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ceb58

ceb58

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Location
Raeford, NC
I had a call yesterday afternoon from a guy who stated " I need the box on the side of the house fixed so the poco will turn on the power". I told him I would come by today and take a look at what he needed. The house was built in the early 50's in a "carry your pistol" neighbor hood. I got there and found it had a 60amp meter base with what looked like #8 cloth se cable running up the side to a weather head. From the load side of meter the same type wire came out the bottom up the wall and through a hole in the corner trim to a 30-60 fuse panel on a screened in back porch. Mineral insulated wire coming out of the top going into house, min. ins. wire going down through floor under house had at some point been damaged and taped. most of the cloth was gone from dry rot.( why did I leave the camera at home?)

When I got home I had a message from a lady wanting to talk to me about the elect. work at the house she was renting. I called her and got the rest of the story. She had paid a deposit to rent this house, and the guy that called me was the owners uncle. I told her that if I were to install a new meter the rest of the elect. would need to be upgraded to pass inspection. I would also need to talk to the owner of the house to give him his options. She then wanted to know what it would cost. I told her that I could only discuss that with the owner because he was the only one that could legally approve any work.

The home is about 800sqft and the shape the house is in the amount I would charge to fix it would triple the value:D

Moral of the story for the new guys. If you get a call from people you do not know wanting work done make sure that they are the owners. If you do work on a home and it is being rented and the owner has not approved the work you are SCREWED.
 
Heck, I have had some renters call me asking to turn the power on.
With just a few questions . I find out they think they need a electrician to turn the power on. So they get the yellow book and call me.
I tell them of course they need to call the POco

Not that there is any thing wrong with renters. It's just that some people are naive about electricity.
 
buckofdurham said:
Heck, I have had some renters call me asking to turn the power on.
With just a few questions . I find out they think they need a electrician to turn the power on. So they get the yellow book and call me.
I tell them of course they need to call the POco

Not that there is any thing wrong with renters. It's just that some people are naive about electricity.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. I have people get upset with me because I install a new service and it's not hooked up. I tell them only the utility can do that. They seem to think I do that. I let them know that the local POCO, MidAmerican Energy, is "Obsessively, Relentlessly, At Your Service". Translation: "We'll get to it when we get to it".

Folks also seem to think I own the Power Company. Nope, I don't. Warren Buffet does. "I can't compete with his money, especially with what you're paying me, ma'am." "I don't have any 'inside track' with them. I'm just another paying customer, just like you."
 
ceb58 said:
.. in a "carry your pistol" neighbor hood.
........( why did I leave the camera at home?)
Click to expand...

I think you answered your own question:
You can't shoot people and pictures at the same time
:D


ceb58 said:
If you do work on a home and it is being rented and the owner has not approved the work you are SCREWED.
Click to expand...

Yup.
I have a link that I use to check who the owner of a house is...takes a few seconds and is well worth the price ~ FREE :cool:
 
frizbeedog said:
We're waiting.......:roll:
Click to expand...

...for what...a job in NJ? :D

Here it is anyway:
NJ Tax Records Search

Pick the county
Pick the city
Enter whatever info is available (Street; Block/Lot; Owner's name; etc)
** I enter as little data as possible **
Let the internet do it's magic :smile:

It can get a bit tricky when dealing with rental properties that are corporation owned (ie, 123 main St., LLC).
 
Fighting rental property owners is a hard thing to do, especially when they don't personally care about the risks at hand and the safety of their renters. I am not not a violent person, but when I hear,..."It's worked for this long,........." I'd like to grab them by their throats when they won't even fathom the charge of fixing the problem without cobb jobbing it!:mad: I know alot of you/some can walk away from it, but when there is an obvious problem at hand, it needs to be fixed, and if the owners don't want to pay, I feel they should be jailed or forced to sell.

I don't care if I get the bid, but I do care that the problem gets fixed:rolleyes: I have to sleep at night.
 
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