Although we are renting here in Houston, we used a realtor to help us find our home. The realtor showed Chad many rental houses, just as if we were going to buy, rather than rent. Our house is managed by a management company, who handles the rent and repairs to the home.
Part of the service that was offered through our real estate agency, Keller Williams Realty, was a service called OneSource. OneSource called us before we even left Minnesota and set up appointments to install all of our utilities for us. They claimed to not have any affiliation with any of the companies, so their job was to offer us the best priced service that fit our family's needs. We were set up with gas, water, electricity, cable TV and internet. They didn't mention trash service at the time and I frankly didn't think of it.
I asked the realtor about who does our trash service and she had no idea. I then emailed the management company, and again she had no idea. Why is trash service such a mystery in these parts?!?!? The realtor finally suggested that I knock on my neighbor's door to ask them.
Speaking of neighbors. The neighbor to our right has two little yippie dogs that yip yip yip all day long. We have a British Lab that does not bark. She doesn't even bark when we let her outside and she wants to come in. She just patiently waits by the door until someone opens it for her. These little yipper dogs next door are driving me crazy. I don't know what breed they are - I've seen them once. They are two little white fluff balls with coats on. I'm afraid to go introduce myself to the owner to ask about trash service. I might say something inappropriate about her yipping companions that would start us off on the wrong foot!
So, it's off to Google I go. According to Google, Houston residents are offered free trash service as part of their city services. Great! I call them up. Oops, bad news, the lady on the phone tells me. You're not in the city limits of Houston. You're in an unincorporated part of the city. Meaning, even though my address is in Houston, Texas, I am on the "outskirts of town". She tells me to call the county.
I call the county. She starts asking me what subdivision that I live in. I don't know the answer to this. The name that I give (that matches the fancy lettering on the brick decorations as you turn down my street) doesn't pull up anything in her computer system. She cannot just type in my address to find it. It doesn't work that way. I am so frustrated - why is it so impossible to get trash service where I live? Again, the lady tells me to ask my neighbor. I don't want to ask my neighbor. I want to call a number and order the damned service.
She then tells me to call my water company, Severn Trent. Apparently, my trash bill is also included on my water bill. So I call the water company. No, they just bill me for service, they don't provide the actual service. She gives me a number for Waste Management. She also gives me the name of my subdivision, which is like finding gold. What I mean by that, is the name that I thought was printed on the bricks (the name I had in my head), is not the actual name. I thought it was Pine Lakes. Turns out it is Lakes of Pine Forest. Now I feel like I'm senile in this world where no trash service exists.
Waste Management asks me my MUD number. I have no idea what my MUD number is. She asks me for my address. I give her my address. She asks for my subdivision name. I give her my subdivision name, which should be correct since I just got it five minutes ago from my water company. She cannot find my address or my subdivision name in her system. I now have to call my water company back and ask them for my MUD number
I call Severn Trent services back. I ask for my MUD number. I don't have a number, but it is called Barker Cypress MUD. I then explain that Waste Management couldn't find my address in their system and had asked me for my MUD number. Different Lady at Severn Trent tells me that I might want to try Republic Services, and gives me a telephone number. I call the number and nobody answers. I get a voicemail that doesn't identify it as Republic Services. So I try my trusty friend, Google, and find a different phone number.
In the meantime, Severn Trent services calls back ad leaves me a voicemail. They inform me that although some of their customers have their trash billed with their water, that my address is not included in this. She also tells me that if Republic Services cannot service me, to call my HOA. I have no idea if my subdivision has an HOA. This is just lovely.
So, I find a different number on Google for Republic Services and give them a call. BINGO! They service my Lakes of Pine Forest subdivision!!! After being on the phone for an hour and a half, calling the City, County, the incorrect garbage company, and now finally the correct garbage company, I finally set up an account for my trash removal.
While speaking on the phone to the gentleman who initiated service, he informs me that I have trash service twice a week. Wednesdays and Saturdays are regular service. Saturdays is for recycling and bulk or heavy trash service. Wait a minute. You provide free bulk trash service? In Minnesota, not only do we only have service once a week, but you have to pay for extra bag removal, and bulky items such as furniture is priced out depending upon size. Here in Texas, this stuff is free. I can put out the junk that I had to haul from Minnesota because I didn't want to pay extra service to have it removed.
I guess after a very harrowing experience trying to find out provides trash service, this is the silver lining. I spent almost an hour and a half on the phone trying to figure it out. I guess I should have been more friendly and just asked my neighbor. :)
Here's an exterior photo of our new home:
I've had enough trash talk for today. I'm off to find new doctors for the family...
Green grass!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMiss you guys! Hope finding doctors will be easier than trash removal!