FRIDAY, September 25, 2026|
Photo – Medicine Bow sign – Bigfoot99 file photo
Medicine Bow officials are preparing to foreclose on properties with past‑due utility bills.
During the September 14th Medicine Bow Town Council meeting, Public Works Director Brian Lashley announced that 83 residents owe between $55 and $3,000 in unpaid water and sewer utility bills. He asked the governing body for guidance on how to address those outstanding balances.
Lashley said all but three of the properties with overdue utility bills are vacant, most on the west side of Highway 487.
Medicine Bow ordinances allow the town to place a lien on delinquent properties, guaranteeing the overdue payments are collected at the time of sale. However, Public Works Director Lashley said several of the parcels in question are unlikely to sell, adding that the owner of at least one home is deceased.
Town Attorney Cameron Smith suggested beginning foreclosure proceedings on those delinquent properties.
The attorney’s statement prompted Clerk and Treasurer Karen Heath to ask the Town Council to set an official threshold, either a time or dollar amount, to start the foreclosure process.
Councilwoman Kristi Wickizer expressed frustration with the time the town has already waited to address delinquent utility payments.
At an average utility rate of $19 per month, $500 in delinquent bills represents more than two years of nonpayment. Public Works Director Brian Lashley added that the utility bills for one property haven’t been paid since 1998, when the homeowner died.
Councilwoman Wickizer asked why the town hasn’t already foreclosed on the extremely delinquent properties. Clerk Karen Heath said the town lacks a formal procedure to seize them.
Heath said previous town councils chose not to take action on overdue utility payments.
Attorney Cameron Smith said when a resident dies with overdue utility charges, a formal claim in probate must be lodged against the estate to enable the town to gain control of the property.
A probate claim is when a creditor, in this case the town of Medicine Bow, claims that a deceased person’s estate owes money and asks the court to recognize and pay that debt.
Clerk Karen Heath again asked for a threshold to begin foreclosure proceedings, based on either time or overdue balance. Attorney Smith said Medicine Bow Ordinance 19.5.107 already specifies when the town can take action on late utility payments.
Attorney Smith said the town should place a lien on every delinquent property. However, to avoid creating additional hardship for vulnerable residents, foreclosure proceedings should be handled on a case-by-case basis by the Town Council.
Attorney Smith said the existing ordinance, as written, gives the Town Council the authority to determine when the foreclosure process should begin.
Mayor Justin George instructed Clerk Heath to present a list of properties with unpaid utility bills to the Town Council. At that point, the governing body will determine which parcels should be subject to liens or foreclosure.
