Woman's one cent bill paid in full

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WPRI) - An outstanding utility bill could have caused an elderly blind woman her property. But, thanks to some kind citizens, her debt has been settled.

Attleboro city hall received floods of phone calls from people across the country offering to pay the 1 cent balance owed to 73-year-old Eileen Wilbur for an overdue water bill.

A former city councilor who does not know Wilbur wrote the check. Antonio Viveiros tells the Attleboro Sun he was "irked" by the fact that the federal government can spend billions for bailouts, yet a senior citizen was threatened with a lien on her home of 50 years over 1 cent.

Describing the bill, Wilbur says, "I started crying. I said, this is the last straw." If she didn't pay the one cent bill the city said it could have put a lien her property of up to $48 dollars.

Debora Marcoccio, the Attleboro city collector says, "This is a computer process that goes in and pulls out all the delinquent bill. There is no way to know amount that is going out on these bills."

The city spent more to send the letter than the actual bill. Outraged residents left pennies at the collector's office to settle Wilbur's debt but she says it isn't about the money.

"It's what you feel. It's hard to put in words. You feel like you've got to do something, but you don't know how to stop them," says Wilbur.

The Attleboro city collector says she will look into adjusting their computer system.