PG&E and whose bill is it anyway?

These days you can't call PG&E Customer Service and talk with someone. You have to call, leave a message. Someone will get back to you.

Four hours later ...

No, we can't transfer the PG&E billing at the Dogpatch loft to your name to reflect your brand-shiny-new ownership. The person who authorized PG&E service to that address closed the account in October 2003. We cannot enable billing to your name until a PG&E employee comes out and reads the meter and someone pays the bill back to October 2003.

No, we can't bill the previous account holder: he shut off the account.

No, we can't bill the previous owner for the power used.

No, that's something you'll have to work out between you and the previous owner.

update: Selling agent tells our agent, "I'm down in LA for a couple weeks. You'll have to work that out with the seller and oh by the way, you'll have to get the keys from him too. I didn't get them before I left town." (This after our agent had been told by someone in the other office that the keys had been sent to her office.)

Our agent (have I mentioned she's a gem?) called the seller to make arrangements for the keys and to settle the problem with PG&E. Seller says, "Sure, I turned the PG&E off in October. It's not my fault PG&E screwed up. Your buyers will need to work that out with PG&E."

Um, no.

Later, after talking with PG&E, the seller tells our agent, "PG&E agrees that a lot of the screw-up was theirs. They just need proof that the place has been sold. Your buyers will need to go down to PG&E and show them the paperwork."

Um, no.

Current status: seller has agreed to go down to PG&E to armwrestle over the past-due accounting so future billing can be transferred to our names.

*sigh*

update2: SB stopped off with the buyer and picked up the keys. She vets him as a nice, conscientious guy. He gave us a note about what he still needs to get us. Promises to get down to PG&E. Gave us the key code for the alarm system.

SB dropped the packet of goodies through the mail slot at Hill along with her good wishes and a message to the universe for a smooth as silk sale for Dale.