BIG ooop's

[the6shooter]

hey guy's, have a question, I was out mowing on a utilities ditch, walked the ditch, everything looked clear found water meter ,phone, no gas meter.
ok started mowing and lo and behold a gas pipe 1/2 inch pipe sticking up 8 inches high. called fire department the came out put a plug in the pipe, 2 hrs later, gas company shows up, and said wow this line should have been killed off. the scan the area and kill the line off across the street. and said it was thier falt. the man said that when the have a building that is total electric, we kill the line and remove the pipe. well thay didn't. now I am going to get a bill for them caping the line across the street. Insureance isn't a broblem but since they said it was their falt, souldn't it be their problem ???
tanks david

 

[Don R.]

I would demand that they show me how I'm responisble. Here in Texas the utilities are in hot water because they have not taken care of their responsibilities.

Tell them to charge it to the dust and let the rain setttle it.

 

[ccsial]

You didn't mention what damage, if any, occured to your tractor. If your total electric what will they do, shut off your gas? I'd fight it and talk to the highest person I could reach since they admitted it was their fault. Never hurts to try.

 

[garth466]

DId you say the fire department capped it? Do they bill out for their services? I'm a firefighter and I know we don't. Sounds like a good idea though. Maybe the idiots that are 80% of our calls would call someone besides 911 if they knew they were going to be billed. That way we would be able to get to real calls faster.

Oh, who am I kidding? That 80% would still call and the bill would be sent to the state. Tax payers rarely call us anyway, even if they should.

 

[TedLaRue]

Call your Public Service Commission (PSC) and complain. That's a state agency that governs public utilities. I complained to them once, as did my brother-in-law, and we both had quick and positive responses. I can't imagine how a hidden but vulnerable live gas line in the middle of nowhere would be "legal". I think you have an excellent chance of voiding the bill without using a lawyer. Don't let yourself be bullied.

Don't pay that bill until you've exhausted all possibilities.

 

[the6shooter]

Sorry guy's I didn't say: the tractor and mower are fine, no fires the blade just clipped the tip of the gas line. Lucky for me there wasn't a spark. Yes I did call 911, I had the address. the fire department just installed a compression plug in the end of the pipe. then the gas company killed the line from across the street. when it happend I heard a hiss, and looked back and seen the tip of the pipe. All I could think about was getting into high gear and hauling a**
thanks, david

 

[the6shooter]

ccsial, the place was at a grain storage lot, the previous building had gas, the new building is total elec. the gas company was supposed o kill the line when they took the meeter out. and anything abouve ground was _supposed_ to be removed.
thanks david

 

[Double Orange]

First, the main thing is nobody got hurt! Did they say they where going to bill you? Or are you assumming they are going to bill you? I'd be really surprised if they did bill you. You may have actually saved someone life. ie county roads maintainence grass cutter. If you get a bill have your homeowners ins. blow them off.
Now go spend some quality time with your tractor, you could've lost her today!!

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I'm dealing with a gas and electric company right now over a gas line that was hit by a backhoe on one of our jobs. We called BUD (before U dig) and had "all" the utilities marked. Gas line was located. It was shown several feet from where it was hit. Come to find out, the line was hit once before, and a new line was run parallel to the old one, then the old line was abandon. The OLD LINE was the one marked. We hit the new one.

Law says, (in our case) we're NOT RESPONSIBLE if we notified BUD, had lines marked, and hit something elswhere. BUD (subcontractor) is liable. If we didn't have lines marked and hit them, we're responsible. In any event, gas company takes NO responsibility. BUD claims they marked everything shown on site map. Gas company claims no responsibility. We claim we dug where we were told no line existed. Our insurance carrier claims we did what was required, so they don't owe anyone anything.

In the end, gas company wants to bill SOMEONE. BUD won't pay (yet) and we hit the line. Enter the lawyers.

6" plastic main. Break required shutting off gas to several homes and 3 business's. One business is a ceramics shop w/ gas fired kiln. Break shut them down for 24 hrs. They want their cut too.

Good luck. You're dealing with a public utility that has legal and financial resources that'll let them be a real thorn in your side. Right or wrong, they can wear you out. First thing, find out how much the bill is. It may be the simplest thing to just pay and forget, even if it is "their fault".

 

[jsborn]

Farmwithyjunk,

The key to it is as you say if you had not called it would be yours but since you did follow the requirements you have a good chance of winning.

As for the lawers we would not need them if everyone did what is right. BUD should pay up and I am sure in most cases they would here. I know we miss locate powerlines sometimes and when we do and they get cut we just fix them. and when we dig after other utilites have been located if we cut somthing miss located we refuse to pay.

Good luck and stick to your ground you are right.