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Power company property damage

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headusher

Junior Member
What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Virginia

Local electric co-op that supplies my home with power had a major electrical fault this week. This fault was underground between their pole and my house. This fault caused a power surge that damaged my dishwasher, stove, two cordless phones, a VCR and an electric circuit in my electric panel box. I currently have three rooms without power.

The stove repair is over $200, no one will repair the VCR so I need to purchase a new one, I'll need to purchase new phones; the dishwasher will be serviced this weekend & an electrician will be on site Saturday to fix the electrical box damage. There still may be other damage not found yet.

The power company says they do not have to and will not pay for any of the repairs. My homeowners insurance has a $1000 deductible so most of the repair costs will come out of my pocket.

Is small claims court an option?
 


S

seniorjudge

Guest
headusher said:
What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Virginia

Local electric co-op that supplies my home with power had a major electrical fault this week. This fault was underground between their pole and my house. This fault caused a power surge that damaged my dishwasher, stove, two cordless phones, a VCR and an electric circuit in my electric panel box. I currently have three rooms without power.

The stove repair is over $200, no one will repair the VCR so I need to purchase a new one, I'll need to purchase new phones; the dishwasher will be serviced this weekend & an electrician will be on site Saturday to fix the electrical box damage. There still may be other damage not found yet.

The power company says they do not have to and will not pay for any of the repairs. My homeowners insurance has a $1000 deductible so most of the repair costs will come out of my pocket.

Is small claims court an option?

They are correct. They are not responsible for what happens to the electrons after they go through your meter.
 

headusher

Junior Member
"They are correct. They are not responsible for what happens to the electrons after they go through your meter."

Their equipment failed BEFORE my meter which caused a power surge through my meter.

What you are telling me is when the power company equipment fails and causes extreme high voltage spikes into someone's property and destroys the property the power company is not liable?

What if the house catches fire and someone dies. Are they responsible for the death? Makes no sense to me!
 
S

seniorjudge

Guest
headusher said:
"They are correct. They are not responsible for what happens to the electrons after they go through your meter."

Their equipment failed BEFORE my meter which caused a power surge through my meter.

What you are telling me is when the power company equipment fails and causes extreme high voltage spikes into someone's property and destroys the property the power company is not liable?

What if the house catches fire and someone dies. Are they responsible for the death? Makes no sense to me!
Okay, you, of course did not mention that in your first post.

Now, what caused this fault?
 

headusher

Junior Member
They said it was a neutral buss fault. An electricain I know said it what is called a floating neutral. The neutral buss fails & becomes disconneted.

All I know is that they dug up my yard about 150 feet from my house next to their pole that distributes the power to my house via underground power wires.
 
S

seniorjudge

Guest
headusher said:
They said it was a neutral buss fault. An electricain I know said it what is called a floating neutral. The neutral buss fails & becomes disconneted.

All I know is that they dug up my yard about 150 feet from my house next to their pole that distributes the power to my house via underground power wires.
That's usually caused by a bad connection to the ground. If you can prove it was their fault (pun intended) you may be able to make a case. Go talk to the board. They don't like unsatisfied customers. And then buy a whole house surge protector.
 

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