Home buying thread

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Frenzied Wombat

Potato del Grande
14,730
31,802
So I closed on a new home August 15th, and moved in August 30th. Applied for city water service online the day I moved in, and got a receipt. Fast forward to this Tuesday evening-- I get home, check my mail, and I have a letter from the city stating that I never applied for water utilities, and to call their office asap to prevent my water from turning off. I call first thing Wednesday morning, and Lateesha tells me not a problem, there was an open water permit on my property that wasn't closed out, but that she's got me sorted now and the account is in my name and I should have no concerns about my water being turned off. So I get home after work and there's a tag on my door from the city of Dallas stating that my water has been turned off due to "no application". So after peeing in the yard with my dog and brushing my teeth with Evian, I call back the City this morning the minute they open. Shavron (not to be confused with Lateesha) says she has no record of my call the previous day and claims that they cannot activate service in my name because of a lawn sprinkler permit taken out by a contractor that was never closed. How the fuck they can issue a CO for a property that can't get water service (which I've had for the last 5 weeks in any case) they couldn't explain. How the fuck they can punish a homeowner for some LAWN SPRINKLER permit by withdrawing essential services with literally 10 hours notice is fucking criminal. Lady told me that the permit needs to be closed before they can activate service and transfers me to the permit office. Permit office says I need to speak with the dude who handles water related permits and transfers me to him, and I get his voicemail.. Like holy fucking fuck I am on the verge of going postal at Dallas city hall. I was literally begging the bitch on the phone "TELL ME WHERE I NEED TO BRING MONEY AND I WILL DO IT" as she responded in ebonics "Sir it's not a matter of money, we can't register you until the permit is closed". LIKE WHAT THE FUCKK?
 

Lanx

Oye Ve
<Prior Amod>
60,065
131,355
So I closed on a new home August 15th, and moved in August 30th. Applied for city water service online the day I moved in, and got a receipt. Fast forward to this Tuesday evening-- I get home, check my mail, and I have a letter from the city stating that I never applied for water utilities, and to call their office asap to prevent my water from turning off. I call first thing Wednesday morning, and Lateesha tells me not a problem, there was an open water permit on my property that wasn't closed out, but that she's got me sorted now and the account is in my name and I should have no concerns about my water being turned off. So I get home after work and there's a tag on my door from the city of Dallas stating that my water has been turned off due to "no application". So after peeing in the yard with my dog and brushing my teeth with Evian, I call back the City this morning the minute they open. Shavron (not to be confused with Lateesha) says she has no record of my call the previous day and claims that they cannot activate service in my name because of a lawn sprinkler permit taken out by a contractor that was never closed. How the fuck they can issue a CO for a property that can't get water service (which I've had for the last 5 weeks in any case) they couldn't explain. How the fuck they can punish a homeowner for some LAWN SPRINKLER permit by withdrawing essential services with literally 10 hours notice is fucking criminal. Lady told me that the permit needs to be closed before they can activate service and transfers me to the permit office. Permit office says I need to speak with the dude who handles water related permits and transfers me to him, and I get his voicemail.. Like holy fucking fuck I am on the verge of going postal at Dallas city hall. I was literally begging the bitch on the phone "TELL ME WHERE I NEED TO BRING MONEY AND I WILL DO IT" as she responded in ebonics "Sir it's not a matter of money, we can't register you until the permit is closed". LIKE WHAT THE FUCKK?
oh shit... i gotta pay my water bill
:shrug: was intended to be sarcasm. Didn't come across correctly :)
what you're gonna learn really fast is that us asians born in America(ABC's) have to quickly identify how others see us, even tho we(ABC's) don't give a shit.

for reference i'm a a banana, yellow on the outside, white on the inside.
 

Cad

<Bronze Donator>
24,487
45,377
So I closed on a new home August 15th, and moved in August 30th. Applied for city water service online the day I moved in, and got a receipt. Fast forward to this Tuesday evening-- I get home, check my mail, and I have a letter from the city stating that I never applied for water utilities, and to call their office asap to prevent my water from turning off. I call first thing Wednesday morning, and Lateesha tells me not a problem, there was an open water permit on my property that wasn't closed out, but that she's got me sorted now and the account is in my name and I should have no concerns about my water being turned off. So I get home after work and there's a tag on my door from the city of Dallas stating that my water has been turned off due to "no application". So after peeing in the yard with my dog and brushing my teeth with Evian, I call back the City this morning the minute they open. Shavron (not to be confused with Lateesha) says she has no record of my call the previous day and claims that they cannot activate service in my name because of a lawn sprinkler permit taken out by a contractor that was never closed. How the fuck they can issue a CO for a property that can't get water service (which I've had for the last 5 weeks in any case) they couldn't explain. How the fuck they can punish a homeowner for some LAWN SPRINKLER permit by withdrawing essential services with literally 10 hours notice is fucking criminal. Lady told me that the permit needs to be closed before they can activate service and transfers me to the permit office. Permit office says I need to speak with the dude who handles water related permits and transfers me to him, and I get his voicemail.. Like holy fucking fuck I am on the verge of going postal at Dallas city hall. I was literally begging the bitch on the phone "TELL ME WHERE I NEED TO BRING MONEY AND I WILL DO IT" as she responded in ebonics "Sir it's not a matter of money, we can't register you until the permit is closed". LIKE WHAT THE FUCKK?

City of Dallas... not even once
 
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Frenzied Wombat

Potato del Grande
14,730
31,802
City of Dallas... not even once

Dude I'm literally sitting here powerless with no recourse, waiting for some guy named "George" at the permit office to call me back. Worse, it takes 24 hrs to reactivate water service, and they don't do it on the weekend, which means unless that permit gets closed out today I won't have water until Monday. In-fucking-sane. Then to add insult to injury, I've had tiling contractors out at my place all week, and I now have to pay them for a half day of no work because they don't have a water supply for their saw and to mix grout. I'm about to fucking cry.
 

Vinen

God is dead
2,782
486
one paragraph

Wow... don't you love bureaucracy?
Dude I'm literally sitting here powerless with no recourse, waiting for some guy named "George" at the permit office to call me back. Worse, it takes 24 hrs to reactivate water service, and they don't do it on the weekend, which means unless that permit gets closed out today I won't have water until Monday. In-fucking-sane. Then to add insult to injury, I've had tiling contractors out at my place all week, and I now have to pay them for a half day of no work because they don't have a water supply for their saw and to mix grout. I'm about to fucking cry.

Cad Cad : Is this something that can be covered by certain forms of buyers Title coverage?
 

Cad

<Bronze Donator>
24,487
45,377
Cad Cad : Is this something that can be covered by certain forms of buyers Title coverage?

I don't think so, the title coverage would cover encumbrances to the chain of title... such as liens or easements. Having some douche that has a water permit open with the city has nothing to do with your title and is only a problem because the city workers and/or policies are fucking stupid.
 

Cad

<Bronze Donator>
24,487
45,377
Dude I'm literally sitting here powerless with no recourse, waiting for some guy named "George" at the permit office to call me back. Worse, it takes 24 hrs to reactivate water service, and they don't do it on the weekend, which means unless that permit gets closed out today I won't have water until Monday. In-fucking-sane. Then to add insult to injury, I've had tiling contractors out at my place all week, and I now have to pay them for a half day of no work because they don't have a water supply for their saw and to mix grout. I'm about to fucking cry.

Hook a water hose up to the neighbors house and toss them a $50?
 
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Khane

Got something right about marriage
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13,294
"Someone who doesn't own and never has had a claim to your home opened a permit for some sprinklers bud. So now you're fucked and we're turning your water off."

I mean... jesus.
 
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Asshat wormie

2023 Asshat Award Winner
<Gold Donor>
16,820
30,963
Holy shit they are allowed to turn off your water over there? Nuts.
 

Frenzied Wombat

Potato del Grande
14,730
31,802
Hook a water hose up to the neighbors house and toss them a $50?

At this point I'm watching youtube videos on how to remove a barrell lock from a water meter with a thin screwdriver and piece of a Bic pen. A class 1 misdemeanor and $500 fine sounds better than having to pay a grand or so to stay at a hotel for the next four days.
 

Picasso3

Silver Baronet of the Realm
11,333
5,322
You can crack open your meter and turn it on with a wrench and you'll just get billed. Any self respecting tile man would have told you this.
 

Frenzied Wombat

Potato del Grande
14,730
31,802
You can crack open your meter and turn it on with a wrench and you'll just get billed. Any self respecting tile man would have told you this.

I'm told it's considered theft of service, and if you accidentally break the meter then you're in even more hot water with a bigger fine. Of course I doubt there's a jury on the planet that would convict me considering the circumstances.
 

Frenzied Wombat

Potato del Grande
14,730
31,802
Do you live somewhere that they can't?

In Canuckistan it was illegal for the city to turn off your water or electricity during the winter since you could freeze to death.

So basically after going to both city hall and the permit office, I have to call for an inspection for the open sprinkler permit work that was done . **IF** it passes inspection, they will close the permit, at which point I can drive to the water utility office and *hopefully* be able to turn my water on tomorrow. If it doesn't pass inspection, or if anything else goes wrong, no water until Monday. I asked what the fuck a sprinkler inspection has to do with me getting water service, and they said that the sprinkler guy installs a backflow valve at the water junction, and the inspection is to make sure it is installed properly. Asked how the fuck they can issue a CO, or allow a home to be sold that can't obtain water service, and the dude just shrugged.
 

Picasso3

Silver Baronet of the Realm
11,333
5,322
Are they confusing lawn sprinklers with interior fire sprinklers?

In my experience check valves (say double check detector assembly if you want to get lateesha moist) are on sprinkler systems because they don't want water sitting in a pipe for a year then being sucked back into the supply. Since your first post said lawn sprinkler and usually fire sprinkler service is on a large unmetered line that shouldnt be turned off I'd verify with lateesha.

My experience is in commercial structures so maybe resi is different.
 

Cad

<Bronze Donator>
24,487
45,377
In Canuckistan it was illegal for the city to turn off your water or electricity during the winter since you could freeze to death.

So basically after going to both city hall and the permit office, I have to call for an inspection for the open sprinkler permit work that was done . **IF** it passes inspection, they will close the permit, at which point I can drive to the water utility office and *hopefully* be able to turn my water on tomorrow. If it doesn't pass inspection, or if anything else goes wrong, no water until Monday. I asked what the fuck a sprinkler inspection has to do with me getting water service, and they said that the sprinkler guy installs a backflow valve at the water junction, and the inspection is to make sure it is installed properly. Asked how the fuck they can issue a CO, or allow a home to be sold that can't obtain water service, and the dude just shrugged.

Is it a new house? Have you contacted the builder?