They say that two things in life are certain; death and taxes. I’d add ‘bills’ to that, but I suppose the sentiment still stands. And as part and parcel of its simulation of suburban life The Sims 4 even has you paying your bills.
But what actually happens if you don’t pay your bills on time?
Final Warning
Well, in truth, not much to begin with.
For simplicity’s sake I’ll assume you already know about receiving and paying bills, which can be done pretty easily by your Sim if you have the Simoleons to spare. However, as bills begin to expire you’ll receive a final notification about it before your utilities start getting shut off.
Utilities being shut off is pretty self-explanatory. Although there isn’t really a distinction between your water and electricity bills which seem to just come under the same umbrella. The first thing to go is anything electric related when your power is shut off; meaning no more television or refrigerator. After that, your water supply is shut down and anything water-related will no longer function.
Surprisingly, if you live in an apartment you won’t actually get evicted despite not paying. But your Sims’ landlord will refuse any services until they do. And I assume you’ll have to somehow attend to your Sims’ needs without having any of the necessary fixtures working.
But okay, what happens after that?
Repo! The Repossession Opera!
Well, alongside the Burglar, one other mechanic to make a return from older Sims titles was none other than the Repo Man! You might better know these cheerful individuals by the term bailiff if you’re from across the pond like me but they serve the same purpose. Armed with a bizarre high-tech rifle they’re there to ‘help’ you pay your bills by force.
A Repo Man will eventually enter your lot and attempt to repossess furniture and other objects equal to the value of your unpaid bills. You can try to convince them to take something else if you’re particularly attached to a certain chair, or try and fight them off, but remember this is only a temporary reprieve.
So the only way is to pay. Well, either that or mod The Sims 4 to remove them entirely. But where’s the fun without the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head, eh?
