Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/28/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This business is attempting to charge me for services. They claimed that I owe from 2021. I have it on recording that they are saying contacted me back in November 2021 about sewer services provided, but I moved in this home in late December 2021. The woman was very belligerent and rude and over talking me Saying that they have been providing services to me since 2021 of November and I told her I wasnt living in this home then I did not receive any invoices for this for any fees or services rendered up until now.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/11/2025

  Ms. ********* is filing a complaint prior to receiving any payment details from **** and has a history of willfully refusing to set up an account to avoid paying for services she has been receiving for an extended period of time. In summary our company notes reflect that no application was received following closing in 2021. Our standard policy is to have the previous resident submit a transfer form documenting that the closing agent is aware of the service and has made the new owner aware of the service. Additionally, our office sent out a mailer requesting application when we were notified of a change of ownership in late 2021. No response was ever received to our request for application and the account fell dormant until it was discovered during an audit in June 2024. We again sent mailers requesting an application to set up the account with no response. Upon disconnection attempt  it was discovered the lock out valve has been tampered with and no recourse is available to disconnect the service without a costly charge to the resident. Every effort was made to get the owner to apply to avoid the additional charges.  A **** representative was dispatched to the residence and reported personal conversations requesting application on three occasions in the fall and winter months of 2024. No follow up response from the homeowner was received. In February 2025, a **** representative made one last attempt for application via home visit to which Ms. ********* responded to by calling our office. Ms. ********** at the time, would not give her name, stated she was not going to pay for any services she had received in the past, and did not state her consent to complete the application. Our office personnel repeatedly asked her to complete the application to set up her account. At the date of this complaint Ms. ********* had not completed the application and had received no factual billing request from our office. As stated in her complaint Ms. ********* moved into the home in December of 2021 and has received sewer services to her residence from that time until present. To date, HICO has received no compensation for the service it has been providing for years.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  They keep raising rates and when you call, the only employee that works there doesnt have time to explain because she has to go to her real job. They are a sewage company, no option for another, and charge whatever they feel. I moved into my home in February 2024 and the rate was $44. Now in September they raised them to $57.50 with no explanation. The ******************************* says its not affiliated but they dont provide sewer services to our area

  Business Response

  Date: 11/18/2024

  It is HICO's understanding from the complaint that *** **** feels that he was not provided an explanation when the company implemented a rate increase. In the ****** billing cycle HICO instituted a company wide rate increase for all residents and commercial customers to overcome the ever increasing cost of doing business. Every customer received an email notification as well as notification on the invoice prior to the rate increase going to effect. *** **** was included in both notifications. In mid October, *** **** contacted our office and the representative, *******, was unable to take his call at the time. ******* both returned his call and sent him a follow up email with the prior notification included. (see attached email) As to *** ****** claim that "They [HICO] keeps raising rates..." ****'s rate schedule for sewer service has been $46.00 (discounted rate of $44.00 for email billing) since 2018 with no changes. Our first rate increase in six years occurred in the summer of 2024. *** **** does not have a basis for his claims that HICO continually raises rates and as to his claim that no explanation was provided to the customer base, again there is no basis as *** **** himself was provided explanation on multiple occasions. At this juncture it is unclear what more **** is able to provide *** **** in the way of explanation. It seems the root of *** ****** complaint is he is just angry over the state of the economy and the constant increasing cost to live.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/04/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On August 26, 2021 HICO utility company, a privately owned sewer company, cut off services to our house, which in turn cut off all of our water. Our water bill was not late or due to be cut off, our hico utility bill was not late at the time of disconnection. It was disconnected without notice, because "I was selling my house and did not inform them of the move out date and she assumed I would move without paying". I have emails stating all of this, as well as invoices (3815 is one example) of being overcharged $48.60 for no reason. I was charged $100 to turn my water back on for the disconnect fee that is placed on late accounts, even though my account was not late. You can not cut someone's service off based on an assumption, before the due date, without notice. They have no physical location, so I was unable to pay with cash, money order or anything other than credit card, and was told payments must clear the bank before they will turn services back on.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/18/2022

  HICO Utility Company, LLC disconnected services to the residence in question on 8/26/2021, due to failure to pay on a delinquent account. At the time of disconnection, the account was over 60 days in default. All charges on the account reflected monthly service invoices and late charges customarily applied. The customer had received monthly invoices, reminders, and notices in accordance with default settings in our billing system. The system recorded that they had been viewed but not paid. On 8/25/21, a technician delivered a physical disconnection notice to the residence and reported that the home was pending sale. A member of management reviewed the billing history of the home and noted there was significant history of delinquency, the invoices had routinely been viewed, and no action was forthcoming from the home owner in regard to payment arrangements. It was also noted that the resident occupied the home prior to our deposit policy and therefore no deposit funds were available to cover the bill once the home was vacated. A member of management contacted the real estate agent in an effort to notify the closing attorney that there was a debt owed on the property and learned that the pending sale was the following week. As a result, the home owner contacted our office and verbally assaulted our customer service representative stating his privacy rights had been violated and threatened legal action; the resident did not offer to pay the bill. In accordance with the Customer Service Agreement the home owner did not notify HICO Utility of the pending sale as a result home would change ownership before the delivered disconnection notice would be in effect. So, in accordance with the Customer Service Agreement the resident signed upon opening the account the residence was disconnected from sewer service for failure to pay using a water lock out valve. In accordance with HICO Utility’s normal fee schedule the resident was charged a fee of $100 to assist with cost recovery for the contracted agent who was hired to both lock and unlock the valve upon payment. As a result of using the water lock out valve to prevent sewer flow from the home, the water was not available to the residence for a period of time until the debt was paid. (See the Attached Customer Service Agreement)