Forks: Forget Late Fee on Utility Bill

If you didn't pay your quarterly utility bill on time, don't worry about it.

Forks Township is giving residents a pass this time around because 1,000 bills were lost in the mail by the post office, Township Finance Director James Farley said.

The news was first reported on the Palmer/Forks Patch Facebook page after a resident reported it.

Forks is waiving the late fee for at least 1,000 residents who are paying their utility bills after the due date.

The bills, mailed in July, were incorrectly routed by the post office and arrived late to residents' homes, Farley said.

Farley said payments have come in a week late to several weeks late.

"We're hoping to get that all resolved," Farley told the last week. "Hopefully everything will be cleared up within the next month or so."

Farley said he's unsure where the bills actually went.

"We don't know. One tray was rerouted to the wrong zip code," he said. "The post office messed up. Enough people in town know that it's a problem."

Township officials advised Farley that a notice should be posted on the township's website.

Farley said the post office admitted its mistake.

"Maybe next year we should hand deliver them," Supervisor Robert Egolf chuckled.

Farley said that, on average, about 800-900 bills of 5,400 are paid late.

Supervisor Dan Martyak suggested that the payment date be extended until Aug. 31 with late fees applying afterward.