Power outage in WEST VIRGINIA...
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This is an interesting one...
I am the landlord/owner of a garage apartment in WEST VIRGINIA. Several days ago, the power company was working on the lines on the street in front and screwed up by leaving loosely-tied lines alone while the crew went on lunch break.
The lines moved / fell (not sure), but they blew the transformer. It caught the tree in my front yard on fire along with several other yards of nearby houses. The power is completely out now at my rented apt. One of the neigbors commented they heard the crew talking and learned about 4,500 watts of power went into these houses all at once, one H of a surge!
The tenant is responsible for utility costs/payments including power. She cannot feasibly stay at the apt until power is restored and may have to go into a hotel.
1. Legally, who is responsible for her costs if she does? I as the landlord, or the power company, or her?
Are there liability limits (e.g. someone's only responsible for 30 days, or up to $500, etc.) Anythinig else to know about this situation?
2. Next question is about my expenses of blown appliances. I can't really check yet since there's no power, but per the blackened outlet I found in the apt where a night light had been blown out of the outlet and across the room (which luckily didn't cause a fire inside), I am figuring I will likely have lost one or more appliances.
Who is responsible for replacement costs if this is the case? My insurance or the power company?
Thanks for any advice!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an interesting one...
I am the landlord/owner of a garage apartment in WEST VIRGINIA. Several days ago, the power company was working on the lines on the street in front and screwed up by leaving loosely-tied lines alone while the crew went on lunch break.
The lines moved / fell (not sure), but they blew the transformer. It caught the tree in my front yard on fire along with several other yards of nearby houses. The power is completely out now at my rented apt. One of the neigbors commented they heard the crew talking and learned about 4,500 watts of power went into these houses all at once, one H of a surge!
The tenant is responsible for utility costs/payments including power. She cannot feasibly stay at the apt until power is restored and may have to go into a hotel.
1. Legally, who is responsible for her costs if she does? I as the landlord, or the power company, or her?
Are there liability limits (e.g. someone's only responsible for 30 days, or up to $500, etc.) Anythinig else to know about this situation?
2. Next question is about my expenses of blown appliances. I can't really check yet since there's no power, but per the blackened outlet I found in the apt where a night light had been blown out of the outlet and across the room (which luckily didn't cause a fire inside), I am figuring I will likely have lost one or more appliances.
Who is responsible for replacement costs if this is the case? My insurance or the power company?
Thanks for any advice!
