For a debt of 831 euro to the Public Water Company, a jobless father of two is about to lose his home. Without job for three years, the man was unable to pay utility bills. His debt to Public water company EYDAP reached 831 euro as he stopped paying since 2012. With the interest for unpaid debt the bill has reached 972 euro. The water company first cut the water supply to his home. And then it looked for ways to get the money. It sent out a lawyer to investigate for real estate property in the land registry – most probably it forwarded the debt to one of this debt-collecting lawyers companies. The debtor-hunter found out that the man owned a home.
On May 29th the process for the seizure of the home started. EYDAP estimated the value of the home at 50,000 euro and set the first biding price for the auction at 30,000 euro.
The father, a former metal worker, sought the help of metal-workers union and together they tried to reach a settlement with the Water Company. According to Communist party daily Rizospastis that also revealed the story, EYDAP reconnected the water supply.
The newspaper publishes also the story of a seaman, unpaid for the last seven months, who also had the water supply cut due to outstanding debts.
KTG understands that the unionists collected money to reach a debt settlement with the water company. Most likely the home seizure procedure will be stopped.
Water bills are not extraordinary high in Greece. However, many people in need stop paying the water bills in order to cover other basic needs. Much to my knowledge, the water company cuts the water supply when the debt reaches 600 euro. For the average household of 4 that would mean unpaid bills for some one and a half year.
Utility companies in time of recession, deep economic crisis and high unemployment often forward the outstanding bills to debt collecting companies. A friend was telling me that she had received a real nasty phone call by such a company for an outstanding debt of 55 euro.
PS If you are an average no-name Greek and have debts, you’re screwed. But if you are respected political party you are getting along no matter how much you owe to electricity, water or rent.
