Electricity disconnected due to neighbor a stealing power

[NatashaLynn]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? West Virginia I reside in West Virginia - I rent one apartment in a duplex complex . My neighbor was running illegal electricity and was caught today . The power company AEP came out and said that they had to shut off my power from the pole because the neighbors tampered with the electric box that my meter and their meter was in . Due to their actions my children and I lost our groceries and have to do with out power anywhere from 3 days to weeks . Should the power company AEP have to reimburse me for my groceries , Inconvenience during our school and work week , and pay for a hotel for my children to stay warm in ?

 

[HRZ]

THere is very likely more to the story than what you post ......

DO you pay power or does your LL?

I ran an electrical contracting firm long ago...if your meter box had been adulterated it is pretty straightforward to cut out the improper lines and set a new box etc in a day ....there is something else going on and that's why it was shut off at the pole

THe neighbor caused the problem...sue him or her .

 

[FarmerJ]

NatashaLynn so your saying the way the electric power was set up is that the duplex came with a twin /dual socket box for meters (either a side by side one that held two meters or a up and down double box ) and because your neighbor broke the seal on the meter and rigged it to steal electric the power company chose to clip the lines and deny services to the whole structure. First thing call your city inspections and tell them the electric was cut to your half of the house because the neighbor was stealing power and ask them to emergency order the LL to have changes made to set up your half on its own meter socket and call your states public utility commission to complain that the utilities actions to stop theft is harming a innocent third party customer and that you should not have to pay a re connect fee for new wire to the pole to have power again. File a written complaint against the utility too. If your LL refuses to address this fast enough then there should be no reason your city inspections desk cannot issue a condemn order which will trump your lease and allow you to move out with zero penalty to you whether the LL likes it or not.

 

[HRZ]

Agree...shutting off power is a big deal and there may be a number of procedural steps/safeguards
.and we do not know which if any were followed. I'd be all over my LL and the City to get my power restored as well. Generally speaking the power lines and meter boxes and wiring are the LLs responsibility ...

Follow up your phone calls with promptly paper letters .

There is no good engineering reason the power cannot be corrected and connected today to your unit TODAY.

 

[NatashaLynn]

Yes the two round digital meters were side by side in a metal box on their side of the duplex . When they first had their power terminated the electric company put a huge lock On the side of the metal box and they beat of four the lock and proceeded to turn the circle meter upside down . AEP said that the power metal box was damanged and in order to restore my to power my landlords of 6 year had to replace the metal box and some kind of splitter under the box have it inspected then if it passed I could have my power restored From the main pole . Said that the timing was up to how fast the landlord resolved the broken meter box and had it inspected . Last night was our first cold night with temperatures of 36 degrees . My power wasn't running $300 -400 a month during summer but my actual bill due on the 31st has an account balance of a positive $45 . My question is who is responsible AEP or the landlords ? Also what is LL ?

 

[NatashaLynn]

Wrongfully terminated

Yes the two round digital meters were side by side in a metal box on their side of the duplex . When they first had their power terminated the electric company put a huge lock On the side of the metal box and they beat off the lock and proceeded to turn the circle meter upside down . AEP said that the power metal box was damanged and in order to restore my power my landlords of 6 year had to replace the metal box and some kind of splitter under the box have it inspected then if it passed I could have my power restored From the main pole . Said that the timing was up to how fast the landlord resolved the broken meter box and had it inspected . Last night was our first cold night with temperatures of 36 degrees . My power was running $300 -400 a month during summer but my actual bill due on the 31st has an account balance of a positive $45 . My question is who is responsible AEP or the landlords ?

 

[HRZ]

LL is short for landlord.

THe meter box needs to be to code ..and the way the line is split before it goes to the meters needs to be to code ...but none of that is a big engineering deal ...unless the feed lines to the building are undersize ......there might be issues of permits and inspections ...but quite frankly with the power off at the pole, the work at the meter site is pretty darn straight forward .

And it's no big feat to put a small generator to work ...but it takes some knowledge to make a safe hookup even if it's but temporary

 

[justalayman]

If you haven’t already, contact the landlord as soon as possible, like right now. As others state, fixing this is not a major engineering feat and can be done in less than a day.

But more importantly;

If AEP hasn’t already involved the police, your landlord should. Theft of electricity is a crime (turning the meter upside down used to make it spin backwards. I thought they remedied that with the newer electronic meters but maybe they haven’t completed the replacement) but the damage to the meter base is obviously a crime.

So, to start with, get the landlord on the phone.

AEP (at least in my area) is fairly responsive to emergency issues and situations like this. I have seen them come out the same day I called them to connect a service if it would endanger a resident not having power. Hopefully they have the staffing to connect this as soon as the landlord gets the installation repaired.

As another poster said; your claim for damages is against whomever damaged the meter base.

 

[xylene]

Now that the disconnection is made, AEP is not going to connect the power unless the meter is ok / up to code.

Suggesting a generator is absolutely ludicrous.

The landond needs to act fast or else this is clearly constructive eviction / rendering the property untenantable, something AEP has no concern over.

 

[HRZ]

A small generator properly and safely connect is not wacky short term for a day or two

 

[STEPHAN]

Suggesting a generator is absolutely ludicrous.

Why? I just ran one for 5 days ...

 

[xylene]

A small generator properly and safely connect is not wacky short term for a day or two

The tenant is not authorized to execute the modification of such an installation for this 'safe connection' anymore than they would be authorized to execute the the repairs to the meter box, something quite likely to be less expensive... not to mention the noise and fumes from operating a generator, or even it's physical bulk...

 

[justalayman]

No this is not constructive eviction. The landlord did not cause the issue. Only if the landlord refused to do anything to remedy the situation could it be argued as constructive eviction.

 

[xylene]

No this is not constructive eviction. The landlord did not cause the issue. Only if the landlord refused to do anything to remedy the situation could it be argued as constructive eviction.

The landlord's tenant did. The landlord is obligated to remedy the untenantable condition rapidly, and compensate the tenant. Effort does not count, results do.

Pursuing the bad actor who tampered is the problem of the landlord, not our OP tenant.

 

[NatashaLynn]

The LL evicted the neighbors gave them an automatic eviction today at 8 am they have 30 days from today . This all started yesterday morning at 8am and the power was disconnected from the pole at 9am . My father who is a certified electrician gave the LL the proper items to fix the meter box and splitter thing . The LL worked in it some yesterday and has been there for hours today but it's still not fixed and once he does get it fixed it has to be inspected . I see this being a long process