Here I am, college educated and a civic activist, at 48, and in more financial trouble than I ever could
have thought. I have had problems with JEA since 2001, when they did water and sewer pipe
replacement in my neighborhood. Back then, they flooded my house with raw sewage, and they left a
void where they dug that collapsed as I was putting out the garbage, in which I fell, hurting me. I had
an attorney who failed to file a lawsuit against them before statute of limitations ran out. They dug far
past the property line in my front yard, leaving a depression that is like a little lake when it rains, and
destroyed my front lawn with poor quality replacement grass.
But that was then, and this is now. Despite being disabled to a degree and only able to work maybe a 5
hour day before the pain destroys me when I used to be able to work all day long, which has made me
suffer financially, I hang on. Last thing about back then. I had a credit score of over 700 before I fell
into the JEA hole, and my credit went below 500 and I had to take a hard money 14% private lender
mortgage. You see, my wife is disabled. She spent 8 years with Blue Cross and 13 with Humana, who's
long term disability insurance provider, UNUM, you know, the company that 60 Minutes investigated
for claim denial fraud, failed to honor her disability claim, and it has been like pulling teeth to get
Social Security for her, despite her doctor confirming that she is disabled. So there is a heavy burden on
me, my wife being disabled and unable to work, and me being disabled but unable to stop working
because I have to keep money coming in, and my credit ruined from when I was injured and unable to
get a decent house note to use the equity I have, which seems to be fading fast.
So on to today, which starts a year and a third ago. Today my light are off and I am running on a
generator, and have been for a week. But finances were bad last year as well. I work for myself, so it is
feast or famine. Late in 07 I had a meter disconnect. I was working, but had to wait to get paid, and one
morning I was checking my email and heard something outside of my window, so pulled the curtain to
see a JEA field tech getting ready to pull the meter. I asked him to let me save then shut down the
computer and tv before he pulled out the meter, and he smirked and said "Just doin my job" as he
pulled it out.
My wife, just before this, let two small terriers out to go to the bathroom, and they came around the
corner and started barking at him. They were not even close to the size to be a threat to him, and told
him to just talk nice to them and I told them it was okay, but then he said "If they come near me I'll kill
'em" and swung some extendable stick thing at them, agitating them. I ran outside, and my son, who
was getting ready for school, was right behind me, heard him threaten to kill our dogs, and told him if
he hurt them he would hit him over the head with a shovel, and was highly upset hearing someone
threaten to kill his pets. I sent him inside, and told the JEA tech to leave. He had the water off and the
meter in his hands.
He was leaving calmly until I asked him who his supervisor was and told him I was calling the police,
because he tried to attack my dogs. It was at that point he said "I could tell the cops you tried to assault
me and send your ass to jail, so just shut up and forget it.
I quickly discovered he entered the back yard through the carport, past a No Trespassing sign, moved
a designer toilet to access the carport gate, and broke it in the process.
I had gotten that toilet, with stencils in the ceramic, as a Birthday present for my wife, and he broke it.
The city took a complaint on that and JEA did nothing about his actions, nor the police or the city.
Scibal was the city risk management agency at the time, and they lost the claim. I found the claim
number and recently had it re investigated, which was denied again.
So on to now. Last week, from being past due, I was shut off on a night it was to freeze. I used my
neighbors water and electric, but that is not allowed and JEA flagged my house, and when we asked
how much to restore service first it was $346. Then it jumped to $986 as of 2/26, on which date my
wife paid $300, leaving a $686 balance. Today we were approved for emergency cash assistance for
$503, but now we have to pay $890 to get restored, and they told the city relief worker, Victoria Cole,
that they would not take any less than the total balance, and we had to pay that before they would
accept the city voucher. She said she did not understand why they were acting that way and had never
seen it before.
When my wife went down to JEA and paid the $300, there was the supervisor of that field tech making
the arrangement with her, and he and the man from risk management told her all she needed was $686
and we'd be back on, but they changed that arrangement the next day, even though she asked if it was
okay to pay the balance next week.
Last year I paid JEA $3703 for utilities, and $400 this year on top of that $300. Also, and very
important, part of that balance owed is a $600 deposit, and I have recently owed JEA over $1,300 and
paid it down before.
We are property owners, and my wife has been in this house since she was in the 4th grade. I have been
here since 1995, and this is our home. It isn't like we are in an apartment. When my wife was down
there on the 26th she was told by Mike Liptrap that "we take it personally" concerning the
confrontation I had with the field tech, and he did me wrong, not I him. I guess he was having a
redneck day or something. They had no business mentioning that incident, or having his supervisor there,
or in changing the arrangement making it higher and treating us differently just because of a past incident. I
recently refiled the claim for the toilet, but they denied it again, requesting no further proof or even giving
it discussion.
The fact that Victoria Cole said she has never seen them treat anyone so badly and fail to work with
them speaks volumes, and the fact that $600 of the balance owed is related to deposit, and that I paid
$3,700 last year alone and have been right here for years says that they are treating my differently
because of what happened last year. I was also told recently that "we don't take kindly to people who
have problems with our field techs" by a supervisor over collections last month also says that they are
treating me harshly over that. When my wife was downtown talking to them they didn't mention that I
was hooked up to my neighbor, but were dwelling on the incident from last year, which has nothing to do
with today except they are taking vengeance because of that. It is improper of them to bring that up,
especially when they were in the wrong there.
So we are without power except for a generator, and I can't get to work or my son to school or my wife
do even laundry. we have no water other than what we carry in. And if everything was paid as they
asked they would still have a deposit of $400. They want me to pay the total $890 before they accept a
city voucher for $503, which we qualified for.
It is not for lack of trying that I am so far behind. It is hard on all contractors, but I am being treated
differently and JEA people have said improper things beyond even what was stated here.
Mrs. Cold said she never has seen them not work with them, and can't understand why.
I can;t afford it, but I will take a lie detector about this incident if anyone is willing to pay for it. Why
was Jarvis Bracy, the supervisor, even sitting in on a payment discussion with risk management, and
why was the arrangement changed several times?
My claim on the city was number 07-2018. I can provide anyone with the emails sent recently about
that claim, which was denied. I can also be reached at 619-8324.
I can't help it that I am disabled from falling into a JEA created hole, or that my wife is disabled and
was hospitalized quite a few times over the past year and just had a biopsy taken due to gastric
problems. I can't help it that the economy has stopped dead, but I am being singled out and persecuted
over an incident where JEA protects their own, right or wrong, and takes vengeance upon anyone they
have a problem with.
As as far as being civic minded. i am the person who fought the school board to save Normandy
Elementary, and is currently suing the schools to keep Wesconnett, an A school for 7 years running,
open, and is fighting to put 6th grade back into elementary schools, and is fighting to save Fire Station
Five downtown, and ran a school garden project at Ramona Elementary, and even ran for city council
last year.
JEA is full of their selves, and treating me differently because of something that has nothing to do with
the situation today. That is wrong.
