Can a utility company turn off power at a new address based on an overdue account at an old address?
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Can a utility company turn off power at a new address based on an overdue account at an old address?
This a commercial account for a retail store. We owed $480 but we made a payment last week of $100 however they have informed us that they are turning off the power at the new location on Monday.
Asked on August 14, 2010 under Business Law, Massachusetts
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
If you have a commercial account and they are tied to the same account but just a different address, then yes the utility company can turn off the power until a payment (full or significant) is paid. Further, commercial tenants do not have the same protections as residential tenants so the issue really becomes one of whether these are two separate accounts. If they are two separate accounts, the utility company should not have allowed your company to open the second without getting full recourse concerning the first account. Consider speaking with a manager and getting an opportunity to pay it off in increments, maybe partially as part of the new account.
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