Staten Island grandmother gets $5K Con Ed bill for utility pole she doesn't own
GREAT KILLS, Staten Island (WABC) -- A grandmother on Staten Island is speaking out after she received a $5,000 Con Ed bill for a utility pole she doesn't own.
It's the second time in a week a Con Edison customer has revealed an outrageous bill to Eyewitness News.
It came in Maria Sprizzo's mail, the first one about a year and half ago.
"I opened this bill, over $5,000," Sprizzo said. "In billing and I said 'Oh my God!"
Two Con Edison bills and she didn't know what to make of it.
"One showed my name and my address. The other one just had the address," Sprizzo said.
The second Con Edison bill was strangely addressed to Charter Communications Durant Avenue pole in Staten Island. She wrote on the bill to the utility.
"You are writing to a wooden pole and I sent it back to them," Sprizzo said.
For the record, Maria doesn't believe in opening someone else's mail.
"I did what I could, and I called and I tried and their answer was just throw them out if you don't want them," Sprizzo said.
The pole, Con Edison officials tell Eyewitness News, is right out at the curb. Up there, right next to the Charter Communications box is a Con Edison meter.
So why were the bills for that meter coming to Maria?
In a statement a company official says: "It did not involve occupant of home and we are sorry for confusion."
Despite calling and writing, the mystery bills kept showing up in her mail month after month, which was the last thing this grandmother needed to deal with.
"Should I open them? Shouldn't I open them and why they are sending, they are sending it to a pole," Sprizzo said.
At one point Con Edison threatened to cut off service if the second bill wasn't paid. She even contacted the state public service commission.
"We have forwarded your concerns to senior staff at the company," Sprizzo said she wrote to the commission. "Never heard from them."
Hearing about Maria's predicament, Eyewitness News contacted Con Edison and officials went on to say "The matter has been resolved."
So come next month, Maria will find out if they finally found the right address for this pole.
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