PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2016 – Hannibal, MO – The Hannibal Board of Public Works has changed the way they handle delinquent accounts. Recent changes made to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act have forced the HBPW to discontinue the use of their automated courtesy calls related to monthly delinquent payments.
It has been recommended to the HBPW to immediately suspend making automated calls to customers regarding past due accounts. Utility providers who notify their customers without written consent are in violation of the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act).
Lillie Lewton, Business Office Manager for the HBPW, states “We will need to add the consent to the Utility Application going forward; however, it is unclear how we will accomplish getting the consent of our current customers.” The HBPW will be reviewing all possible options, but in the meantime, all scheduled calls in regards to delinquent accounts have been cancelled.
Please contact the Hannibal Board of Public Works at (573) 221-8050 to check the status of your account. You can also visit www.hannibalbpw.org and click on the SmartHub Payments link to access your account online.
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