ATTLEBORO, Mass.—A 74-year-old blind woman was shocked when her daughter found a letter from the city saying a lien would be placed on her home unless she paid an overdue water bill.  The amount? 1 cent.  Eileen Wilbur told The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro the letter sent her blood pressure soaring, and pointed out that stamps cost 42 cents.  City Collector Debora Marcoccio said the letter was among 2,000 sent out. A computer automatically prints letters for accounts with an overdue balance, and they are not reviewed by staff before being mailed, she said. The charge was from the previous fiscal year, which ran from July 2007 to July 2008.  Wilbur's daughter, Rose Brederson, who discovered the bill in her mother's mail, called the situation "ridiculous." But she said her mother, who has lived in the home since 1959, would likely end up paying the penny.

You bet your ass she’s going to pay the penny!   I don’t get it – if the bill comes to $40.59, you don’t pay $40.58.  You pay $40.59.  I mean never in my life have I paid 1 cent less than the amount of the bill.  It’s either the total amount or nothing at all - that’s just how I was raised.  I mean think about what would happen if everyone tried to pull this kind of stunt that the old, unfortunately blind bag is trying to pull here?  The entire country would go bankrupt.  “50 Cent” would be known as “49 Cent”. In other words it would be complete chaos.  Hey, you gotta respect the woman for trying to cheat the system.  But sorry Grandma.  It’s time to fork up the cash.