20230306Comments(5)_5.pdf

From:PUCWeb Notification
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Sunday, March 5, 2023 7:00:08 AM
The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Katholyn Howell
Submission Time: Mar 4 2023 5:09PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 459 South Holmes Ave.
Shelley, ID 83274
Name of Utility Company: Island Park Water
Case ID: ISL-W-23-01
Comment: "Over the years we have had issues with the Island Park Water Company. We have reported concerns to the company on a number of occasions with no response.We have delt
primarily with Dorthy McCarty. On one occasion when our main line was leaking, we had notified the company of the issue but were ignored so we contacted who we thought was the
company representitive for repairs in our area for help. He immediately acted and was repairing the issue. Dorthy showed up and was quite unpleasant because the water had been
turned off without notification. She then explained that we were required to move our shut off valve so that it would be easily accessed and that a meter was required. We had already made
arrangements for the valve to be moved but because of her demand to turn the water on immediately and the meter issue we decided to wait and informed Dorthy that if access to our
valve was necessary we would be glad to give it to her. Her attitude towards us was unprofessional to say the least. Like others we have not been given notice of water shut offs in
the past but we are aware that emegencies happen. We have been double billed a few times but upon providing proof of payment those have been rectified. We reported a constant leak at a
neighbors main shut off valve and nothing was done by the company. Rules and regulations have never been clear with this company. Individuals don't know what to believe and what not
to believe. Inforcement of clear regulations are not consistant. Updates to the system are very very few or no exsistant. "
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From:PUCWeb Notification
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Sunday, March 5, 2023 11:00:09 AM
The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Nancy Rumsey
Submission Time: Mar 5 2023 10:43AMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 5162 Jones Drive
Island Park, ID 83429
Name of Utility Company: Island Park Water Company
Case ID: ISL-W-23-01
Comment: "We purchased our home in the Valley View Subdivision in July of 2018. We havehad nothing but problems with Dorothy and the Island Park Water Company. We would love
to be able to use our home year round but inevitably every year our lines freeze, break and thatis not possible. We reach out IPWC and are continually told "that's just the way it is", "the
system is not a year round system, it may freeze, you just have to wait for it to unthaw in thespring". Every spring, we have a major break in a line somewhere. Homeowners are always
the ones out walking the roads trying to find the breaks and report them to IPWC. They arenever fixed in a timely manner and there have been several times when our wells have gone
down completely and she has asked the homeowners to look at them, try to fix them but thenthreatened us with trespassing and vandalism the next day. When line breaks are finally
repaired she has then tried to asses the homeowners for the cost of repairs. Over the fourth ofJuly last year the entire subdivision was without water for over two weeks because of several
line breaks and issues with the wells. Dorothy blamed the lack of water on a 1200 yeardrought and told us our wells were drying up. Telling us when it did eventually happen we
were basically out of luck. She also accused my husband and I of using all the water becausewe own a vacation rental property (5 months of the year). Even going so far as to say she
brought in an engineer who was able to determine "our home was the direct correlation to thelack of water". At this point, she sent out a notice to the subdivision restricting us to only 4
people allowed in our homes and threatening fines and penalties if we were caught breakingthe rules. She imposed laundry restrictions, telling us to remove washing machines and at one
point tell us we had to take our laundry off site and at least ten miles from our home to wash it.She then started telling neighbors to take pictures of my home and how many cars were parked
in my driveway and report it to her. Several times she text me telling me she had receivedpictures that would prove I had more than 4 people and changed the number allowed to 2
people and she would impose penalties for violating this rule. She has threatened to have thecity pull my rental permit claiming my home is considered a commercial property and she
does not have to supply water to us. She has told us we will be required to install our ownwater meters to monitor our water usage (at our expense), install water tanks and pay to have
water brought in, drill our own well, and that the $280 water tariff we pay yearly "is not aguarantee of water but rather a convenience if water is available". Upon repeated questioning
of her ability to run and maintain our system I was told " the issue is to comply, not to argue".I have been told numerous times that I am the source of contention and problems in our
neighborhood because our home takes all of the water from others in the subdivision and accused of trying to re-route the well. How would I even know how to do that?? When water
was restored to our home, we had sand in our toilets and sinks and unbeknownst to us, our dishwasher pump had burned up and when the dishwasher was used it flooded our home. We
had to move our VRBO guests out of the house and the restoration company spent almost 3 weeks repairing the water damage. Never one time have we received a water boil notice when
water is finally restored. Ironically the past December, it was reported to Dorothy that the pump to waste was open on our upper well but she refused to do anything about it saying "that
shows the pump is running and the well is working properly". She refused to allow homeowners to simply turn it off, again threatening us with trespassing and vandalism" while
did nothing for over a month, wasting millions of gallons of water after everything she had just put us through that summer. A water line break was reported to her in September of last
year and to this minute that break has still not been repaired. She has continually fought to not have our system made a public water system and have it regulated by DEQ and recently, we
received a letter stating "due to the new status of becoming a public water system, DEQ is requiring the water to be tested every month this year. This is challenging and anticipate this
will not happen"... "We anticipate that every 90 days or sooner you will receive a notice of non-compliance due to the inability to have access to take the water test, per DEQ rules.
Unfortunately, we have no other choice". She is already in violation for not testing in february. Dorothy McCarty is a bully and a liar who should never be allowed to own and operate a
public utility company and will only continue to threaten and retaliate against homeowners. I have addressed these issues with her multiple times and can submit all texts as evidence to
support the above claims."
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From:PUCWeb Notification
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Monday, March 6, 2023 1:00:08 PM
The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Jane Charnock
Submission Time: Mar 6 2023 12:22PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 2350 Belmont
Idaho Falls, ID 83404
Name of Utility Company: Island Park Water co
Case ID: ISL-W-23-01
Comment: "We purchased property in Shotgun in August 2017 through an unconventionalmethod. We rec'd a bill August 2018 for $884.80 from IPWC for past due water. The bill
stated that several statements had been mailed to our address and nothing was returned as non-deliverable. I called Dorothy and explained we had not ever rec'd any mail other than this. The
letter states we owe $760 plus $124.80 in late fees. She said it was probably the post officeand she would waive the late fees. I asked her to send me the previous bills so I could see the
charges. She said she couldn't do that. She said the total is in the letter & she does not have anitemization. I said we weren't even aware we owed so would appreciate an itemization. She
again said she doesn't have one. Her attitude and demeanor changed at this point & shebecame very short and quick to get off the phone. Dorothy called a few days later saying we
owed a $200 hook-up fee and $280 for 2017 and 2018 & she sent the bills to our address. Iadvised again that we have not received anything aside from this letter we are discussing. I
again asked her to send me copies of the bills and she said no, they do not keep copies. I saidlook, we need water. We will pay what we rightfully owe. I said this is a rural area, we
thought we were on a private well. The water was ON when we bought this property so wehad no reason to believe we needed your service. There was no title company involved in the
sale and there was no acknowledgment or contract for services. She then told me that as acourtesy, she waived all the late fees. I repeated again to please just see an itemization of what
we were being charged. She then said she could charge me whatever - she could charge me an$1100 illegal hookup fee if I wanted to argue or send a notice to disconnect or just cut the
spigot. I asked her if that was a threat - she did not answer. I asked again to please send oremail me an itemization. She said she couldn't do it today - she was heading to Island Park
right now. I spoke with the IPUC at this point and was advised how to handle the situation.We paid $280 for 2017 and 2018. We did not pay the $200 hookup fee because the property
already had service. There was pre-existing water and the hookup fee was unwarranted. Ireceived our 2019 yearly water tariff bill in February 2019. It stated we owed $480 - ($280 for
2019 water and a past due connect fee of $200). Every subsequent bill has placed strictconditions and stipulations on water usage. I have copies of everything from IPWC for
reference. Throughout all summer last year (2022), our water smelled so horrible that we didnot want to use it. It smelled like sulfur and metal. "
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From:Jon Kruck
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:FW: Notice: A complaint was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Monday, March 6, 2023 1:11:59 PM
From: PUCWeb Notification <[e-mail]>
Sent: Saturday, March 4, 2023 11:00 AM
To: ConsumerComplaintsWeb <[e-mail]>
Subject: Notice: A complaint was submitted to PUCWeb
The following complaint was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Desarai Parks
Submission Time: Mar 4 2023 10:47AM
Email: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]
Address: 4083 Winchester
Island Park, ID 83429
Name of Utility Company: Island Park Water
Contacted Utility: Yes
Comment: "Case number ISL-W-23-01My husband and I bought our cabin back in 2012. For the first
few years we fought with Island Park Water Company over them using our driveway to access the
well (as it's partially on our property when the well has its own property and a road could be built in
it). She argued that they could not build a road because the water lines from the well were to
shallow to drive over. We had to threaten to get a lawyer involved, put a gate up and lock it(she said
we would have to give her a key for access to the well which is not true). She finally agreed after alot
of back and forth that the water company would maintain that driveway for the use if it. However
she only done it once. Our well has been down several times in 2022. Instead if replacing the old
equipment they continue to just throw bs at it in hopes it stays working. The breakers have broke
and she wanted my husband to fix it. Everything seems out dated and has not been addressed. I
have heard the things she has said to our neighbors. Trying to get money out of them for things they
didn't do. Shut their water off because she felt she had the authority to do so when these people
just bought the property. Our neighbors across from us but the property I want to say in 2015 or
2016. This property already had water on it and she accused them of putting in water valve and tried
to charge them an abundance amount of money. The neighbors to the south of us had the land for
several years and Dorothy came in and tried to get them to pay several years of back pay. Things
need to change.. especially honesty and us as customers do not feel ripped off, bullied, or taken
advantage of."
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From:PUCWeb Notification
To:Jan Noriyuki
Subject:Notice: A comment was submitted to PUCWeb
Date:Monday, March 6, 2023 5:00:07 PM
The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Patty Laritz-Bithell
Submission Time: Mar 6 2023 4:48PMEmail: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]Address: 3815 Great Grey Owl #621
Island Park, ID 83429
Name of Utility Company: Island Park Water Co.
Case ID: ISL-W-23-01
Comment: "I'm a local real estate agent in Island Park. I have text from Dorothy regarding price gouging with my clients. I have four clients that have been overcharged, charged for no
water connection and paid. Held a closing for ransom of $2k because Dororthy didn't have a record of the water being connected years before my client purchased the property. Told a
lending institute a property she serves didn't have year round water, when it did because she didn't like the buyer. They were an FHA buyer and one of the conditions of the loan is to have
full time running water. Told another buyer it was $1700 to connect a stubbed line when according to the tariffs it's $200. If you need documentation, please reach out. I have sent
emails to the affected clients in hopes they add to this claim."
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