Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My lease ended two weeks ago. I wrote the LL a 30 day notice, returned keys, etc. and picked a date to cancel service. The lease had everything included minus electricity.
I'm unable to terminate the electrical service. I scheduled a termination date for Nov. 3. The utility company called me and told me that the locks had changed ? and that they can't access the meter. This was not a problem when I needed to switch electrical over to my name initially a year ago.
There's a notice during the initial cancellation that states if the company is unable to access the meter, they will continue to bill me.
Customer Service told me to contact the LL who the company is familiar with, and to check back with them to make sure he has contacted them so they can gain access to the meter. He has yet to do so. I keep pestering them.
Any idea what I should/can do? This is MA. No new tenants have moved in to my old apartment yet
I would call and find out why they need to see the meter. Maybe they need to send you a last bill, but it should have been checked on the date you asked for it to be turned off, normally they can do it remotely. When it's out of your name they should put the account into the landlord's name.
and what locks are they claiming changed. Is your meter inside the unit or behind some locked fence outside?
Location: When you take flak it means you are on target
7,646 posts, read 9,949,132 times
Reputation: 16466
File a small claims action tomorrow for order to show cause to terminate service and serve the elect company. I pretty much guaranty they will cancel the service immediately. Then tell them you want the time and costs to file the case or continue the case and make them explain their policy to a judge. LOL
Call the public utilities commission. What the utility is doing sounds illegal. How can they charge you extra money because of a lock that's not under your control? The public utilities commission is probably the best agency to investigate violations of law by a utility. In a lot of states, if the utility gets a call from the PUC, the utility responds immediately to solve the problem, to avoid getting into more trouble with the PUC.
The utility has no access to the meter so how can they read and terminate service when they can't access the equipment to do what they need to do?
Who will end up shouldering the cost will be whomever caused the access issue. If the tenant scheduled service while they had access to the premise but was denied access to the equipment by the landlord, the landlord will end up shouldering the cost. If the tenant scheduled service for after they surrendered the unit, they will shoulder the cost as they had no ability to grant access since they surrendered the unit. And, if the tenant scheduled service while they had control of the premise and the utility arrived after the until was surrendered, the utility will shoulder the cost.
The utility has no access to the meter so how can they read and terminate service when they can't access the equipment to do what they need to do?
Who will end up shouldering the cost will be whomever caused the access issue. If the tenant scheduled service while they had access to the premise but was denied access to the equipment by the landlord, the landlord will end up shouldering the cost. If the tenant scheduled service for after they surrendered the unit, they will shoulder the cost as they had no ability to grant access since they surrendered the unit. And, if the tenant scheduled service while they had control of the premise and the utility arrived after the until was surrendered, the utility will shoulder the cost.
I don't know about where you live but every place where I have had utilities the laws require the utilitiy meters to be accessible to the utility company whether a resident is on premise at the time or not. In other words, they are not allowed to be behind locked areas. Besides, most people don't schedule for the utilities to be switched over until the day of or the day after move out. I know as landlord I have no interest in paying for the utilities until the tenant has turned over the unit.
I would not be surprised if the landlord is trying to avoid having the utilities switched over to them and from what it sounds like the utility company has had this specific problem with them before. The suggestion to contact the ombudsman of the utility company (if they have one) or the utility commission is a good one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by whaler12
My lease ended two weeks ago. I wrote the LL a 30 day notice, returned keys, etc. and picked a date to cancel service. The lease had everything included minus electricity.
I'm unable to terminate the electrical service. I scheduled a termination date for Nov. 3. The utility company called me and told me that the locks had changed ? and that they can't access the meter. This was not a problem when I needed to switch electrical over to my name initially a year ago.
There's a notice during the initial cancellation that states if the company is unable to access the meter, they will continue to bill me.
Customer Service told me to contact the LL who the company is familiar with, and to check back with them to make sure he has contacted them so they can gain access to the meter. He has yet to do so. I keep pestering them.
Any idea what I should/can do? This is MA. No new tenants have moved in to my old apartment yet
Any help is appreciated
__________________
When I post in bold red that is moderator action and, per the TOS, can only be discussed through Direct Message.
I would send a certified letter to the landlord outlining the end of your tenancy, star keys were returned, etc and then state that due to the actions of the landlord, the electric utility cannot access the meter to take power out of your name. Ask that provide a date and time (or you state your preferred date) that the utility can access the meter and say that you will be expecting a return of funds to you on a prorated basis from the end of your tenancy. State that non-response will necessitate further action on your part.
Then if you do have to go to small claims you have a much better leg to stand on.
And yes it is unusual to have a meter locked like that but in some older houses it used to be allowed so it's probably from back then.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
