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Originally Posted by Argie's Wife
..snip..We later heard from some neighbors that the tanks were taken on a "repo" by Eastern because the previous home owners hadn't paid the bill! (We had paid for that propane in the closing on the house.).. snip...
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When i bought one of my houses in Moultonborough, it too had tanks filled by the previous owner. I recall I paid a nominal amount for the gas at closing, maybe $100. When I called the company on the tank (Suburban Propane - maybe Amerigas now) to inquire about switching the name on the account they would not answer any questions until I provided the address on the property - they were very insistent. I gave them the address, and they said an account rep would call with info about change of name, etc. No one called me back during the week. When I came back the following weekend, the tanks were disconnected and some sort of security plug was inserted in the tanks to prevent reconnection! Without any request or permission they trespassed on my property to disconnect this utility. As far as I was concerned that was my gas in that tank, but they didn't see it that way and wanted $75 fee to establish a new account in my name and let me have the gas i already paid for. I was furious - this was late October and i needed gas for heat and cooking... we were cold and ate take-out that weekend.
I was closing up for the season and gutting the cottage anyway, so I called the gas company back and told them that because of how i was treated, i was no longer going to use gas (i switched to electric during the remodel - its a seasonal camp) and to get their tanks off my property. Even though they were able to get from Laconia to Moultonboro at the speed of light to disconnect my utility, those tanks were still there in the spring after a dozen calls to ask that they be removed. "no truck available" or "you're on the schedule" were the favorite responses.
In May, I was close to putting them in my own truck and dumping them in their parking lot, but instead I had a lawyer friend send them a demand letter requiring removal in 10 days, or they will be billed for storage. That did it, and they were finally removed.
They repossesed gas that was already paid for, and disconnected a vital utility without notice. I have never seen a more extreme example of poor customer service and I will never deal with them again. At a different property (also in Moultonboro) I have Maine Gas (used to be Johnsons) and they seem to be fine. They were in-place when I bought the house and seamlessly switched the account over.
Thats my propane story...