Village, Owens seek solution for past due
electricity bill
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
Joyce Owens has a past due electric bill from the Village of Chatham in excess of $13,800. She
does not have the means to pay it, and she faced the prospect of having her power shut off this week.
However, Chatham Mayor Tom Gray, Village Director of Utilites and Administration Del McCord and
Village Attorney John Myers all told the Clarion on Monday that Owens' power would not be shut off,
though her account has been past due for four years.
"The village is looking for some solutions going forward to assure future payment," Myers stated.
"If that occurs, the village will work with her on her past due amounts."
"We aren't going to shut off her power," Gray reiterated. "We can't do that. But we have to do
something. We're putting ourselves at risk; we aren't a social service agency.
"We're trying to help her," Gray continued. "It might not seem like it by the way those articles (in the
Springfield State Journal-Register) were written, but we are."
"She has more debt than the ability to pay," McCord stated. "We've contacted state agencies and
politicians and gone to everyone we can think of to help her.
"We face a possible ratepayer lawsuit if we don't enforce our rate structure on everyone," McCord
said. "The mayor has taken a beating on this, but he's doing what he has to do. We've struggled with
this for years, and we knew we were going to be the bad guys."
Owens was served with a notice last week that her power would be shut off April 1 if the bill was not
paid. McCord said Owens has paid $30 towards the bill over the past two years, though Owens
disputes that claim.
"The question is, how do you get someone's attention?" Myers added. "You get their attention with
the note on the door."
The story became public last week after a friend of Owens called the State Journal-Register, which
has published three columns, a full editorial and an editorial cartoon about the situation in the past
week.
"It's gotten the attention of the Attorney General's office and other social service agencies," Myers
continued. "The village is hopeful a solution can be found."
Myers added that the village has already waived some $8,000 in late charges and fees.
•Joyce Owens, 69, lives about four miles west of Chatham, across from Lick Elevator. Her house
is served by electricity from the Village of Chatham. Her son, Chris, 39, who is a quadriplegic, lives
with her. He depends on electricity, with a bed, ventilator and a number of pieces of equipment all
necessary for his survival.
Joyce Owens, along with help from caregivers, cares for her son on a daily basis. She has devoted
her life to him, ever since Chris was severely injured in a car crash near their home back in April
1997. Chris' friend, Darryl Lehmann, was killed in the crash.
Chris Owens was given only a few months to live, but instead survived through a two-year coma.
The local community has rallied around the Owenses on a couple of occasions, including raising
more than $60,000 for a 1,400 square foot addition to their home that was finished in Sept. 2005.
Donations came pouring in from a number of area businesses and individuals, and that same type of
support may be needed to help resolve the current situation.
"I don't claim to be an angel," Owens stated. "I just want to be a good mother.
"People have made remarks that Chris shouldn't be here, that he should be put in a home, and that
hurts me the most in all of this," she continued. "Chris and I have a pact, and I know it might sound
crazy. I'm 30 years older than him, but he's gonna live to be 70 and I'm gonna live to be 100 and we're
going to take care of each other.
"Chris does have a quality life," Joyce Owens continued. "He's come a long way and made a lot of
progress. He laughs and he smiles. He watches a lot of television, and we record movies and all the
NASCAR races. Once a year, we take Chris outside to watch the fireworks. That's a big, big thing.
"Our goal is to get him out of bed and into a chair this year," she added.
Owens traces the original problem with the electric bill back to 2005, when the house addition was
built. She was under the impression a heat pump would be installed, which would provide a more
economical means to provide power to the home. Instead, two electric furnaces, two electric water
heaters and a central air unit were put in.
Owens said she is grateful for all the work, and doesn't want to get anyone upset.
"But I didn't have any idea about how much electric heat would cost," she stated. "I never dreamed
it was so high."
She noticed a problem could be brewing when she got her bill back in November 2005. Between
then and now, she has talked with McCord and village officials several times. She has also called a
number of state and social service agencies, but there weren't any answers or potential solutions
given.
Owens said she has tried to pay small sums of the bill at the village office on several occasions,
but was told any payment would have to be mailed. The village won a judgement in small claims
court this past fall stating that Owens did owe for the past due electric bill.
To make matters worse, Owens is now ineligible for LIHEAP help, her income being just above the
threshold to qualify. She suffered a stroke in 2007, and Chris had major surgery done as well.
"I'm not a deadbeat," she stated. "I've always paid my bills. But what I could afford to pay wasn't
even going to cover the late charges."
Owens said she is working with state agencies to make her home more energy efficient, and Mike
Evans of Evans Heating and Air has stepped up to offer to install a heat pump. Owens said she has
been told her monthly electric bill could be lowered to around $200 with the heat pump, a figure she
said she can handle, though it will still be tight. Her current electric bills range from $400 to $1,000
per month.
Owens also currently cares for a cousin who has ALS and is bound to a wheelchair. Her combined
monthly social security income with Chris is about $2,000, but that only goes so far with bills,
medicines, caregivers and many other things to take care of.
"The village is upset with me because I won't sign a contract to pay $500 a month," she added. "I
can't do that. It gives them the right to legally turn Chris off if I don't have the money. I won't ever sign a
contract."
With public awareness heightened to the issue, state agencies may be stepping up to the plate to
help. Local community members are already starting to offer help, so a possible solution looms on
the horizon.
And the big screen television Chris watches? Joyce Owens was sure to point out that it was
donated, as there have been some negative comments about that on the blogs as well. The $500 set
came courtesy of Illinois Assistive Technology and Dave Brahler of Brahler Tire.
Joyce Owens concluded her meeting with the Clarion by adding that "Chatham has been wonderful
to us. I commend Chatham. The Fire Department, those men are wonderful. They come out here
and help us, when Chris' bed breaks down. Chatham should be really proud that they have such
good people to protect us."
Owens added that a fire occurred three years ago outside her home and was expanding to the roof,
but the Chatham Fire Department and Village of Chatham officials were there responding instantly
and took care of the situation.
electricity bill
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
Joyce Owens has a past due electric bill from the Village of Chatham in excess of $13,800. She
does not have the means to pay it, and she faced the prospect of having her power shut off this week.
However, Chatham Mayor Tom Gray, Village Director of Utilites and Administration Del McCord and
Village Attorney John Myers all told the Clarion on Monday that Owens' power would not be shut off,
though her account has been past due for four years.
"The village is looking for some solutions going forward to assure future payment," Myers stated.
"If that occurs, the village will work with her on her past due amounts."
"We aren't going to shut off her power," Gray reiterated. "We can't do that. But we have to do
something. We're putting ourselves at risk; we aren't a social service agency.
"We're trying to help her," Gray continued. "It might not seem like it by the way those articles (in the
Springfield State Journal-Register) were written, but we are."
"She has more debt than the ability to pay," McCord stated. "We've contacted state agencies and
politicians and gone to everyone we can think of to help her.
"We face a possible ratepayer lawsuit if we don't enforce our rate structure on everyone," McCord
said. "The mayor has taken a beating on this, but he's doing what he has to do. We've struggled with
this for years, and we knew we were going to be the bad guys."
Owens was served with a notice last week that her power would be shut off April 1 if the bill was not
paid. McCord said Owens has paid $30 towards the bill over the past two years, though Owens
disputes that claim.
"The question is, how do you get someone's attention?" Myers added. "You get their attention with
the note on the door."
The story became public last week after a friend of Owens called the State Journal-Register, which
has published three columns, a full editorial and an editorial cartoon about the situation in the past
week.
"It's gotten the attention of the Attorney General's office and other social service agencies," Myers
continued. "The village is hopeful a solution can be found."
Myers added that the village has already waived some $8,000 in late charges and fees.
•Joyce Owens, 69, lives about four miles west of Chatham, across from Lick Elevator. Her house
is served by electricity from the Village of Chatham. Her son, Chris, 39, who is a quadriplegic, lives
with her. He depends on electricity, with a bed, ventilator and a number of pieces of equipment all
necessary for his survival.
Joyce Owens, along with help from caregivers, cares for her son on a daily basis. She has devoted
her life to him, ever since Chris was severely injured in a car crash near their home back in April
1997. Chris' friend, Darryl Lehmann, was killed in the crash.
Chris Owens was given only a few months to live, but instead survived through a two-year coma.
The local community has rallied around the Owenses on a couple of occasions, including raising
more than $60,000 for a 1,400 square foot addition to their home that was finished in Sept. 2005.
Donations came pouring in from a number of area businesses and individuals, and that same type of
support may be needed to help resolve the current situation.
"I don't claim to be an angel," Owens stated. "I just want to be a good mother.
"People have made remarks that Chris shouldn't be here, that he should be put in a home, and that
hurts me the most in all of this," she continued. "Chris and I have a pact, and I know it might sound
crazy. I'm 30 years older than him, but he's gonna live to be 70 and I'm gonna live to be 100 and we're
going to take care of each other.
"Chris does have a quality life," Joyce Owens continued. "He's come a long way and made a lot of
progress. He laughs and he smiles. He watches a lot of television, and we record movies and all the
NASCAR races. Once a year, we take Chris outside to watch the fireworks. That's a big, big thing.
"Our goal is to get him out of bed and into a chair this year," she added.
Owens traces the original problem with the electric bill back to 2005, when the house addition was
built. She was under the impression a heat pump would be installed, which would provide a more
economical means to provide power to the home. Instead, two electric furnaces, two electric water
heaters and a central air unit were put in.
Owens said she is grateful for all the work, and doesn't want to get anyone upset.
"But I didn't have any idea about how much electric heat would cost," she stated. "I never dreamed
it was so high."
She noticed a problem could be brewing when she got her bill back in November 2005. Between
then and now, she has talked with McCord and village officials several times. She has also called a
number of state and social service agencies, but there weren't any answers or potential solutions
given.
Owens said she has tried to pay small sums of the bill at the village office on several occasions,
but was told any payment would have to be mailed. The village won a judgement in small claims
court this past fall stating that Owens did owe for the past due electric bill.
To make matters worse, Owens is now ineligible for LIHEAP help, her income being just above the
threshold to qualify. She suffered a stroke in 2007, and Chris had major surgery done as well.
"I'm not a deadbeat," she stated. "I've always paid my bills. But what I could afford to pay wasn't
even going to cover the late charges."
Owens said she is working with state agencies to make her home more energy efficient, and Mike
Evans of Evans Heating and Air has stepped up to offer to install a heat pump. Owens said she has
been told her monthly electric bill could be lowered to around $200 with the heat pump, a figure she
said she can handle, though it will still be tight. Her current electric bills range from $400 to $1,000
per month.
Owens also currently cares for a cousin who has ALS and is bound to a wheelchair. Her combined
monthly social security income with Chris is about $2,000, but that only goes so far with bills,
medicines, caregivers and many other things to take care of.
"The village is upset with me because I won't sign a contract to pay $500 a month," she added. "I
can't do that. It gives them the right to legally turn Chris off if I don't have the money. I won't ever sign a
contract."
With public awareness heightened to the issue, state agencies may be stepping up to the plate to
help. Local community members are already starting to offer help, so a possible solution looms on
the horizon.
And the big screen television Chris watches? Joyce Owens was sure to point out that it was
donated, as there have been some negative comments about that on the blogs as well. The $500 set
came courtesy of Illinois Assistive Technology and Dave Brahler of Brahler Tire.
Joyce Owens concluded her meeting with the Clarion by adding that "Chatham has been wonderful
to us. I commend Chatham. The Fire Department, those men are wonderful. They come out here
and help us, when Chris' bed breaks down. Chatham should be really proud that they have such
good people to protect us."
Owens added that a fire occurred three years ago outside her home and was expanding to the roof,
but the Chatham Fire Department and Village of Chatham officials were there responding instantly
and took care of the situation.
Chatham Clarion
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Issue Date: April 2, 2009