Last month I.B.M. seized four of Vasp's mainframe computers and 200 personal computers because of delinquent bills.

Not because I wanted to, but because I had to, because I was delinquent in my office phone bill and way behind in rent.

He wondered if it might never have been turned off, if their delinquent bill might have been passed over by an idling computer or some such.

Mr. Felsen said it was up to the tax department - not the courts - to decide when to compromise with a taxpayer about a delinquent bill.

And so, the delinquent bill never made it to Norwest Mortgage, the final company to hold Ms. Leroy's loan.

"The public health outweighs a delinquent bill of a month or two."

Most of the work was done by Narayan himself including distribution and collecting delinquent bills.

He had a credit service through which he would pay their delinquent bills.

Last year, Prince Fassi was evicted from the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Fla., for $1.4 million in delinquent bills, which were eventually paid.

More than $1 billion in delinquent bills are uncollected.