Somewhere between 1 to 3% of home owners in my neighborhood have received outrageous water or power bills from the Utility Company, owned by the City of Los Angeles. The owners consumption hasn't risen, but instead the accounting process added double or triple costs to the billing.

When one of my Vacant Single Family Homes, with only a 14 watt LED light bulb and a automatic sprinkler system watering a portion of the front lawn, registered a $420 charge for power over a 60 day period and $900 in water and sewer charges, I had to check things out.

As a licensed Contractor with Plumbing, Electrical and other Trades, it was easy to determine I had no leaks and no-one was stealing power. So I called the Utility Company and THEY REFUSED TO ADJUST MY BILL, COME OUT AND RE-READ MY USAGE METERS OR WRITE A TROUBLE REPORT. Not their problem anymore!

For months no one in any government office would help or direct me to the proper person to review my issues. When I went to see a supervisor at the Corporate Headquarters of the Department of Water and Power, Security ushered me outside.

The City was in no position to make any audits or adjustment to any bill. My real estate developer friend got a $14,000 water bill for his vacant lot, having no water service at that property, ever! This was fraud.

So as a plumber, developer and emergency operator, I got licensed to carry a portable water meter and can attach to any fire hydrant in the city, so long as I pull a permit and have my portable meter read within 7 days, then paying the usage within a 30 day period.

So two of my rentals have a City Fire Hydrant in front or next door to a hydrant.I hooked up my portable meter,chaining to the Hydrant,, and ran a 1-1/2 inch hose to the building front full port ball valve hose spigot. Then turned off the incoming water main from my City meter located in my front lawn's water closet.

Within 3 days the City Meter Reader Flagged my "Illegal" connection. The next day the Police, A Department of Water and Power Supervisor came and video recorded my water hook-up. The fire Department also showed up ready to disconnect me. However, I had also installed a Tee Connection so the City Fire Department could connect to the Hydrant without disconnecting meter.

The City Attorney contacted me by phone. A warrant was going to be issued and I would be arrested unless I paid a $5,000 fine and disconnected my use of City Water thru a Fire Hydrant.

I told the City Attorney's staff that for many months I tried to get help because I was being charged for Water and Power that I never consumed and the City was now screwing everyone over "their need for money" without providing the services they are charging for.

Over a Scheduled Phone Court Hearing I explained to the Judge (Hearing Officer) that when the City makes mistakes costing property owners for service never received, the City does nothing to resolve things.

...and....

How was the Hearing decided?

Just another day in the life of RJ from CA.

Just another day in the life of RJ from CA.

Amazing that 911 in LA can not send an officer to help someone during an emergency but the police department, with about 8,550 sworn officers and 3,000 civilian staff, can always show up to deal with one man's shenanigans.