I did an inspection back on the `13th of June for a first time home buyer, older home, not so great neighborhood. They closed this Friday July 2nd and started to move in within a couple of hours of signing the papers, yada yada yada…
I get a call this about an hour ago from the client, and as soon as I answer the phone, I hear “WHERE THE F@*# IS MY GAS METER??? I know it was there when you did the inspection cause I saw the picture in the report, but what happened to it???”
After she asked me a few more questions, and I explained to her that the transferring of utilities does not entail removal of the meter and it is usually just a reading. If the utility company deemed the meter needed to be replaced, they would notify the customer and schedule a time to do the swap. Usually takes about an hour or so… So by this point she had sent me a picture of where the meter “was”. I told her to contact the gas company immediately because the shutoff valve could be leaking and pose a fire hazard.
I swear I’ve come across some dense RE agents that are suppose to “assist” in a smooth transition for their clients and have no clue or “forget” to educate on how to transition utilities. FSBO’s are even worse.
Here, if the gas utility determines something is unsafe inside the house, they can pull the meter and not just lock it. Why? because ingenious homeowners have been known to remove the lock and turn the gas on.
Call the utility company and ask why it was removed, nobody stole it
Looks like a bolt was used on the valve. Typically the local gas company will only remove a meter if it is getting replaced and not to shut off service. I was laughing so much afterwards I didn’t look at the pic they sent me very hard…
I have NO idea. The only found out about because the young lady went to take her first shower in their “new” home and had no hot water. The only number they could call today would be the 24 hour emergency number anyway… Bummer.
Possibly…
One would think…
LOL. There was actually a report on the news this morning of people steeling gas and electric meters in the Denver area (about 60 +/- miles south of here). Just like catalytic converters on cars. Hot commodity I guess… LOL. It is speculation at this point… Regardless, still kinda funny…
I don’t know how you would scrap it. Around here, when you go to the scrapyard, you need to have positive ID, and they will not take scrap metal from utility Co. you would get busted.
Are used to see this a lot in Chicago. The gas company would lock out a meter and take the meter. The tenant would go steal a meter off of a construction site and install it in their house. Free gas.
Me neither, seems to me it would be too much hassle to tear it down and take the misc parts to different salvage yards as a way to hide it. Otherwise, it would be like taking it straight to the cops yourself. LOL.
