CC_Minutes_2010_0125 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Office of Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson 1400 Bremer Tower 445 Minnesota Street St. Paul, MN 55101 Attn: Consumer Complaints Division June 3, 2009 Dear Attorney General Swanson and Whomever It May Concern Within the Consumer Complaints Division, Since April of 2007 I've been in contact with numerous agencies attempting to rectify an unanticipated and rather expensive situation that occurred first in February of 2007, and again in February of 2009 when the sanitary sewer line coming into my home froze on City? (Roseville}; County? (Ramsey}; State? (Public Utilities/Water District) property and backed up into my home. The out-of-pocket cost for the first instance was $4,b50.60 in repair to the line; damages; inconvenience; and clean up of my home. This figure does not include the interest on my credit card, which I am sti11 paying off. The second (2009) came to $933.20, again unanticipated due to the repairs I'd paid for 2 years earlier. In bath instances it was extremely cold, and I was without running water (bath, dishes, laundry) and use of a toilet for a full week in 2007 and 48 hours in 2009 respectively before it was resolved. My total-out-of-pocket expe,~r~se now stands at $5,583.80, not including credit cazd interest, cleaning supplies, outside meals, etc. During my investigation of the problem after the first occurrence it came to light the road in front of my home had been lowered sometime in the mid-nineties bringing the sewer line closer to the surface, subjecting it to the extreme cold and possibility of freezing. On the first occurrence Rota-Rooter told me the line hadn't been properly insulated when the roadbed was changed, and it would likely happen again, which it did almost two years later to the date. The City of Roseville told me it was a Water District issue; the Metro Water District told me it was a Ramsey County issue; Ramsey County told me it was a City of Roseville issue. C}n contacting the Mayor's office shortly after the second occurrence (letter attached), the City was out within 24 hours. I was told by the service company hired by the City that in 2(107 Rota-Rooter had clearly over-charged me and the cast should not have been more than $500 the first time, and clearly nat $900 the second. I'd previously contacted the MayorJCity in 2008 in an attempt to seek resolution of the 2007 incident {letter attached), but received no respopse. No one seems to claim responsibility, and I don't believe it to be something I've caused as I've only lived in the house since late 2003. I've enclosed several. documents sent to the various agencies in an attempt to rectify this situation. I'm handicapped and on a fixed income. This factor and the deterioration of the economy have made things quite difficult for me. At the time, I was also on an ARM, not fully grasping what would happen at the end of the term in December of 2008. Fortunately I was able to refinance/modify my mortgage beginning in January 2009, but only after extreme expense (coaxing out my credit cards sa I wouldn't default), and depletion of my savings. When the sewer froze in February of this year, it easily took rrie