So. This is my thing. I think op did not do everything correct. Why? Cuz they are surprised and unsure as to why they are now getting notification.

My contention was/is: if you were checking your banking accounts routinely, you'd know that specific bill wasn't getting paid.

Let's say you aren't routinely checking your acct, which is stupid as fuck but a lot of people do not. Then when you get a water bill, your eyes generally go right to amount owed. In that box, right above amount owed, is previous amount owed. The middle of the paper, is a graph which shows you how much water was used.

But let's say you are like me. The water bill is on my desk, unopened. When I have a mind, I go online and pay the bill. The online bill also says, how much is owed, previous unpaid bill, and the last time paid.

The amount owed, previous and current cannot be missed.

Even if you're on auto pay. Which, I refuse to do with any utility but to each their own, you'll be notification of how much you owe, when it'll be taken out and a breakdown of the bill.

So, allll that to say.

Op isn't doing everything correctly. To me, they fucked up somewhere and want to blame DPW. Nah, that's on you.

Simply monitoring your bank accounts will solve this solution.

The city will put a lien on for water bills. That's not something any owner should play with.

>OP is doing everything correctly and the city is fucking up their bill.

This is incorrect. It's the inverse.

>it's NOT the citizen's job to balance their checkbook to make sure DPW is doing their job.

No but everyone should balance their checkbooks to make sure expected bills are taken out. To ensure they don't go into the negative. And to make sure their responsibility are being taken care of.

>Most of those who pay online don't use a checking account (WARNING: DON'T GIVE ANY COMPANY DIRECT ACCESS TO ANY BANK ACCOUNT) but go on a credit card. It sure sounds like he/she/they are doing their part correctly.

So. This is dumb. Paying any Bmore City bill with a CC costs more. Not only with whatever interest rate you have but. Let's say you pay off your bill every month. Baltimore City CHARGES the payee to use a CC. Using a checking or savings account is free. The routing and account numbers are not saved on their website. You have to input the information each time you pay. Your cookies or whatever may save the digits but the website itself does not.

>The city accepting payment and is all the proof they (OP) needs. Unless, as the OP suggests, the DPW is mismanaging the situation and their financial resources.

This is also foolish. Every time you pay a governmental bill or utility, you get a reference number to track that specific transaction. For the city, millions of transactions occur monthly. As well, things happen. You put the wrong acct number, wrong address or whatever, you have proof of the attempt. Or get, your phone died or computer crashed or whatever, you have an identifier.

>way, I disagree with your premise that it's up to each of double check our transactions to make sure DPW

It's not just DPW. Every one should check ALL transactions. I pay property taxes online. I'm not just hitting send and going about my day.

Water bill, bge, tickets and property taxes, I pay by check/ACH and I check my account the day it's supposed to hit make sure it does. It always has.

I also check my accounts routinely because I like the peace of mind of knowing how much I got in the bank, that X bill was paid. It's more than DPW.

Op never checked apparently no now, they have to untangle this.

This isn't DPW issue cuz they don't take the payment. The City does. And just like with issuing tickets, the finance department of Baltimore City is really efficient.

Also. When you don't pay your bill. It gets bigger. The amount carries over. So op never looked at the bill? Never checked the amount? If they did, then there's an issue, probably user error. If so, those 3 payments can be tracked. How? The reference number.

The city is inefficient and fails in a lot of ways. This is not an e ample of that.

This is a serious question. Do you people not check your checking accounts regularly?

In addition, when you pay your bills online, there's an option to get confirmation by email.

If you give your email, you get a confirmation email with! A reference number.

If you DON'T have an email, the next page when you hit submit. Is a page with. The reference number.

You tell the city when you want the money taken out. I think it defaults to the next day but you can change it.

3 months should not be going by without you being aware if an online bill has been paid.

Does this happen to me? No.

But if it did. I'd be heading down to Holiday street with my confirmation number and print outs of my bank statements with the relevant withdrawal highlighted.

Ok can email that info to the city but I'd do that shit in person cuz. Ya know. Lien.

This isn't the city needing to get it together.

There are houses you can rent throughout the city for $1400. If you want shiny new apartments, luxury living, then no. If you want a safe place to live, then, then yes.

Call up any real estate brokerage in the city and ask to speak to a rental agent. It's free and you'll have specific personalize attention and advice.

You can also ask on Nextdoor if anyone has a lead to a place to rent.

Wtf? Am I supposed to give multiple suggestions? Did you? Others already gave suggestions.

You're disingenuous. Your only complaint is financially illiterate and all this fucking time you still haven't answered the question.

>butt the fuck out

No.

>because you’re not helpful

That's your opinion.

Sell the fucking car. Or keep it. I don't give a shit. Adding unnecessary miles, wear n tear on a new vehicle so you can pay bills is fiscally irresponsible.

This isn't AITA. I didn't give judgement.

If it makes financial sense to take a depreciating asset, add unnecessary wear and tear so that it's worth considerably less plus the added costs, if that makes sense to you. I don't know what to say.

Is what it is I guess.

There's other options instead of that. It's holiday season, op can pick up jobs at any retail shop.

They can get with UPS, FED EX, or any of these hundreds of delivery ops with contracts with Amazon.

I find it interesting that your hangup is , "financially illiterate" like I cursed OP lineage or something. Most ppl are not financially literate.

A car is a liability that's generally easy to get rid of. He should sell the car, get what he can and get a older Honda.

Yes it does. Shit happens. In this case, sell the car.

Yes. R u

Right.

Ok.

Thank you for answering the question.

He is financially illiterate.

I'm not being a dick cuz I cannot be. As I said, I can be an asshole but I can't be a dick. In any way.

Did I call him dumb or any variation thereof? No.

But maybe I'm wrong. Please anyone explain how someone with a new car and no job who wants to drive uber or lyft makes financial sense. More So then selling or trading it.

It's impossible for me to be a dick. Literally and physically and metaphorically as well.

I can be. However, an asshole. I am not in this case.

Driving Uber/Lyft to is not a sound financial decision.

>I drive a new Honda Civic

> until I get a new job

Sell it or trade it in. That you think me saying that makes me a "dick" kinda proves that you are not financially literate.

As Biggie said once, "Don't be mad. UPS is hiring."

​

You got a car note you can't afford. You have a depreciating asset. Putting the miles and wear on it is not a sound financial decision. Sell it.

You got a new car with no job?

And you want to wear down the depreciating asset quicker?

Sell or trade in the car and get a beater.

Also please learn financial literacy cuz from this post, you're illiterate.

Imported Butter? Kerrygold like u/bitchmaster_general said. Aldi carries it.

Per SBA, 75% of all restaurants fail within 2 years. There's a reason why resturantuers get investors and not bank loans. Food costs and labor eats up all the money.

I remember reading an article about a 1 star Michelin chef owner who had to clean her own grease traps because she couldn't afford the $1000 cost.

There's a reason why Subway only gives you 2 napkins. Why McDonald's and Wendy's only give you ketchup if you ask for it.

All of it adds up.

Several of Gordon Ramsey's early restaurants failed.

None. None of those cities have affordable housing. Baltimore still does.

You're not going to find any property in turnkey condition for $125k. But you will in Baltimore.

The vibe, nightlife, etc etc means nothing if you can't afford to live there.

800?

You're looking for a private owner. Something that low is word of moth reccomendation.

He paid it because the optics was bad. The Moores will have an audit and probably get a refund. This is why I'd never do auto pay with any utility. Especially water. You'll have a leak and never know until the bill comes. Plus they have a pool so that may account for some of it but not $21k worth.

Yeah. Some have mentioned penalty but I've never seen one. Then again, I never looked to see.