Woman's 1 cent debt paid in full

Woman's 1 cent debt paid in full

Eileen Wilbur holds a letter she received from the city advising that a lien would be placed on her home in Attleboro, Mass., unless she paid an overdue water bill which totaled 1 cent.

By Associated Press

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (AP) - A 74-year-old blind woman's 1 cent debt to a Massachusetts city has been settled.

People from across the country called Attleboro City Hall on Tuesday offering to pay the 1 cent balance owed by Eileen Wilbur for an overdue water and sewer bill.

Antonio Viveiros, a former city councilor who does not know Wilbur, wrote a check for one penny. He says 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 over 1 cent.

Wilbur's daughter first noticed the letter that warned of a lien and a $48 penalty if the overdue bill was not paid by Dec. 10.

Mayor Kevin Dumas says the whole situation was blown out of proportion.
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