High water, sewer bills spark outrage
Not only are bills high, but company wants an increase
BY LARRY HLAVENKA JR.
Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff The Nicastros and other residents of The Reserve at Manasquan River, Howell, were stunned when they received water and sewer bills of more than $1,500 per quarter. The residents are expressing their displeasure by placing signs on their lawns to alert prospective buyers.

Rob Nicastro and his neighbors are drowning in water bills, and the residents of The Reserve at Manasquan River, a Lennar development, say they are not going to stand for it.

The development is on Route 524 in the Adelphia section of Howell, across the street from the Surrey Downs adult community. Lennar lists the base prices of the houses from $680,950 to $785,950.

The issue arose when Nicastro moved to Howell from New York in June. With new sod freshly laid, Nicastro said he was told by a Lennar representative that the lawn needed to be watered every day in order for the grass to take root. An irrigation system was included with the homes in the new development.

Nicastro, a retired New York law enforcement officer and former resident of Staten Island, said he did as he was told. Then he received his quarterly bill from New Jersey-American Water Co., which also included his sewer bill.

"It's over $1,500," he said. "Some [of his neighbors' bills] are $1,800."

Shocked by the charge, Nicastro called the water company to get some answers. He was told he had been charged correctly.

"When I called, they told me the sewer [charge] is based on water consumption," he said. "If I would have known this from the beginning, I would have shut my sprinklers off."

Nicastro also said he previously received a $476 bill for 35 days he owned the house during that quarter.

Nicastro said he believes representatives of the developer lied to him about water rates in Howell.

"I remember asking [about the water rates and] he said they were good," Nicas-tro said.

Through correspondence with Lennar, Nicastro said he and his neighbors have been told there is nothing the company can do to help at this time.

The residents believe an auxiliary water line or well would have gone a long way to relieving their problem. They believe the developer should have provided it, and it was negligent in failing to include one.

The neighbors have contacted the president of the sales division and the chief executive officer of Lennar by faxing or hand-delivering a petition.

In a letter Nicastro sent to his neighbors, he said, "[I] strongly feel this will be a battle we all need to fight. I hope I'm wrong."

Mark Sustana, who is the general counsel for Lennar, said the company will review the issue.

"Lennar operates in 17 states, and our procedures are different in every state," he said. "Our position to Mr. Nicastro and other homeowners is that first we are going to review sales materials and if Lennar promised a separate meter for irrigation systems, we will provide it. Second, we will look at local custom to see if we might consider it."

Sustana said the company understands the residents' concerns, but there may be little it can do to help.

"I understand they had a significantly higher water bill than they expected and were used to," he said. "I understand they could reduce it if the irrigation system was separate from the sewer. Based on facts, I believe Lennar lived up to its promise."

Nicastro has also discussed the issue with the water company. He said New Jersey-American officials suggested that he buy an auxiliary water meter for $2,300, which would separate the sewer charges from the water consumption charges.

Lendel Jones, vice president of external affairs for New Jersey-American, said there is little the company can do to help.

"Everybody pays for the water they use, just as if they had used electricity," she said. "He had new sod, he watered it continually. The sewer billing is based on what goes through the system. If he wants to put in a separate sprinkler system, then that water would not go against his sewer bill. He wants us to do something, but I really don't know what we can do."

Jones said the water rate works out to $4.35 per 1,000 gallons.

Facing a dead end with the water company, Nicastro and 40 other homeowners have focused their attention on Lennar.

"We're putting signs on our lawns; we're trying to get help here," he said. "We have no choice."

Discouraged and angered by the events, Nicastro explained why he came to Howell in the first place.

"I wanted a better quality of life," he said. "There are good schools and I knew about the high taxes, but Howell was what we wanted."

Nicastro said he is planning to discuss the issue with an attorney. He said he is also planning to fight a pending increase in rates that New Jersey-American wants to charge its customers.

"We are currently paying the highest rates in the state of New Jersey and now they want another increase," he said, adding that he has enlisted the help of state Sen. Robert Singer (R-Ocean, Monmouth, Burlington and Mercer).

The Reserve at Manasquan neighbors were planning to meet for a discussion of the issue on Oct. 1.

"I let [Lennar] know this was unacceptable, [as was] their position that Lennar has no obligation to do anything," he said in his letter to his neighbors. "I will make it my business to let others know that Lennar is a company I will never buy from again. It's unfortunate we have to be put through this and I feel that they think if they push it under the rug this will just go away. I, for one, am not going away."