It's A Wonder That Mrs. HM Is Not In Debtor's Prison With The Key Thrown Away

Here we go again. Farmer H got an email from the electric company last week, telling him that the electric bill had not been paid for the Bargain House, our newest flip.

"I sent that payment on January 22nd. It was $11.09. I have the check number. It is due on February 5."

"Well, I've never gotten an email like this before."

"You are the one who set up that account. I don't know why you're getting a notice when it's not even time for the payment yet."

Still, I kept my eye out for that account. I monitored the automated system with our bank. As of February 4, they had no record of that check being paid. So, as with other problematic payments, I went online to make a one-time payment. When and if my $11.09 check gets there, we will get a credit.

Spare me your glowing recommendations for automatic withdrawals from your accounts, paying your bills before they are even posted. That's not for me. I am not giving a third party access to my bank account. Several times a year, we get notices from assorted entities that their records have been hacked, and our information was among the accounts accessed. So here's a free check of the three major credit agencies, to see if our credit rating has been compromised. No way am I going to pay my bills online with all my services, to allow even more chances for hacking.

Right now we are receiving 7 electric bills! Mansion, BARn, two for the Double Hovel, two for Farmer H's SUS2s, and now the Bargain House. I mailed, in a separate envelope, the Bargain House payment and the Double Hovel payments on the SAME DAY. At the same post office. The two Double Hovel checks were processed on January 27. But the Bargain House payment never arrived. How is THAT possible?

I don't know where the breakdown occurs. If it's the post office, or the processing process at the electric company. SOMETHING is wrong. Of course I think it's a conspiracy to make people allow access to automatic withdrawals from their accounts. If the electric company isn't getting their payments through the mail, then why are they offering that as an option?

So far, since buying Bargain House and turning on utilities, we have had a problem with billing from the gas company AND the electric company. At least the water bill from the city was delivered along with the Double Hovel water bills.

One out of three ain't good.