Woman upset over high water bill

MIAMI (WSVN) -- A South Florida couple is upset after they were billed for a $20,000 water bill for a vacant duplex they own.

A homeowner has an expensive mystery on her hands. Now, she is left with a sky-high bill, for something she calls a mistake, and she has no way to pay for it.

She received a jaw-dropping invoice and now she wants answers. "High bills, high bills, high bills," said Maria Santiago.

Santiago and her husband own a duplex in Miami that has been vacant for two years. Santiago racked her brain after it somehow racked up a water bill of nearly $20,000. "It's ridiculous that we don't ever use that service, and everyone says they can't find a leak," said Santiago. "It's not fair."

The Santiagos said they leave the water account open for the lawn, a cost they said is normally relatively low. "It was around $100 or $200," said Santiago. "Nothing more, the history."

But they have experienced plenty of frustration on tap after receiving the bill last December.

Plumbers went out to search for a leak, but found nothing.

The Department of Water and Sewer also performed an inspection of its own and did not find a leak either. "It's a problem coz something isn't right," said Santiago. "Maybe they put the number of an account that doesn't belong to us. Nobody can believe that."

The water company offered Santiago a deal to pay $4,500 instead. But it's an amount she said the home comes nowhere near to having used and something she can not afford. "Still," said Santiago. "we don't use that. I mean, how come we are gonna pay for something we haven't used? It's ridiculous. My husband is sick. It's too much stress, and we don't need it."

The Department of Water and Sewer said it is still working with the family to try and resolve the matter.

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