Politics & Government

Sanitary District Approves Refund to Contempo Marin for Overcharges

The Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District approved a $126,879 refund to Contempo Marin after discovering a miscalculation in water charges from 2007 to 2011.

The approved a $126,879 refund for four years of sewer service overcharges at mobile home park Contempo Marin.

Due to a mistake in calculating water service charges for the club house and pool area at , LGVSD overcharged the mobile home community from 2007 through 2011. At the LGVSD’s July 14 meeting, the board unanimously approved a $118,608 refund plus $8,271, or 10 percent, in accrued interest for the water charges.

“We’re sorry for the mistake,” LGVSD Vice President Judy Schriebman said. “We’re glad it was caught, and we’re glad we’re able to make it right.”

On April 22, 2010, the district held a public hearing urging Contempo Marin, owned by Equity Lifestyle Properties, to pay $53,328 in delinquent charges for water usage from 2007 to 2009 in the common areas of the mobile home park.

Although he did not attend the public hearing, Dan Perlis of Equity Lifestyle Properties contacted the district in December 2010 when he noticed the charges on his tax bill, according to a staff report.

District staff discovered that the metering information, provided by the Marin Municipal Water District, came from the mobile home community’s irrigation facilities, not the water meter for the club house, according to LGVSD General Manager Mark Williams.

The district revised all charges from 2007 to 2011, and issued a refund to Contempo Marin.

“So it’s [MMWD’s] mistake, and we’re stuck with paying 10 percent interest rate,” board member Russell Greenfield said at the meeting.


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