Renting Hose - Power Problems builders elec

Hi Guys

Found this site and I must say its fantastic. I am hoping you can help me with a problem that is worrying me (sorry if I hve posted tis in the wrong bit).

I rent a house at the moment. I have a full 5 year legitimate contract and the property is on a new development.  The property is supplied with builders electricity and water at the moment.

Unfortunately it would appear the construction firm are in trouble and I believe they are in administration.

During the gale force winds yesterday a communial TV areal blew over onto the mains electricity cables running overhead through all of the gardens (temporary electricity masts).  This, coupled with the high winds has almost taken over our pilon (in fact it is now about 70% leaning over).  The power is on BUT the overhead cable in our garden is literally at head height and the TV mast is resting on the cables and swaying everywhere.

I have emailed the landlady who kindly sent an electrician.  He cut some wires in the box outside, realised he cut us off, joined them again and restored power (useful I know!).  He then left saying he couldnt touch the mains mast or remove the offencing 20ft areal mast for safety.  The landlady has emailed the builders but as they have gone bust I dont feel this will get us very far.  We need the dangerous areal mast removing and the electricity pilon making upright again and probably concreting in.

My questions are as follows:

• What happens if we loose power (does the landlady have any obligation to get it restored)?
• The clear danger above us - who can we get to come and sort this if the landlady doesnt (and can we charge her)?
• Do I have rights to demand FAST action?
• Long term with the builder gone (and the property still not even registered for post) are we likely to loose power and water and if so what are our rights?

The owners of the hosue next door (a spanish family) only use the property for about one weekend a month and other than that we are the only people living in this part of the development.  We are up a mountain and my partner has vital medical equipment that needs to be connected at night.

We have a generator that I bought for emergencies but this is noisey, expensive to run and will only power small amounts - not at all useful for heat, light, cooking and living etc.

I don't want to loose this hosue, it is lovely and the garden is the perfect size for my three dogs but I really need action and need it very fast because with Christmas round the corner we cant be left without power.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Steve

Hi...

Difficult one but I think you will find that the supply into your meter box is the responsibility of the company that supplies your electricity eg Endesa or Iberdrola, whoever sends you a bill each month; there should be a customer service contact number on your bill. You need to stress to the supply company that the overhead cable is a severe health hazard. If you cant get any joy from them you should report the matter to your local Town Hall.

Just a point for the future; the builders supply that you currently have is, by law, a three year maximum contract and at the end of that period the contract will expire and unless your landlady sets up a new contract as a vivienda your supply could be cut off at some point during your tenancy.

This is exactly the situation we are currently trying to sort out; our builder (A Brit) walked off the job when we refused to pay him. He had quoted a price which we agreed and had paid in full; he then requested more cash to complete the job. Since not one room in the house was liveable we had little option but to pay up. The money we paid him was diverted onto another job and no further work was carried out on our property. He then came back to us and asked for yet more cash and when we refused he simply walked away, leaving us high and dry to complete the work ourselves.

Apart from the reform work, the original contract included obtaining the electricity bolletin and a certificate of first occupation. We were left on builders supply until a month ago when we had a call from Endesa advising that the obras contract for out electricity would expire at the end of November and that immediate action was required to set up a normal vivienda contract. We contacted an electrician who is licenced to issue a Bolletin, and he and a rep from Endesa visited the house to see what, if anything, was required before the bolletin could be issued.

The Bolletin is a prerequisite for setting up the new contract as is the Licence of First Occupation.

I contacted our local Town Hall re the licence and was advised that a) the original Planning Document authorising the planned work had not been paid for by our runaway builder and that b) an independent survey would be required before the Licence of First Occupation could be granted. The original bill was for 100 Euros but because it hadn't been paid it was subject to a 100% surcharge so I had to pay 200 euros into the local town hall account. The independent survey cost me another 250 Euros. I presented the survey report to the town hall this morning and was advised that the Licence would be sent to me in about a week.

The investigation by my electrician and Endesa revealed that since the original installation was carried out in 2006, additional work was required to comply with the latest laws concerning the supply of electricity. This additional work has cost me another 950 Euros... and we still run the risk of having our electricity cut off because of the delay in issuing the Licence.

The way things stand at the moment our chosen electrician is setting up the new contract with Endesa on our behalf and has been pretty much on the ball; he has a good reputation in our area.

Clearly at this time of year the last thing we need is for our Electricity to be cut off but it could still happen...

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Is the company under insolvency proceedings? If so, you need to contact the administrator but first thing to bear in mind is that if there is no First Occupation License in place, you are habitating the house illegaly.

Best,

Maria

HI guys

thanks for the replies

just to clarify the construction electricity is free of charge and we are not on the Iberdrola network here (the same with the water).

Does anyone know how I check the first occupancy licence?  We don;t get post and according to the friendly spanish postman we wont get post because the address we have for the property is invalid at the town hall!

cheers

steve