 Transfer of Utilities (by Maria [GA]) Jan 20, 2011 12:44 PM
 Transfer of Utilities (by gevans [SC]) Jan 20, 2011 12:54 PM
Transfer of Utilities (by Anon [PA]) Jan 20, 2011 1:34 PM
Transfer of Utilities (by echo [GA]) Jan 20, 2011 1:36 PM
Transfer of Utilities (by Ernie Riddle [GA] [IN]) Jan 20, 2011 2:49 PM
Transfer of Utilities (by Reid [KS]) Jan 20, 2011 4:02 PM
Transfer of Utilities (by Mike45 [NV]) Jan 20, 2011 6:34 PM
Transfer of Utilities (by Treese [CT]) Jan 20, 2011 6:38 PM
Transfer of Utilities (by gevans [SC]) Jan 20, 2011 7:01 PM
Transfer of Utilities (by frank [KS]) Jan 21, 2011 3:31 AM
Transfer of Utilities (by Maria [GA]) Jan 21, 2011 5:20 AM
Transfer of Utilities (by Ernie Riddle [GA] [IN]) Jan 21, 2011 6:29 AM
Transfer of Utilities (by Maria [GA]) Jan 21, 2011 6:31 AM
Transfer of Utilities (by Echo [GA]) Jan 21, 2011 7:10 AM
Transfer of Utilities (by billy [MA]) Jan 22, 2011 6:57 AM
Transfer of Utilities (by Maria [GA]) Posted on: Jan 20, 2011 12:44 PM
Message:
Tenant moved in on October 1, 2010. No utilites included in the rent as stated in the lease. I have an agreement with the power company to have the power turned on in my name upon any tenant move-out. I trusted the new tenant would have the utilities turned on in his name. I got a $256 bill from the power company stating the account is past due 3 months (since October 1st). I have left messages for my tenant, no return call. I requested a disconnect tomorrow. I am leaving a letter on his door demanding payment right away and letting him know about the disconnection. I also put in the letter that I am willing to work with him. Is there anything else I should do to cover myself and what SHOULD I do next? --209.49.xxx.xx |
Transfer of Utilities (by gevans [SC]) Posted on: Jan 20, 2011 12:54 PM
Message:
You need to read the GA LL/tenant laws.
LL/tenant laws vary from state to state, but you can be pretty sure of the following:
1. You are not allowed to turn off the tenant's electricity. In a courtroom it would be seen as retaliation and/or "self help eviction". Either way, bad for you.
2. Here in SC, I refuse the automatic transfer. Why? Because the utility will NOT notify the LL when the tenant shuts off the power (and therefore has it transferred back into your name).
3. I have plainly spelled out in the lease that all utilities are the tenant's responsibility. Make em initial that paragraph (along with a few others).
4. I usually already have the power on when a tenant signs a lease. I tell them I will have the power turned off the day they move in, but if they get it transferred to their name BEFORE it's turned off, they save the $40 turn on fee. Then... I have the power turned off before they move in. ALWAYS.
You need to contact your tenant IMMEDIATELY. --141.129.x.xx |
Transfer of Utilities (by Anon [PA]) Posted on: Jan 20, 2011 1:34 PM
Message:
That is why I tell the tenant(s)at the time of signing the lease that to get the keys the utilities must be transferred to their name(s). I also call the power company that morning to make sure it is transferred in their name. --128.91.xxx.xxx |
Transfer of Utilities (by echo [GA]) Posted on: Jan 20, 2011 1:36 PM
Message:
You may get into trouble turning thier electric off now as Gevans stated above. If you do have it cut off, then have the power company turn it off for non payment, make sure they note that. You can deal with paying them back later.
I do the automatic transfer but I also check up on it all the time. I check the day after they move in and if it isnt on in their name I shut it off, this is adressed in my lease.
Contact the tenant , they know they did this, do you have enough SD to cover this power bill? Serve eviction as a lease volation. --98.94.xx.xxx |
Transfer of Utilities (by Ernie Riddle [GA] [IN]) Posted on: Jan 20, 2011 2:49 PM
Message:
If you as landlord were providing utilities per your rental agreement, then you would face potential problems if you had the utilities turned off. Your situation is different.
The responsibility for utilities is agreed to by the tenant per your rental agreement. Therefore you may terminate service in your name without recourse.
Your tenant may have actually applied for service and the utility may not switch the service over into the tenant's name until you give the cut off order.
I would suggest having service terminated in your name on a Monday. This gives the tenant plenty of time to get them turned on in their name.
When I rent a unit, I advise that I will have utilities cut off in my name on the first Wednesday after the unit is rented. Then I call the utilities and give the order.
--216.252.x.xx |
Transfer of Utilities (by Reid [KS]) Posted on: Jan 20, 2011 4:02 PM
Message:
You paid an expensive price to learn this lesson , "don't trust tenants to do anything " --99.151.xx.xx |
Transfer of Utilities (by Mike45 [NV]) Posted on: Jan 20, 2011 6:34 PM
Message:
Even though your lease says that the Tenant is responsible for the utilities, you, by providing the power for the last several months ARGUABLY modified the lease by your conduct, in which case your turning the power off would be an illegal self-help eviction.
I don't turn power off before the Tenant moves in. I don't want to give myself that headache. I wouldn't do the turn-off until I have money in hand, just in case there is a last minute back-out. But as soon as I have the money in hand, the Tenant wants to move in. So when would I do the turn-off?
My lease provides that power/water/gas are presaently on, that Tenant agrees to move all utilties into T's name within 2 days, and that LL will turn all utilties in LL's name off in not less that 2 days and no more than 5 days. I have the T initial this provision. This way, my turning off the utilties on day 3 or 4 or 5 is NOT an eviction, but is simply in accordance with the lease. I then call the utilities and order the turn-off without any rush.
--216.240.xx.xxx |
Transfer of Utilities (by Treese [CT]) Posted on: Jan 20, 2011 6:38 PM
Message:
My gas and electric providers keep trying to get me to sign up for an agreement like yours. I refuse.
If I want the utilities for a rental in my name, then I will call and set it up as needed.
Most times the utilities transfer from the ex tenant to the new tenant without going into my name. I like it this way.
On those occasions that there is a lapse between tenants, I will put the utilities in my name, however, I call in a shut off order for the day before the new tenants take possession.
The new tenants are told to have the utility accounts set up and ready to transfer the day before they take possession. This way, if the tenant forgets to set it up, they have a rental with no utilities.
--76.231.xx.xx |
Transfer of Utilities (by gevans [SC]) Posted on: Jan 20, 2011 7:01 PM
Message:
If the power has been in your name all along, who has been getting the bills???
Unless the rental is your former residence, they would be sending the bills to YOUR home address.
Am I missing something? --74.222.xx.xx |
Transfer of Utilities (by frank [KS]) Posted on: Jan 21, 2011 3:31 AM
Message:
Maria,
After signing the lease, we have the tenants call the utility companies and get it transferred into their name. The gas/lights/water/trash co. will give them an authorization number. They call us with that number. We call and verify that change is made and the date it is made. Then we call the tenant and meet one more time and give them the keys.
Hopefully some day this can be done online. Not yet, at least not here. --174.70.xxx.xx |
Transfer of Utilities (by Maria [GA]) Posted on: Jan 21, 2011 5:20 AM
Message:
Update - my tenant finally called last night after I posted a letter on his door. He is meeting me today to give me payment for the entire bill which he states he thought was turned on in his name already. The bill never got to me because when I made the agreement with the power company almost 3 years ago, I was living at a different location. Somehow this final bill was forwarded to me and not the others. I am going ahead with the disconnection notice today and my tenant is very understanding of this. This has been a lesson learned. --209.49.xxx.xx |
Transfer of Utilities (by Ernie Riddle [GA] [IN]) Posted on: Jan 21, 2011 6:29 AM
Message:
This reminds me of a similar situation that I was in several years ago. The utility (I think was Austell Gas or Georgia Power) advised that they had a pending turn on but could not do the cut over until I did the cutoff order. --216.252.x.xx |
Transfer of Utilities (by Maria [GA]) Posted on: Jan 21, 2011 6:31 AM
Message:
WOW. I am dealing with GA Power. --209.49.xxx.xx |
Transfer of Utilities (by Echo [GA]) Posted on: Jan 21, 2011 7:10 AM
Message:
All my rentals are Ga power. --98.94.xx.xxx |
Transfer of Utilities (by billy [MA]) Posted on: Jan 22, 2011 6:57 AM
Message:
never give them keys before u have all upfront money and u know its good and u are sure tennie turned utilities to their name if they have to pay utilities. u will have to tell them now u must put utilities in your name and pay me for amount used or i will evict. --173.14.xxx.xxx |
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