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May 7, 2009
No utilities meters
I am buying a " As Is"
brownstone. There are no gas, or electric meters in the house.The gas line is in the basement The electrical wires (service) are there in the basement. No meters attached to either.Does a new residential customer have to buy those meters and pay for installation?If so , How much?
Comments
Make sure you have your attorney do a title search for liens. No meters may mean that the bills may have not been paid. Delinquent property tax and water/sewage charges can lead to the city placing liens against the property and lost thereof. Community Board 3 (Bed-Stuy) had a great neighborhood expo which had a workshop on the subject and it also was highlighted a couple of weeks ago in The Daily News which posted properties that had delinquencies. I too had the problem -- I had already brought my brownstone (no water meter). Had done a title search so there were no liens but back payment per my usage. I was actually urged by the water meter inspector to go to my councilman's office for help because of the possiblity of a lien, which I did and the office helped me get the problem resolved. I believe, I had to pay to have new meter installed.
Posted by: bedstuyliving at May 7, 2009 11:05 AM
If the house has been vacant, the meters may have been removed by the utilities for no other reason than non-use. When no service is being supplied, Con Ed and National Grid often require that owners pay a minimum monthly charge or have their meters removed. You can find more, including contact numbers, at:
http://www.coned.com/customercentral/
http://www2.nationalgridus.com/
Water: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/water_and_sewer_bills/wsbillfaq.shtml
If you have the building's block and lot number, you can check various payment histories for the property at: http://nycserv.nyc.gov/NYCServWeb/NYCSERVMain
Posted by: vinca at May 7, 2009 11:24 AM
You would need to hire a Licensed Plumber to take out a permit to test the existing gas lines and install a new meter bar and connect to the existing gas. Once that's done, National Grid will come and set a new meter for you. Has the house been vacant for a while? There may be a balance due to National Grid, but if you can prove when you purchased the house, they won't make you responsible for it.
Be prepared though....if you bought the house "as is", things may pop-up when taking out the permit that weren't installed legally (boiler, water heater, gas dryer, etc.)
Posted by: Brooklyn Plumber at May 7, 2009 2:51 PM
Actually what might be more important is what you haven't said. Do you have an electric meter "socket"? If you do, it is possible to have Con Ed simply pop a new meter in, free of charge and away you go. Likewise for the gas. Is there an existing meter bar that has simply been turned off and locked. A lot of aggravation can be avoided if this is the case.
I have heard through friends of friends that some plumbers will install an old meter bar where none existed. An old gas meter bar is worth a lot.
Posted by: mod squad at May 7, 2009 3:13 PM
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