HELLO AGAIN!
So my story has ended - but I felt the need to log on and write yet another update to anyone who remembers any of my rather unpopular posts about my electric bill. Hi. For anyone who isn't about to click any of those links up top, I'll run you through my issue real quick. I live in a condo with my husband. The first two months being here were fine - it's an older building but had been vacant for a complete remodel before we moved in. First tenants in the actual building itself, we're pretty sure. More start moving in, we notice our electric bill skyrocket. Our bills went from $82 a month in the 90 degree temps of August to $230-279 a month. I called the electric provider more times than either of us could count but they stood their ground that there was nothing wrong on their end. Someone, after 8 months of dealing with this, finally said it looks like I'm paying for another area and to ask my landlord to bring an electrician out. I did just that (finally) and the electrician was able to admit that we were in fact paying for more than our own electric. My last post was asking advice as to what my next move should be. You guys answered, I did some research and here is the outcome:
In my latest update, I was relieved to find out that an electrician hired by our building did in fact notice we were paying for our own unit's electric (he said) in addition to either another tenant's or the common area (he wasn't able to specify for us). The property manager accompanied the electron to my unit and also admitted the wrong doing. He said we would hear from him within 5 days to decide how we were going to fix this issue. My husband and I waited a week, two weeks and finally started emailing and calling - all of which went ignored. On day 18, I sent an email to the manager asking him to please update me on the status of this. He responded immediately, letting me know the landlord is sorry and is willing to reimburse me $130 ("that's more than half of the high bill last month") to correct the issue. I responded and said it was insulting that they thought $130 would make this go away when they were aware we'd been dealing with this since we moved in.
I contacted the electric company. They opened a foreign load case against my landlord and the building - stating on the phone that they were so glad an electrician found what they did and that it's so illegal to have a tenant paying for electric other than their own. I called the Illinois Commerce Commission thanks to another Redditor's advice, they also opened a foreign load case with the building and assigned me a case manager. Next, I contacted 6 tenant/landlord lawyers for free consultations. Most were helpful, one was heaven sent. She took notes and said she'd email me the following morning. So, I email the manager again. I let them know that we are asking for full reimbursement because I had been reading and it seems that under the Rental Property Utility Service's Act, we were entitled to full reimbursement on all bills until the issue is resolved properly in terms of fixing the wiring. They responded in such a patronizing way, telling me how well thought out my email was, that I gave it a good try but that it was all over the place, and that they absolutely were not reimbursing us for this issue entirely, no way in hell.
Lo and behold, my lawyer emails me the following morning just like she said she would. She wanted to let me know that she found out not only did my building fail both electrical inspections by the city's building inspector before anyone moved in, but that my building had actually had their electrical permit pulled and suspended and had never passed a final inspection. Ever. With this being the case, if they wanted to take this to court, they now were not only liable for full reimbursement but 3x the amount because it's deemed as "willfully done". Since their last email mocked my "attempt at researching the laws" against them in such a condescending way, I couldn't wait to send over this info.
I did just that. I typed out an email ya'll would be proud to read - or at least I was way too proud to send. I started with stating that I was aware this building had the permit pulled. I was aware that it never passed that final inspection. I was aware under the law I previously cited, I was entitled to full reimbursement. This was their last chance to credit the $1600 to my rental account or they would be speaking to my lawyer *insert her name* from here on out - because in court, I'd be receiving triple. They emailed me back a couple of hours later, obviously fuming and making snide comments before ending the email with "the amount has been credited in full to your account". I reminded that that I am not stopping either foreign load case I've started because this issue obviously needs to be corrected (so it doesn't continue to fucking happen next month and the one after that, so on and so forth) and he answered saying he would have an electrician out here June 20 (today, yay!) to have a look and let me know the outcome. Great, I absolutely will not be taking the word of an electrician you hired to do this inspection so you can have them say it's fine and avoid rewiring this building properly.
All in all - I did my research as best as I could, I talked to all resources that Redditors suggested and here I am coming out on the up and up. This never happens to me and I'm usually the laid back one who doesn't put up a fight but this felt so good to figure out I wasn't wrong. Thanks Reddit, that's all.
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PS - for anyone asking why we didn't just go to court knowing we would get triple, the cost of hiring the lawyer here in Chicago, paying court fees, investing the time, etc. just isn't realistic for us at the moment. We just wanted the bills paid and the issue fixed without having to go through all of that if they were going to cooperate. In the event that they try avoiding fixing the wiring, yes, I will be calling that lawyer back and we will be seeing it through.
June 20, 2018 at 10:46AM
