Every day I get emails and calls from people across the country pleading for help, guidance, answers and direction.
There are allot of situations in where I respond with the best info I can to assist in any way possible.
There are other situations, like this one, I do not have an answer to.
So, what I have decided to do is publish the most urgent pleads for help up on the site and allow readers to make comments on how the situation can be dealt with.
Any derogatory comments as to “You should have paid your bills” or “You bought more house than you could afford” etc. will be deleted. That is not what this crisis is about. If you would educate yourselves before making those kind of ignorant comments you would see that your programmed opinions are flawed.
I will keep any personal information out of the postings.
Hope this helps…
They Will be Turning Off my Utilities
I need some help. My home was foreclosed on – I’m fighting the bank in court. My Husband and I had a fight he beat me up and took my money and moved into another house. When I tried to transfer utilities into my name the city utility company says it is not my house – belongs to the bank and they will be turning off my utilities on Monday, May 24, 2010 at noon. Is there anything I can do to stop the utility shut-off?
I live in Nixa, MO and hope someone out there can help me please. I have two kids aged 7 and 9 living with me and I don’t have the slightest idea what to do now.
Please help us.
WHO owns the home is irrelevant, however YOU are the true owner of the home, and the utility company does NOT have the authority to turn your electric off unless you also owe them money. Stand up to them, and go and push all the buttons you can to insist if they are being paid they MUST NOT turn the electric off. Some communities and churches can sometimes help, however that is a short term solution at best – especially in a depression economy.
Hang in their girl. We all hit hard times and i’ve been where you are. Yes, go to liheap. Here in my area Liheap is in the tri-county office. If you have a computer (or use the librarys if you don’t) look up energy assistance in you area. Liheap will pay your electric bill up to 300.00 if your in a bind. If you dont have Liheap, try local churches. and don’t leave your home. Respond to your foreclosure. Do a demand for production if you have to.
Pray. Don’t give up. And last but not least put that SOB that hit you in jail!!!
The first thing is to never panic. I generally agree w/ those who have written their comments above. Public utilities have to abide by strict standards. That is why they are granted “monopoly” status.
Legal Aid, or just going Directly to the utilitiy’s nearest office, to plead your case is best. Do not accept “NO” for an answer. Don’t sign any “waivers”. Take detailed notes of who and what you speak about.
Best to you and your 2 wonderful kids, Many Christians out there to rescue you all. Go to church, even if you don’t have one at present. Works all the time. Got attys too. They are there for you. Love, Bob
Utility service is not a “right”, although you do have rights as a customer. I checked this out and you should call the Public Services Commission. They are the commission that regulates utilities in Missouri. You can contact the PSC at 1-800-392-4211. I would do so as soon as possible on Monday morning! Here is a link to their website, there’s not a whole lot of info on there, but it appears there might be a rule that says that you have to have a written notice sent to you that they are turning off your service. http://www.psc.mo.gov/electric/
Again, best of luck with this!
you might also want to google LIHEAP and where in your area they r located.
Address the company with a letter for service as this is a right for anyone who lives in a house or under a bridge, ask them for service, if they refuse ask them to forward a claim to their Directors and Officers insurance company and copy a separate complaint with the same request to the regulator and the AG of said state but ask for that insurance policy.
I would not stand for this one bit never. A federal lawsuit is the way to go here, there are very specific rules in the public utility service and they cannot in no instant lock off utilities and water, in no way if you lay down they will jump on you for sure. Stand up and fight for your rights full on and do not plan to lost. Report them to the department of Children and families in DC and locally where you live
check with your local county government and inquire about the LIHEAP program.program is usually operated by local government social services agencies and/or state .i believe in some cases by private nonprofit social services agencies.liheap provides financial assistance for persons facing disconnection of their utilities as well as an annual credit.
I wonder if you need to put something in writing to the utility company. However, I don’t know what the wording would be.
I do not think the City has the authority to decide who owns what, and how are they able to turn on or off power if the bill is paid, Hello?
What kind of country are we living in now, is this a true story?
I think a small claims lawsuit could work here, if you do not have money to pay for filing tell the court that you can pay them at another time or that you cannot pay at all .
I think for the future Solar panels are the best for all house holds.
A quick Google search shows the solution to this one:
http://stlouis.missouri.org/501c/hcf/Utility.htm
Summary: In MO shutting off utilities is apparently the same as a self-help eviction, which is illegal. Since your bank obviously hasn’t evicted you (or you wouldn’t still be living there) they apparently can’t stand in the way of you gaining access to your utilities.
So call the bank and follow the rest of the directions in that article. [This presupposes the bank’s already said no to just asking for their help; have you tried just asking them for help with the utility company until the foreclosure issue is resolved? Strange as it seems sometimes they’ll fight in court but if something would force the place to actually end up empty they may back off; depends on the bank.]
If you can try to find a find a solo property or personal injury lawyer, tell them all this, and tell them a quick call from him/her and even a short shutoff can result in a damage award. If the utility company buckles, which they should, all the lawyer’s lost is a five minute phone call. If not — even if the utilities are turned back on — they have a quick claim.
I’m not certain about this, but it seems to me that if you were to present confirmation of you lawsuit against the bank (a copy of your lawsuit, letter from your attorney… if you have one) and explain that YOU are still the “legal”owner of the house you should be able to get the power turned on in your name. If you can’t afford an attorney, please call your local legal aid. I t=don’t know if you will be able to stop them on Monday, but you may be able to get power restored…
Best of luck with this!