Jim sent a message to Scott M. Prochazka – President and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy – Email Address that said:
Sir,
I hope you can help me with a problem with one of your sub contractors. Here is a letter to him outlining the problem
Thank you for whatever you can do.
Jim
Paul,
Before I post this on the City of Houston Community website, Nextdoor.com I wanted to give you a chance to respond. I see it as the only way to make up the difference between what your instillation of new gas lines to my homes has cost me and what you are willing to pay. I plan on passing the hat at all the civic clubs I am invited to speak at. I may not get the entire difference but I will get some satisfaction.
Jim
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Neighbors, if CenterPoint Energy has installed new gas lines to homes in your neighborhood in the past several years please read this. I didn’t know this and it cost me $3,000 dollars. I am not selling anything just giving information for free.
The tunneling machine CenterPoint Energy’s contractor (M.J. Sheridan of Texas Inc.) used on houses in our neighborhood to install new gas lines broke holes in the sewer lines to several of the homes. The only reason we found out was because of the holes appearing in our yards over a year later. If you find a hole in your yard between the gas meter and the street or gas meter and the rear property line put your garden hose in it and turn it on. If it doesn’t fill with water within ten minutes you might have a broken sewer line.
At this point I called a plumber who found the new gas line passing through my broken sewer line. The plumber charged me over $3,000 to replace the sewer line. I have been told that I could have had it patched for about $1,200 but patched concrete sewer lines tend to block up over time, inspectors at Public Works Department told me. Another home had their sewer line patched and it hasn’t blocked up yet. Another one broken by the gas line contractor was on city property and the city repaired it.
CenterPoint’s contractor who did the work (M.J. Sheridan of Texas Inc.) has been very difficult to deal with. They refuse to reimburse me all that it cost me, even though I had receipts. They met and talked with the plumbers who did the repair, then called the plumbers liars. If there are any of you who have had the same problem please contact me. Maybe we can fight them together. I would be glad to speak to your civic association explaining this problem so that more people will know what to look for in each neighborhood where CenterPoint has installed new gas lines.
