Generally, the gas company around here is very reasonable about setting up payment plans and so on -- both becuase of local law and a couple sad cases where poor people died from hypothermia when it was turned off in the winter. Your NYC gas company may vary.
But it seems to me that since part of the problem is that they didn't bill MsBelle correctly for 6. freakin. years. that they could afford to be a little flexible in how fast she pays them back.
Me, though, if I had the money, I might just pay it all in one go, to get out from under it.
Speaking of calling people and bargaining, a little -ma would be appreciated this morning as I have to call the unemployment people -- mostly that I get THROUGH to them, because I've been trying for most of 3 weeks now and becuase of the way they've scheduled call-ins, I'm supposed to call on Thursday or Friday and what with school, haven't been able to call before 4 PM... when the auto-message has been set that they're too busy, please call back next working day.
I've resorted to entering the wrong last digit on my SSN. But yesterday at school there was a 44 minute wait (I thought to try on my break) and by the time I got home and got through with the Junk guys, the auto-response was already up... even though they had extended hours until 6:30 because of the holiday week.