Gassed in Chattanooga
Posted in 
This is the scenario:
I have a home under contract and I represent the seller. The buyer has a home inspection performed and the inspector says there are 2 gas leaks. One on the gas pipe before it gets to the meter and one inside the house above the water heater.
Of course, we immediately contact the Chattanooga Gas Company (a subsidiary of Atlanta Gas and Light) and report a leak. The local tech is there quickly and finds no leaks but is unable to give anything in writing while in the field. He gives the seller an 800 number in Atlanta to call for the "verbal report".
I contact them and am told that they will not release a report on their findings to me or to the owner without a court order. What?!?!?! Over the next three days I speak with many different people at the gas company to no avail.
Finally I arrange to have the gas company, the inspector, the buyers agent and myself meet at the house yesterday morning. Surprise, surprise, there are 2 leaks right where the inspector said they were.
Now, my issue is what if the house exploded due to the gas leak that the gas company said wasn’t there the first time they went to investigate? I think this is why you can’t get anything in writing from them. They don’t want to own liability of their incompetance. If anything had happened, my guess is that the gas company would have denied they ever investigated a leak there. The public is in grave danger and are being lied to by the gas company!
What do we do as customers? I, personally, will never trust the gas company again. If I suspect a leak I’m calling a plumber.
