Having your garbage picked up regularly is an essential service that most of us take for granted. We put our trash and recycling bins out on the curb once a week and expect them to be emptied like clockwork. But what happens when that reliable service gets disrupted because you fall behind on paying your garbage bill?
Unfortunately, failure to pay your garbage collection fees can have serious consequences. But there are also steps you can take to remedy the situation before it escalates This article will cover
- The importance of paying your garbage bill
- Common reasons bills go unpaid
- Consequences for non-payment
- How to get your service resumed
- Alternatives if service is terminated
Why Paying Your Garbage Bill Matters
There are a few key reasons it’s crucial to pay your garbage collection fees in a timely manner
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It’s the law – Most municipalities require residents to have garbage collection service Not paying your bill violates local sanitation codes.
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Health hazards – Uncollected trash and food waste can attract pests, spread bacteria, and create unsafe and unsanitary conditions.
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Environmental impact – Improperly disposed of waste pollutes the environment and groundwater. Paying for proper collection helps protect the planet.
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Community cooperation – Your neighbors depend on everyone pitching in to keep the neighborhood clean and livable.
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Stay away from fines—failing to pay could lead to late fees, property liens, or other fines.
Paying garbage bills is a civic duty. Accounts that are past due put a strain on the community as a whole.
Common Reasons Garbage Bills Go Unpaid
Why would a homeowner fail to pay this vital bill? There are a few typical scenarios:
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Forgot to pay – Busy schedules and forgetfulness sometimes lead to accidentally missing a payment.
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Financial hardship – Job loss, medical bills, or other financial stresses make paying the garbage bill difficult.
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Dispute over fees – Homeowners who feel they were overcharged sometimes withhold payment until the dispute is resolved.
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Service problems – Customers dissatisfied with collection problems or missed pickups may refuse payment.
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Account mix-ups – Changes to automatic payments or account numbers can inadvertently lead to non-payment.
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Vacant homes – Owners living elsewhere may overlook bills for their unoccupied properties.
Whatever the reason, it’s imperative to address non-payment promptly before severe consequences set in.
Consequences of Not Paying Your Garbage Bill
The trash collector, whether a municipal agency or private company, relies on residents paying their bills to fund operations. They can’t afford to provide free service to non-paying customers. As a result, they have ways to enforce payment:
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Suspended service – The collector will stop emptying bins and leaving trash to pile up.
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Late fees – Failure to pay on time will result in incremental late fees being added to your balance.
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Liens – The collector can place a lien against your property for unpaid service fees.
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Credit damage – Unpaid bills may be reported to credit bureaus, negatively impacting your credit score.
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Collection agency – After multiple overdue notices, accounts are often sent to a collection agency.
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Municipal fines – Code enforcement may issue citations for sanitation violations due to uncollected waste.
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Legal action – Egregious cases may end up going to civil court over unpaid fees.
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Foreclosure – If liens are not paid, the property could potentially face foreclosure.
Letting a garbage bill go unpaid hurts homeowners through damage to their credit, finances, and even possession of their home in worst-case scenarios.
How to Get Your Garbage Service Resumed
If you’ve fallen behind on garbage bills, getting your service restored should be your top priority. Here are some tips for getting back on track:
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Communicate – Call the billing office and explain your situation. They may waive late fees or establish a payment plan.
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Pay immediately – At minimum, pay the overdue balance as soon as possible. This shows good faith.
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Automate payments – Set up automatic monthly payments so future bills are paid on time.
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Provide access – If bins were not accessible for pickup, make sure the area is cleared for the next collection day.
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Follow guidelines – Review policies about bin placement, items allowed, pickup days, etc. and comply going forward.
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Watch for notices – After payment, look for notice of resumed service within 1-2 business days.
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Be patient – It may take a full collection cycle before new trash is picked up after non-payment issues.
With some effort, coordination, and good communication, you can resolve overdue garbage bills before the headaches compound.
What If Your Service Remains Terminated?
If you are ultimately unable to get your residential garbage collection restored, you’ll need an alternate solution for disposing of your household waste. Here are a few options to consider:
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Commercial dumpsters – Rent a dumpster to place on your property for $300-$800 per month.
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Waste transfer stations – Haul your own trash to a local municipal transfer station for disposal.
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Share with neighbors – Make arrangements to add your trash bags to a helpful neighbor’s bins.
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Garbage removal service – Hire junk hauling companies to remove waste from $100-$300 per visit.
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Reduce waste – Take aggressive recycling and composting steps to lower your garbage output.
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Move – In severe cases, it may be necessary to relocate if the property becomes uninhabitable.
Living without garbage collection is extremely challenging. Avoid getting to that point by closely monitoring bills and communicating with providers to resolve payment issues promptly.
Paying your garbage collection bill isn’t optional. It’s a legal and societal obligation for homeowners. Failing to pay has escalating repercussions from suspended service and late fees to municipal fines, property liens, credit damage, and even foreclosure in extreme cases.
If you’ve fallen behind, contact your provider immediately to discuss payment options and get your service resumed. Through open communication and fulfilling your obligations, you can easily avoid negative consequences. Going without waste collection is hazardous to health, environment, and community. So make paying your garbage bill on time a top priority.
Garbage Assessment Inquiry Form
The City of Saint Paul gives you the opportunity to dispute any Delinquent Garbage Assessments. If you have received a notice from the City of Saint Paul (Invoice and Final Notice OR Public Hearing Notice) regarding a Delinquent Garbage Assessment and would like to dispute it, please fill out the form below:
Garbage Service Billing Process
- Haulers mail out invoices on the 5th day of the first month of quarterly service (January, April, July, and October). The invoice covers the next three months. Ex. January bill is for service provided January, February, March.
- Payment is due the 25th of the billing month. In order for your hauler to receive payment, it must clear your bank or financial institution by the due date.
- Payments not received by the due date, will incur a late fee of 5% and the end of each month of the billing cycle. Up to three late fees are possible per billing cycle.
- At the end of the quarter, all unpaid bills are turned over to the City for assessment. Your hauler can no longer take payment for that quarter.
It is now classified as a pending property tax assessment* with the city. Your hauler can no longer take payment for this quarterly bill. The City of Saint Paul will send out an Invoice and Final Notice to the resident. The resident then has 30 days to pay the pending assessment. After 30 days the pending assessment will be sent for approval through the ratification of assessment process to be added to the residents property taxes. During this time you can pay your bill online or by mail, for more information on payment options visit Assessments.
*If you have general questions about the assessment process, you can contact the assessment department at 651-266-8858.
If the City of Saint Paul does not receive payment of the delinquent charges by the due date on the “Invoice and Final Notice,” the City will send out a second notice titled Public Hearing Notice Ratification of Assessment. This will include a scheduled date, time, and location for a legislative hearing that residents are able to attend if they wish to contest the assessment. Please note that it is not mandatory to attend these hearings. The notice will include a webform URL to enter your request for a legislative hearing at the assigned date and time. Please call 651-266-6101 if you need assistance.
To contest the assessment, submit a request for a legislative hearing online or by phone 651-266-6101 and attend the scheduled hearing date. During your hearing, the legislative hearing officer will make a recommendation about the assessment. This recommendation will be provided to the City Council for their approval of the final assessment roll. If you disagree with the legislative hearing officer’s recommendation, you may attend the City Council hearing to dispute the recommendation.
If the pending assessment is still unpaid at the time of the scheduled City Council Hearing, it will be approved by City Council and the balance will be sent to Ramsey County to be assessed to your property. If a bill is assessed to the property by Ramsey County, it will incur additional administration fees of $2.50. You can pay the bill with Ramsey County Property Taxes.
Family gets garbage, sewer service but won’t pay the bill
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