.
Numerous people whose stories we've reported over the past four years have been getting hosed by bogus bills - often rising into the tens of thousands of dollars.
This did not happen until the CBS 2 Investigators got involved.
Connie Abels has been waiting five years for her hearing.
The homeowner was just being an honest guy and alerted the Chicago Department of Water Management to his unusually low bill.
"The issue with being a city employee is we are obligated to pay any city obligation," said paramedic Lisa Beard.
In Chicago when you die, ComEd shuts off your electricity, and Peoples Gas shuts off your gas. But the city does not stop your water.
Illinois' lead pipe situation is the worst in the country.
Yasser Almanaseer said he has had no luck in getting it fixed.
How does a City of Chicago water bill for $70 turn into a $10,000 tab from one bill to the next?
Getting Hosed, our exposé on Chicago's bad water billing, has saved consumers hundreds of thousands of dollars. So we wanted to know - what happens if you take on the City yourself?
"They told me to hire a good lawyer, that this is probably a billing issue with the city."
Aldermen voted against Ald. Daniel La Spata's proposal for helping low-income residents with water bills, while a competing proposal from Mayor Lori Lightfoot remains bottled up in a separate committee.
Hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans with unmetered accounts pay inflated bills – and you can't get a meter for a fair bill until you get a non-lead service line.
The man charged with the execution-style murder of a bar owner last month in far south suburban Momence has pleaded not guilty.
The Chicago Bears have been busy bolstering their defense on the first day of free agency, signing linebacker Devin Bush Jr., safety Coby Bryant, and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, according to reports.
A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice first elected in 2007 will not seek a third 10-year term next year.
A couple from Fox Lake, Illinois, has been charged with abusing an 11-year-old boy for years and telling him he deserved it.
Imagine thinking you lost big on "The Price is Right" game "Rat Race," only to discover afterward you got a prize after all.
A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice first elected in 2007 will not seek a third 10-year term next year.
Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, has reached a deal with the Department of Justice as part of a high-stakes antitrust trial.
Wait times to get through security hit two hours in New Orleans and over three hours in Houston as TSA staffing took a hit amid the partial government shutdown.
In July, Prasad was briefly forced from his job, but was reinstated less than two weeks later.
Activists and immigrant advocacy groups who came face-to-face with federal agents during "Operation Midway Blitz" welcomed the removal of Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, but remain wary about the department's future.
The war with Iran is causing gas prices to surge, with motorists in Chicago and around the country guaranteed to feel the impact at the pump Monday morning.
There's no relief in sight for drivers at the pump as the war in Iran is directly driving up the cost of gas. Analysts expect more of the same unless something changes soon.
Drivers in the Chicago area can expect to start paying more at the pump this week, as oil prices have spiked amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Palatine, Illinois-based Weber has issued a recall of more than 3.2 million metal wire bristle grill brushes because you could ingest the bristles.
This is after Mayor Brandon Johnson vetoed an ordinance that would have banned most hemp-derived products this weekend.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment from biotherapeutics company CSL for a new plasma therapy manufacturing plant in Kanakee.
When a doctor was told there was no cure for his daughter's condition, he was motivated to transform not only her health, but the lives of thousands of others.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment from biotherapeutics company CSL for a new plasma therapy manufacturing plant in Kanakee.
Capital One is laying off more than 1,100 workers at the former Discover headquarters in north suburban Riverwoods.
A new development at the southeast corner of Chicago's East Lakeview community would clear away a medical office building and replace it with a residential high-rise.
The City of Aurora, Illinois, is seeking input from residents about data center development.
Not one, but two hotels are now planned or proposed for Chicago's Northalsted LGBTQ+ nightlife district.
Jennifer Runyon, a Chicago native who became famous as an actress appearing in "Ghostbusters" and "Charles in Charge," died last week.
A woman was arrested on Sunday for firing multiple shots at the Beverly Hills home of Rihanna, Los Angeles Police Department officials say.
Actor and filmmaker Bruce Campbell told fans that he is in treatment for cancer and will cancel some upcoming public appearances.
Singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, known for his hits like "Laughter in the Rain," "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" and "Calendar Girl," has died.
A 19th-century George Méliès film, thought to be long lost, has been found among a box of brittle movie reels that a Michigan donor brought to the Library of Congress, officials said.
Meteorologist Kylee Miller has your 11 a.m. First Alert Weather forecast for Monday, March 9, 2026.
Imagine thinking you lost a game on "The Price is Right" only to discover afterward you got a prize after all.
The increase comes ass global oil prices surge amid the escalating conflict involving Iran, a key player in the world's energy supply. Darius Johnson reports.
A government-supported program to provide financial help for people with disabilities in Illinois is expanding.
As the fighting escalates in the Iran War, President Trump said he’s not happy after Tehran confirmed the country’s newest supreme leader. Meantime, a seventh American has died from Iranian attacks.
A couple from Fox Lake, Illinois, has been charged with abusing an 11-year-old boy for years and telling him he deserved it.
In Chicago at O'Hare International Airport early Monday, security lines did not seem longer than one would expect for the time and day of the week. But long security lines could become more of a problem.
Jennifer Runyon, a Chicago native who became famous as an actress appearing in "Ghostbusters" and "Charles in Charge," died last week.
The war with Iran is causing gas prices to surge, with motorists in Chicago and around the country guaranteed to feel the impact at the pump Monday morning.
A crash left one person dead and three others injured in Marquette Park on Chicago's Southwest Side early Monday.
A Chicago senior citizen said his phone has been ringing off the hook with hundreds of unwanted spam calls that have made his beloved landline virtually unusable. New efforts in Springfield could bring real relief.
A proposed Illinois law hopes to create more oversight on private companies to protect consumers from skyrocketing utility prices.
The three women said they are working to make their way back home, but without any help from the U.S. State Department.
If you feel like you're drowning in a sea of text alerts and desperate email pleas for "just $5" this election season, you are far from alone.
A north suburban school bus driver became a victim of sophisticated scammers who are targeting more people and more vulnerable populations to make more money.
The Chicago Bears have been busy bolstering their defense on the first day of free agency, signing linebacker Devin Bush Jr., safety Coby Bryant, and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, according to reports.
Sacramento outscored the Bulls 68-36 in the paint.
Blackhawks rookie forward Oliver Moore left midway through the first period after three shifts with an undisclosed injury when sliding into the end boards seconds after assisting on Rinzel's goal.
That event takes place during a bit of a break in Northwestern's spring schedule, giving Ashley and Dianna the chance to compete in Augusta, then return to Evanston to focus on a potential repeat.
The win gave Illinois a bye into Friday's quarterfinals in the Big Ten Tournament.
The man charged with the execution-style murder of a bar owner last month in far south suburban Momence has pleaded not guilty.
A man is dead after being shoved down a flight of stairs during a fight in Chicago's River North district early Monday.
Robbers invaded a home and held the resident at gunpoint this past weekend in the north Chicago suburb of Winnetka.
A man was found shot and killed in a car in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood late Sunday.
A 41-year-old man was hospitalized early Monday after being stabbed in Chicago's Avalon Park neighborhood.
