Huge electricity bill for tenant who’s in the dark
Her problems started in September 2016, she said, when an electrician came to fix a security light outside her house.
SINDI Mthethwa, who has been living at Turf Lodge, Turffontein, for 11 years, is not happy with the service and treatment from the managing agents of the property, Dan Viljoen Estates.
She accuses the managing agents of being non-responsive, rude and arrogant for undermining her complaints, wrongfully billing her and making her responsible for numerous security lights on the property.
Her problems started in September 2016, she said, when an electrician came to fix a security light outside her house and realised she had in fact been paying an excessive amount of electricity.
According to the electrician, about seven plots were using her electricity for seven different security lights.
“I had been paying around R1 700 for electricity. When an electrician, sent by the managing agents, came to fix a security light, I discovered that I was short-changed as I had been paying for other tenants. I also got a second opinion from another electrician and, unfortunately, it was true.
“The electrician and I went to Dan Viljoen Estates to explain the problem, however their attitude and unwillingness to help was overwhelming. We were told that this matter will be referred to the trustees and that was the last time I heard from them,” explained Sindi.
“I went to them on numerous occasions to seek an understanding of the problem and to be compensated for my loss, but the rudeness of those people humbled me. They undermined me and made me speak to a helpless woman who seemed to have been making tea. She could not assist me in anyway. They have been billing me for many holiday periods when I was away with my family because of their unfair connections. They do not even see anything wrong with sending me a bill for electricity, specifying monthly usage, when they have already cut my power. So, tell me, how could I receive such specific bills if I’m in the dark because they already cut my electricity off – and threatened to report me and have my house repossessed?”
Sindi explained that her electricity has been off since October, last year. She vowed not to pay until this problem is fixed. “I received a call from Dan Viljoen Estates to say I owe them money. They said I must pay or else they will repossess my house, which is in my husband and my names. To make things worse, they disconnected my lights in October, last year, yet last Friday, January 20, I received my December statement with an electricity amount included. How is it possible when I am in the dark?” she asked.
Dan Viljoen Estates responsed to the complaint:
Dan Viljoen Estates is the managing agent of the body corporate. The managing agent acts per instruction received from the trustees.
When the client raised the issue of the common property lights being connected to her unit, we immediately notified the trustees who, in turn, gave permission for an electrician to attend to the problem.
There was a delay in having the problem resolved as the client refused to allow the electrician access to the unit. The electrician sorted the problem out in October 2016.
We did a reconciliation of the client’s electricity usage, going back one year prior to the time that the common property lights were connected to her unit. The reconciliation shows that prior to the common property lights being connected to unit 10, the electricity consumed was greater, on average.
We informed the trustees that in view of this we could not advise on an appropriate electricity credit. We suggested that the trustees authorise the installation of a common property electricity sub-meter and, in so doing, work out a credit based on the monthly electricity usage .
We are awaiting the trustee’s decision.
If the client looks at the February 2017 levy statement, she will see that the statement reflects an electricity credit.
The client was contacted and informed that the body corporate needs funds to pay the municipal account and that she needed to pay the R10 834.26 owing. The client responded that we can do what we like as she was not going to pay.
In a multi-complex building one person not paying services affects the whole as the municipality disconnects the building’s bulk supply and all residents are without either electricity or water or both.
We anticipate that this resolves any misunderstanding.
For and on behalf of Turf Lodge Body Corporate
Liz Lavers, Sectional Title Department, and Jay Panaino
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