Ministry of National Defense Wins NT$ 2,321 Lawsuit|為2321元告水公司國防部挨批浪費資源

發布時間：2018/9/5 16:39 更新時間：2018/9/5 18:45

M. Chuang

The Ministry of National Defense recently sued Taiwan Water over a NT$ 2,321 water bill. The Taichung District Court ruled in favor of the ministry, but the judge noted both of these entities are under the Executive Yuan and therefore can resolve the issue internally, rather than taking direct legal actions, which might be a waste of judicial resources.

There are many ways people can pay their water bill, ranging from counter payments to automatic debits. The Ministry of National Defense recently sued Taiwan Water after the latter declined a NT$ 2,321 refund request. While the ministry won the suit, it has come under criticism for wasting judicial resources.

This case should not have gone through the court system. Administrative agencies should have been able to mediate the case.

This case was a huge waste of judicial resources. They should have used their own legal departments to resolve this. They spent more money and time on the lawsuit than the amount they were trying to get back.

The case started with the death of a military widow surnamed Song in June 2013. After her death, her assets were transferred to the National Property Administration. For reasons unknown, the ministry continued sending her pension payments for six months. This meant the water company continued its deductions. It wasn't until January 2015 that the water company found out Song was deceased and stopped its deductions. The ministry did not demand compensation from the water company until June 2017.

Of course there was negotiation during this process, and official documents being sent back and forth. As the two sides were unable to reach an agreement, we were forced to pursue legal action. The Ministry of National Defense acted in accordance with legal administrative procedures.
In the beginning, there was a difference of opinion between the Ministry of National Defense and our company. With the court having already ruled on the case, we will only say we respect the court's decision.

The water company says it was unaware of Song's death for some time and someone was still using water in her home for the next 10 payment periods. The company says although it is unhappy the ministry took the route it did, it respects the court's ruling and will reassess its operating procedures to prevent further waste of judicial resources in the future. The ministry also sued Taiwan Power and a telecom company over similar deductions and won both cases.