LV VALLEY WATER DISTRICT FAILS TO COMBAT FRAUDULENT ACCOUNTANTS

February 18, 2019

Water is the most valuable resource in Nevada, costing billions to move it, store it and deliver it from around the state and across the country to Las Vegas. Las Vegas Valley Water now has “Waste Water” investigators who fine homeowners for watering their landscaping, $80 for the first offense. So when the Las Vegas Valley Water District staff openly refuses to take action when landlords report fraud directly to them, it should concern all of us.

A local landlord came to us with his story.

James, a local landlord, called 360 frustrated when the Las Vegas Water refused to take any action to stop potential identity theft and fraud after he reported the fraud directly to LVVWD. According to James, LVVWD refused to close a bill that was clearly fraudulent.

It all started when James rented out a small house to a new tenant who was supposed to transfer the water into her name. So James called the Las Vegas Valley Water to verify that the water billing was indeed transferred to the new tenant, now some 3 weeks after she moved in, he was informed that the new tenant had not transferred the water bill yet. When James inquired if the water billing was still in the name of the previous tenant the representative informed James that the bill was currently in the name of someone entirely different, but refused to say whose name. So the water bill was not in the name of the past tenant and not in the name of the new tenant. James asked Las Vegas Water to turn off the water since it was clearly under a false name. The Las Vegas Valley Water District refused to take any action and they even refused to investigate the claim. James offered to provide a copy of the past tenant and new tenant’s lease to show whose name the water should be in. The Las Vegas Valley Water had no interest what so ever in investigating potential Identity theft and or take action to prevent financial loss.

The bill has not been paid since October 2018 and the Las Vegas Water Valley Water didn’t seem to care.