GREAT BARRINGTON — Housatonic Water Works has not filed with the state its annual return for 2021.
According to Massachusetts General Law, water companies are required to file their return annually or before March 31.
The annual return lists financial statistics for companies, including salaried officers, investments, and various assets for the filing year.
The company’s delinquency in filing its annual return has been confirmed in a letter by Carline Lemoine, Records Access Officer for the Department of Public Utilities Legal Division.
According to Lemoine, the department will be sending out delinquency notices to all companies that have not filed their returns for 2021; however, did not specify in her letter when the notices would be sent out or how many companies have not complied with the state.
According to State General Law, section 84, a company that neglects filing an annual return with the state, “for the first fifteen days or portion thereof during which such neglect continues, forfeit $5 a day; for the second fifteen days or any portion thereof, $10 a day; and for each day thereafter not more than $15 a day. If any such company or person unreasonably refuses or neglects to make such return, it or he shall, in addition thereto, forfeit not more than $500.”
Housatonic Water Works has not responded to The Berkshire Edge’s calls for comments for this issue.
The last filed return for the company is for 2020 and is available online at the state’s website.
The 2020 return states that the company’s two principals and salaried officers are President and Clerk Frederick Mercer, and Treasurer James Mercer.
Frederick Mercer and James Mercer are listed as earning salaries of $107,595 each.
In 2020, the highest management expense is listed as engineering fees for Water Compliance Solutions at $35,000.
