How to Pay Your Lafayette County Solid Waste Bill

Living in Lafayette County, Mississippi means enjoying weekly garbage collection services provided by the county’s Solid Waste Department. This convenient service does come with a monthly fee that residents and businesses must pay to keep their accounts in good standing. Learning how to properly pay your Lafayette County solid waste bill can save you from headaches down the road.

Overview of the Monthly Fee

Lafayette County contracts with a third party company, Three Rivers Planning and Development District, to handle billing and payment processing for solid waste services. Each property is charged a monthly solid waste fee that appears on your regular utility or tax bill.

The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors reviews and sets the monthly rates each year For 2023, the rate is $12 per month for residential properties Commercial properties start at $12 but the rate goes up based on factors like property size and waste generation.

This monthly fee pays for weekly curbside garbage collection, operation of the county landfill, equipment, employees, fuel, and other expenses required to offer solid waste services county-wide.

When You’ll Receive the Solid Waste Bill

The solid waste fee shows up as a line item on your existing Oxford Utilities bill or annual tax bill:

• If you receive a monthly bill from Oxford Utilities for water, sewer, etc., the garbage fee is included on that statement.

• If your home has a well and septic tank, the fee appears on your annual property tax bill from the Lafayette County Tax Assessor.

Review your bill each month and pay the solid waste fee charge along with your other utilities or property taxes.

Payment Options for Your Solid Waste Bill

You have several convenient ways to pay your monthly solid waste bill:

• Online – Pay through the Three Rivers customer portal at http://trpdd.com/billing using your account number

• Phone – Call Three Rivers at 662-489-2415 to pay with a debit/credit card over the phone

• Mail – Detach the solid waste portion of your bill and mail a check/money order to Three Rivers Planning and Development District, PO Box 690, Pontotoc, MS 38863.

• In person – Take your payment to the Three Rivers office at 75 South Main Street in Pontotoc, MS during business hours

• Auto pay – Set up recurring monthly payments through your bank’s online bill pay system and they’ll mail a check for you

Always pay by the due date to avoid late fees and penalties. Include your account number with payment so it gets applied properly.

Tips for Past Due Balances

If your solid waste bill falls behind, take action to get your account up to date:

• Call Three Rivers at 662-489-2415 to set up a payment plan for the past due amount, broken into smaller monthly payments

• Ask about reduced rates if you’re facing financial hardship temporarily

• Cut back discretionary spending elsewhere to allocate more money towards garbage bills

• Don’t ignore past due notices or your account will go to collections, damaging your credit

Stay communicative with Three Rivers on your situation and efforts to get paid up. Having service disconnected creates much larger issues.

Consequences for Non-Payment

If you don’t pay your Lafayette County solid waste bill, here’s what will happen:

• 30 days past due – Reminder notice sent

• 60 days past due – Phone call attempting to collect payment

• 90 days past due – Disconnection warning notice giving 10 days to pay

• 100 days past due – Garbage collection service suspended

• 120 days past due – Sent to professional debt collectors

• 180 days past due – Lien placed on the property for unpaid fees

As you can see, the penalties escalate quickly when solid waste bills are neglected. Getting sent to collections or receiving a lien will cost you much more in the end. Avoid this by paying on time.

Changing Your Solid Waste Service

If you need to update your solid waste service with the county for any reason, contact Three Rivers to make the adjustment in their system:

• Closing your account due to moving out of county
• Changing your monthly rate
• Updating billing name or address
• Requesting additional garbage carts

Reaching out to Three Rivers rather than the county office ensures your changes are made properly in their billing system, preventing future mistakes.

Tips for New Lafayette County Residents

If you just moved into a new home in Lafayette County, here are some solid waste billing tips:

• Contact Three Rivers immediately to open a new account in your name with your move-in date

• Expect your first bill within 2 months as it takes time to enter you in the billing cycle

• Learn your weekly garbage pickup day to set carts out accordingly

• Request a garbage cart if needed since they don’t automatically transfer from seller

• Consider paperless billing to receive bills electronically rather than by mail

Taking these steps right away sets up smooth solid waste services at your new address.

Who to Contact With Questions

For any questions or issues related to your Lafayette County solid waste bill, contact the billing department:

Three Rivers Planning and Development District

PO Box 690

Pontotoc, MS 38863

Phone: 662-489-2415

Email: [email protected]

Their team can answer billing questions, take payments, and update account details. Reach out immediately about any billing errors so they can be fixed quickly. Staying on top of your garbage bill prevents major headaches later on.

In Summary

Having reliable weekly garbage collection is a convenience that residents of Lafayette County enjoy. But this service comes with a monthly fee that must be paid regularly to avoid penalties. Learning how the solid waste billing and payment process works will help you keep your account in good standing. Pay attention to your bill each month, know your payment options, and contact Three Rivers with any questions. Staying on top of your Lafayette County garbage bill keeps service running smoothly.