City exhausts collection options, writes off bills

The city of Greencastle, Indiana, has chosen to write off approximately 250 delinquent utilities accounts totaling more than $13,000, the Banner Graphic reports. Debts from between January 2008 and July 2011 for water, trash and wastewater accounts were unable to be recouped, resulting in the Board of Works approving a motion to write off the amounts and cease attempts at finding debtors. Specifically, $8,472 was owed in water bills, $4,060 in trash and $1,207 in wastewater, totaling $13,739. The unpaid debt can be attributed to a variety of factors, including death, account holders who moved away without a forwarding address and defunct businesses that have declared bankruptcy. Local establishments ABC Gyros & Pizza, LaCharreada, Service Glass and Smoking Hog BBQ all fell victim to this fate in 2011. If any of the individuals or businesses named on delinquent billings attempt to establish a new account in Greencastle, they will be refused. Officials may want to consider harsher penalties to prevent this sort of behavior going forward. NPR reports that it's becoming increasingly common for people to serve jail time as a result of their debt.