ROBINSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Robinson Township family says it was the ultimate sticker shock: the Coles got a bill for over $55,000, due in a matter of days, and they say they can’t afford it.
It’s for the Municipal Authority of the Township of Robinson, also known as MATR, to convert their septic system to a sewage system. It’s a project that was first identified in 2006 when several septic systems on their street, Elliot Drive, failed.
The Coles say they knew it was going to be an expensive project, and that’s why they saved for several years. But they didn’t know just how expensive it would end up being.
“I wish you were more transparent in telling us what this was going to cost us in the end,” Justin Coles said.
That’s his message to the MATR, which converted all the septic systems into sewer systems in their neighborhood on Elliot Drive.
“When you’re kind of expecting a certain cost and that’s exponentially increased, I feel that could have been communicated better other than getting the certified letter in the mail,” Coles said.
He shared that letter with us, dated July 18. It lays out the cost for the municipal authority to put in the sewer system. $16,500 for their yard, another $16,500 for the vacant lot they own next door and over $3,700 to tap in.
On top of that, Coles said, he had to pay another $20,000 to install a grinder pump, which he said he was initially told wasn’t needed.
The payment is due by Thursday, Aug. 1.
“We tried to plead our case, and it seemed like they were going to help us, and at the end of it, they didn’t,” Coles added.
Coles says he wants the MATR to consider options other than paying in full or a six-year loan with interest, especially for those on fixed income or disability.
“Those feelings of just being let down, and quite honestly, it just doesn’t seem like there’s any help coming,” Coles said. “We just kind of all collectively wonder where these costs come from and why was it so much higher than what we were expecting and planning for.”
We reached out to the Municipal Authority of the Township of Robinson, but our calls have not been returned.
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