Long Story Need advice HELP

[Reble]

We bought a home for my daughter and fiance. They pay us rent including heat and hydro. Since August 2004. Trouble with NEIGHBOURS :new_2gunsfiring_v1: :new_2gunsfiring_v1:

The home and 2 other neighbours, on each side own the well and we have the pump hooked up to our house. The drilled well also is on our property.

Contract states all responsible for up keep ( 3 ways ) and to pay electricity 3 ways for the electricity for the pump only. Neither have paid for electicily. If cannot agree with a set price for electicity bill, should install a metre and pay 3 ways.

We thought $10.00 a month for the electricity for the pump was reasonable. $120.00 a year. per house hold.

They did not believe it cost that much, so they told us they where putting in a metre.

Next doors son put it in with just the cost of the metre. Divide it also 3 ways.

I wanted Ontario Hydro to do the job, so no more questions or problems, now we don't believe it is hooked up right and thought he was an electrician, he is a auto mechanic, and cost $81.45 per house to put the metre in.

They read the metre for the year and said it comes to total of $22.00 per house hold for the year.

Oh boy about $2.00 amonth.

Now to find out no permit, and not an licience electrician. Ontario Electical Safety Authorities, tells me,

should have had a permit and will cost me $109.00 plus tax, and if I want an expection to verify correctly hook up will cost me $150.00 to $200.00.

Trying to get a call back from their son, that hooked it up has been about a week now.

Both neighbours have not paid us anything and has been since August 2004.

I wish we never bought there, the world is made up of so many kinds of people. Guess who they are.

:

Have been on the phone for days now, trying to find out what to do. Talked to a Lawyer and says it will just be thrown out. Just pennies and dimes. Not for us, and not with our electricity bill, keep going up.

Help any one have good advice :aktion033: I cannot believe this has gone on so long.

 

[Robin1]

Is there anyway you can turn off their water? I'll bet they would pay up fast.

Robin

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Cut your losses- have the meters put in anew- one each, metering the water and electricity used, and have slot meters put in to all three houses.

I think you are within your rights to charge them for water as well, so you may be able to get your money back that way.

I do not believe you are within your rights to cut off their supply of water, even if you technically own it, as you have not stated this prior to the disagreement.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I have found out that nothing is for free. Talk to the authorities or the well company (I used to work for one) and see if it is both lawfull and possible to shut off their water if no payment is being made. In no way, should you continue to pay their way. Can I ask, what would happen if you too refused to pay the bill? Disconnection?

Have a certified tech come out and check on the meter. If it is set up wrong (I may be wrong but I don't think so), it can short a part on the well in time and the price will be a whole lot more than what you are paying now.

Last but not least, keep everything in your records, and take this matter to a civil court. As the lawyer told you, this is pennies and dimes. But a civil lawsuit can be for anything that is under a couple thousand dollars. We sued a past landlord for $150 because they withheld a portion of our security deposit and had no grounds. It took a full day, but the judge was in our favor and granted the money be returned to us. It pays to have documentation on things like this.

If everything else fails, you can sale the property and buy another home. Neighbors who are so ill mannered towards neighbors, will only be problems in the future. It may be better to get out of the situation all together. Good luck.

 

[Reble]

I think you are within your rights to charge them for water as well, so you may be able to get your money back that way.

I do not believe you are within your rights to cut off their supply of water, even if you technically own it, as you have not stated this prior to the disagreement.

No we cannot charge for water, the original owners all helped paid for the well being dug and can only charge for electriciy. This way we are not responsible for ecoli or bad water causing any problems.

No cannot turn off water, witch my husband would love too, and he is a easy going fellow, but the health board will be down our throats, lawyer says.

Moving wish we could, but not that easy to sale and buy.

We just might have to bite the bullet and pay out more to ease our minds, but if we find out the metre is hooked up wrong, we pay set it up, correct, these people I bet will still not pay.

Yes, I did believe small claims court would be the answer, but lawyer says, this would just be thrown out.

Just beside myself, I quess what goes around comes around, but how long will this take.

Thanks just needed to vent, so angry and upset.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

"SMALL CLAIMS COURT!" That's it, for some reason I could only think of Civil court. :new_shocked:

I don't know why the lawyers would say this would be thrown out of court!?! The whole point of small claims is for small amounts. And if this isn't a reason, I don't know what is. How long has this been going on? Has a good sized bill been incurred that they won't help with? I never consulted a lawyer when we went to small claims, but they would have probably told us that $150 wasn't worth it too. To us, it wasn't about the amount because my husband makes that in half a day. It was more about the principle that we weren't going to allow them to screw us over.

If it is this bad now, just wait until the well goes out, or the motor burns, or electricity bills sky rocket. What will they be like then? It sounds to me, like they are taking full advantage of you and they are hoping this will all be dropped and you guys will count your losses. That way, they get off easy with someone paying their bills. $120 from two neighbors, comes out to $240 plus your half...$360 that you will be responsible for. Hmmm...I wouldn't want to be in your shoes.

 

[Marty]

Contract states all responsible for up keep ( 3 ways ) and to pay electricity 3 ways for the electricity for the pump only. Neither have paid for electicily.

This is going on for a very long time already, it needs to stop.

They are in breech of the contract, not you.

I'd shut them down.

I would do what I could to own the well outright and force them to get one of their own.

Sharring doesn't always work good when some people don't play well with others.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

It might technically be possible to stop the electricity- in no way refuse water but refuse to supply the power.

They are just after a free ride and you need to show them it has just stopped!!!

 

[Reble]

Frustrating, I do not believe in hurting anyone. But they are not easy people to deal with. My poor daughter has to live there not us.

But I do agree cannot take much more.

Just between us, Long weekend coming up and my daughter is going away camping.

Hope our hydro does not go off.

:

Could I, should I, or would I

What would you do?.

Getting nasty and that is not like me. Hubby would in a minute, just have to say the word, and he is not normally like this either.

Yes or No would like to take a poll.

 

[Voodoo]

I say after all that has gone on you should cut the power to the well until some things are resolved JMHO.

 

[KanoasDestiny]

I say yes, definately cut the power. They need a harsh wake up call that if they don't pay, you won't pay!!!

 

[Marty]

I"m too much of a wus to get nasty actually but has anyone tried to just bake some brownies and go over talk to them?

If you don't like that one, then how's about sending them a registered letter? And then put smiley faces on the note paper :lol:

 

[Miniv]

If the kids are going to be gone and don't need the water.......cut it off! :xbud:

Be sure that your daughter shuts down the water heater before she leaves, though!

MA

 

[Reble]

Just got a call back from the so called electritian guy their son, that put in the metre.

He will take out a permit put tells me I will be billed.

Nasty nasty nasty, kept calling me a screwed up B++++ch and honey.

He has cut the wires and attached the metre and now, have no power for the water without this metre is my understanding.

One minute says he will remove the metre, next minute says no. I am just sick to my stomach.

These are young guys with no respect. I just cannot believe what I have got myself into.

He says it is hooked up right, because he is a licience electritian and he can get a permit on line anytime.

Well I told him, I would like it removed and get Ontario Hydro to install one.

His wife is in the back ground saying nasty things and never to call her home again.

So I told him, since he is the electrician and if something does go wrong with this or anything else now because of his installation, and I am not allowed to call. Please remove this by the weekend.

He yelled the h=ll with you and hung up.

We have tried a letter from the lawyer. They are just not going to pay.

sorry just have to vent, my stomach is turning.

 

[Miniv]

Stop being so NICE! Call the Hydro people and get it done. Just don't give the NON PAYERS the power!

Period! (I know easy for us to say, right.)

MA

 

[mountain_waif]

....

 

[Marty]

Take pictures and I'd be checking to see if he has a valid electrician's license to do this.

 

[Jill]

As someone who KNOWS what it is like to live without running water, OMG, I would not have a single problem paying $120 a year to get running water into my house!!!

In September 2002, our well went dry about the same time tons of others in our state did due to a drought. The contractors had huge waiting lists. As it turned out, we had no running water until January 6, 2003! We hauled water for over 3mos for us, the horses, and the dogs...

If there is a way to shut off the water to those who don't share the cost of providing it, I bet they'd pay up and fast.

And, as you surely know, there are more horse's a**es in the world than there are horses.

 

[Reble]

A friend emailed me, and gave me this advice. Think I might just try it. Ask similar to this before.

She advice me to tell them to put the metre and have the electricity attached to their home, and we will pay them $10.00 a month without hazzle. I do believe this is fair, since they only want to pay less than $2.00 a month.

We did ask them to put the electricity line, before this metre on their property, and they just said no, we will put on a metre.

The Electrician told me over the phone Monday he would go on line and get a permit. Called where he is to get the permit, and lady told me if was done, Monday or Tuesday on line, should be recorded at their office by now.

Of course Nothing yet. Why Why Why.

:

 

[Annetta]

As someone who KNOWS what it is like to live without running water, OMG, I would not have a single problem paying $120 a year to get running water into my house!!!

I wouldn't either, unless I figured that I was paying $120 for something that was costing the other person only $25 a year. Sorry, I can sure see the others guys' point of view on this.