Eileen Wilbur, 74, was shocked when her daughter read her the letter, especially as a stamp to send the payment cost 42 times the amount of the bill.
The letter said if the bill wasn't paid by December 10, a lien - a legal claim against the house, used to secure a payment - and a $48 fine would apply.
The case caused outrage in the locality, with many people complaining and offering to pay the bill for Eileen.
The debt was eventually settled by former city councillor Antonio Viveiros, who wrote a check for one cent.
A City Collector said the letter was among 2,000 automatically generated and sent by computer.
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