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Westland Withholds $100,000 From Priority Waste Over Weeks of Missed Pickups

City officials say the payment hold is a first step toward larger contract penalties or rebids if the company does not restore reliable curbside service

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Residents across southeast Michigan have had enough. Missed trash pickups, delayed collections, and unanswered phone calls have plagued Priority Waste customers for more than a year, and now, the company’s newly appointed CEO is speaking out.

Overview

  • Westland announced on Tuesday that it is withholding $100,000 from Priority Waste after residents reported trash and yard waste left at curbs for days or weeks and the city concluded service fell short of contract standards.
  • City officials are collecting route data, logging missed collections and asking residents to report problems to City Hall by phone or email so the municipality can document failures for enforcement.
  • Priority Waste has apologized and said it is deploying rental trucks, taking delivery of new automated collection vehicles, hiring additional drivers and improving its call center to clear backlogs and resume regular service.
  • Local lawyers and city leaders note many municipal contracts include liquidated-damage clauses that charge roughly $100 per missed pickup per day, which could make Priority Waste’s potential liability far larger than the withheld amount.
  • The Westland action follows similar service warnings across Metro Detroit and raises the prospect that EGLE findings, additional municipal enforcement or rebids could determine whether Priority Waste keeps regional contracts.