Mi Bat-Yam Demands 46,000 Shekels for Debt Accumulated by New Apartment Owners
A family that sold their apartment eight years ago is facing asset seizures due to water debts accumulated by the new owners. Despite providing proof of sale, the water corporation continues to pursue the former owners for payment.
A failure to transfer ownership of a water account has turned into a nightmare: two brothers and a sister who sold their parents' apartment eight years ago discovered that the new owners had accumulated significant debts to the municipal water corporation. Now, the corporation is pursuing the former owners, filing lawsuits, and seizing their assets. The total amount demanded is approximately 46,000 shekels.
"We are asking the corporation time and time again to act fairly and not collect the money from us. We pay all our bills on time and have not accumulated any debt with them. The debt belongs to the person who bought the apartment from us," one of the brothers stated. He questioned why the corporation failed to shut off the water to the actual debtors, allowing the sum to swell to an astronomical amount.
When selling an apartment, it is highly recommended that both the seller and the buyer jointly transfer ownership of the water account by submitting signed documents. In this case, the sellers mistakenly believed the transfer had been completed. Because water corporations do not verify who lives in a property, they often shift the burden of updating records onto the citizens. Those who are not sufficiently proactive often pay a heavy price.
After hiring a lawyer, the family found that the court ruled against them, citing that their objection to the execution office was filed too late. "They seized our credit cards, our training funds, and our pension funds. Everything is frozen," the brother explained. Despite the court suggesting a compromise, the corporation ultimately refused to waive the debt.
In its response, the 'Mi Bat-Yam' corporation stated that it has acted in accordance with the law. They claimed that for eight years, they contacted the registered owners multiple times without receiving a response. The corporation noted that documents regarding the sale were only presented during the legal hearing, at which point the account was updated. They emphasized that water payments are essential for infrastructure maintenance and that they are bound by the regulations of the Water Authority.
