Will section 8 pay utilities if they aren’t included in your lease (“tenant pays all utilities”)?
Section 8 will not pay utilities in this situation. But they will usually lower your portion of the rent payment.If utilities are not included in your lease, in some states food stamps will grant a standard utility allowance. This can increase food stamps by $0 - $200 per month.Most housing authorities will also grant a utility allowance. This can lower the amount of rent you pay, usually around $100-200 month.All areas have Liheap utility assistance. You can apply twice a year - summer and winter. Usually around $50/month.In california, if you have health needs for higher or lower temperature the utility company will lower your bill.In some areas, utility companies have additional programs that will lower bills for people who are low income. there are a few other things that can lower or change your rent and utility payments: How to Calculate Rent in HUD and Section 8
Apartment back charging utilities?
6 months ago I extended my lease at my apartment complex. Water & sewage were previously set at a fixed $45 per month and included in the monthly rent. The complex was now under new management and decided to change this and bill the residents separately. I had no problem with this so I signed the contract. They told me that it will be a couple of months before this takes effect. Well 2 months passed and I hadn't received a bill for these utilities yet. They told me that I should receive one shortly and to just wait for a bill in the mail. Well it has now been 6 months and I brought it up again and they said I should have received one by now. I made it clear I didn't want to receive a bill for $200-300 for the last few months because of how long they are taking. The manager assured me that I wouldn't be charged a huge amount like this (unfortunately only verbal). Well of course this month I receive a utility bill for $320 for the last 6 months. I should also mention that 2 weeks ago I discovered that the complex has been charging me $40 more per month then the amount shown in my contract. I contacted the "higher ups" at the company regarding this because the front office wouldn't do anything about it. I now have a feeling they are going to take this amount and apply it towards this utility bill. Does this sound acceptable? They told me only one other person in the complex has had an issue with the utility billing but I know for a fact only ONE other person in my building has received a utility bill since the new contract because I have personally asked them. Is it legal for them to back charge all of us like this, even though it was out of our control because the utilities are still in the complex's name?
How is it legal to pay someone's utility bills when they die?
I’m not versed in probate or the legalities but until someone versed in the law can respond citing the laws, I’ll give a few scenarios.Scenario 1 involves at least one other adult living on the premise.Tariffs for utilities can include something basically called “Benefit of Service”. This essentially boils down to any adult on the premise that has benefited from the utility service is also responsible for the cost of that service. If it’s in the tariffs it has likely been approved by a regulatory agency and is a term of having the utility service. So in this scenario, as an example, a 90 year old person may live with their 19 year old friend. If this adult friend was living at the premise during the period that the billing occurred, under a “Benefit of Service” rule in the tariffs they would also be responsible for that bill. As a courtesy some companies choose to waive any charges if the caller is the spouse of the deceased. But if the 80 year old dies and is 4 months behind on their bill and the 19 year old also lived at the premise during those 4 months, they are responsible for the billing in the case of a “Benefit of Service” rule.Scenario 2 involves someone handling the affairs of the estate of that person. The utility may be able to simply change the billing to “Estate of [deceased customer name]” for handling by the estate rather than an individual. Money from the Estate can pay the bill and a stop of service may be able to be requested by the person responsible for handling the affairs of the Estate.Scenario 3 involves some random person paying the account. If I mail a payment toward someone else’s account with a check and payment stub in the envelope, many automatic payment processing centers will accept the payment toward that account, sometimes even if the check is made out to the wrong entity but the envelope contains the payment stub with the account information on it. I’m not familiar with the legality simply the fact that I’ve seen it occur.Searches are often performed when it’s suspected that someone is fraudulently trying to change the name on the premise to avoid delinquent billing in order to see what persons are associated with that address. It’s an imperfect system but can assist in determining if someone is playing games, and at times even a death certificate may be requested by the utility.
Can you over-pay (or pre-pay) your utility bills by a couple of months?
my husband and I are having a baby next month and I will be out of work, unpaid, for about 3 months, so our income is going to be cut in half for a while. Do utility companies (Georgia Power, Comcast, the gas company, etc..) let you pay moe than what your bill is to apply to the upcoming month's bills?
What counts as a utility bill?
Utility bills usually refers to your water, electricity and gas bills. It can also include bills for essential services such as those provided by the council, like sewer services. Optional services such as cable tv or mobile phones are not considered to be utility bills.http://www.ebsconservation.com/
What happens when you overpay on your credit card bill?
Without more detail it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what you’re asking. My takeaway is that you overpaid your previous statement balance.If this is what happened, it’s really nothing to worry about. Overpaying a previous balance just pays down your entire outstanding balance - meaning your total balance including the last statement close + current transactions. It’s always recommended to stay at around 25% credit utilization as well, so sometimes overpaying can be strategic.For example:My credit line is $1000My last statement balance was $300Current balance is $900 (I added an additional $600 worth of purchases since the last statement closed)I’m currently at a 90% utilization ($900/$1000)Even though I only owe $300, I pay $700 ($400 more) as this would bring me down to a 20% credit utilization versus a 60% had I just paid the balance due.Hope this clarifies
When do I stop my electric service, when moving out on an apartment?
They last day that you are billed is not necessarily the day you call. Some places will let you specify a “stop date” in advance. Others will go to the end of the billing cycle before stopping. You can probably just go to the master electric box and flip the circuit breaker to “off” before you leave, then take your time telling the company to stop billing you since there wont be any more electricity used until the next person comes in and flips the switch.If you know the next person, you can also ask them to start their service at a mutually agreeable date. The electric company will know that you are not the person to bill anymore.
Why don't most car insurance companies have a true monthly payment plan (6 month premium...?
First, insurance companies never used to offer monthly plans at all. You had to pay your policy up front to obtain coverage. Most commercial policies are still this way. We carry a liability policy on a building we lease for our office, and the policy requires us to pay in advance for the year. So they're starting to offer 'plans', but not universally. More important, insurance companies get claims whether they've been paid or not. By encouraging more of their insured to pay up early (many have discounts for early payment, or penalties for the long-term plans; USAA has a 'default' 4-month plan, or an 'extended' 6-month plan that costs an extra few bucks a month) they raise more capital earlier in the year. If they have a big accident somewhere with a high settlement or payout, or God forbid something like Katrina, they have the funds in hand to address it, rather than having to borrow against expected future payments. Remember, they don't provide a monthly SERVICE. They only provide a service if you require it in an emergency. The earlier they get their money, the more likely they are to be well prepared if a whole bunch of people get emergencies all at once.