This is not a story, but instead a log of events that took place when a tenant living in one of our buildings (the East building) complaint to the landlord that she had been smelling gas for a week, who in turn called Florida City Gas to investigate. As a result of this call and the events that followed, the residents of both buildings (32 residents) were deprived of Natural gas service for 23 days. A deprivation that was absolutely unnecessary, but imposed on the senior residents, with malice & neglect of senior residents, by Jean; a Florida City Gas employee.

March 6, 22
The owner of unit 23, told me after the fact that her tenant complained to her that she had been smelling gas all week. (This is hearsay) The owner told me that she called Florida City Gas. Why did she wait a whole week to mention it to someone?

March 6m, 22 approx. 7:00PM
Florida City Gas employee # 00035647, advised me that there was a gas leak in unit 23. As he & I investigated, it was found that there was a gas reading on his gas leak detector of .006. That reading was an ambient reading, that was also present in adjoining unit 22. While checking the plumbing in both units, no leaks were detected in either unit. However, because he could not locate a leak, he decided to turn the gas service off. Both condo buildings were affected as there is only one valve for both buildings. He shut the gas off at the meter.

March 7th, 22
I spent most of the day calling gas certified plumbers, no one was available.

March 8th, 22
Contacted Forever Gas Corp, who wanted to cap the lines in every unit just to test the lines. I went to every unit and turned the gas valves off (to avoid the additional cost of capping all the lines).

March 9th, 22
Forever Gas Corp. (Roberto) did a pressure test, which indicated no leaks in the lines. He then replaced flex pipe (which was not up to code) in unit 23. An actual leak was never detected. I coordinated residents for inspection of all units on March 10th.

Click on images to enlarge

March 10th, 22
We started checking units with Jean of Florida Gas. During the inspection, Jean ran across some units that had Flex pipe inside the cabinets (which is not up to code). After 12 units had been checked, Florida City Gas stopped inspections. He said that all units not up to code would have to be repaired before he continues. He left the gas service off, and called it a day.

March 10th, 22
During the inspection, Jean of Florida City Gas, suggested to Roberto that he could bypass the connection of the water heater to the main feed line, and connect it directly to the Gas meter so that he could supply the hot water heater, while the rest of the building was Off, during unit repairs. Our association paid another $750, for that bypass, but residents could at least enjoy hot water to shower. Even though, they could not cook.

I went to each unit with Roberto, to estimate repair cost to units and schedule repairs. I also, contracted with Roberto to install, shut of valves ($4200) at every gas line drop on the roof. Each drop feeds 4 units. He was scheduled to start the following Tuesday March 15, 22. He did one building on Tuesday, and the other building on Thursday the 17th. They started doing units on Friday the 18th, to Wednesday the 23rd. They had to come back to do unit 1 on Friday the 25th., as unit 1 would not let them in their unit.

March 23th, 22
I Posted letter on every unit door to prepare for inspection. Jean and his crew, arrived pretty late; around 11:00am. Again, being overly cautious, he pressures tested the main feed lines. That took 45 minutes to an hour. While doing that, he noticed that the gas was on, (only to supply the water heater as he had suggested) and became very upset that the gas had been turned on by Roberto. While he had suggested to Roberto to do the Water Heater bypass, and Roberto had told him that he had the special key to turn on the gas, which he did not dispute, he was saying that no one has the right to turn the gas on. That only HE, could turn the gas on, even though the gas was only feeding the water heater, not the buildings. There was absolutely no danger present as it relates to restoring gas service to the water heater.

Jean, seemingly got over that, as I told him it was a misunderstanding, as he had not told Roberto explicitly, not to turn the gas on for the water heater. Still annoyed however, when he was ready to start checking each unit, he asked me if I could guarantee that we would be able to access every unit, that morning. I replied that we could access most of them, but could not guarantee that we could access all of them, as some unit owners may be at work, and didn't leave a key. At that, in an very arrogant, somewhat sarcastic tone, he said he would not start checking any units unless I could guarantee access to each & every unit.

He therefore, not only left the gas off to the main buildings, but also, turned off the gas service to the water heater, (on the 25th) leaving all these senior residents to suffer with ice cold showers for another 5 days; needless to say, that they still could not cook. I was really upset, but there was nothing I could do other than try to coordinate everyone to be available for another inspection on the 29th.

I was so stressed out! The thought of having to coordinate 32 very frustrated senior residents again, for yet another gas inspection. These residents were very angry at the disruption of their gas service for such a long time. They were taking their frustrations out on me, knocking on my door late in the evening, complaining to me as if I were responsible for this crisis. The stress and anxiety, had my stomach in knots for a week or more. I went to my doctor to schedule an appointment with a gastroenterologist, to help with the extreme stomach pain, that I was experiencing.

March 28th, 22
I called Amber in the emergency call center, to schedule an appointment for the 29th. She was not very cooperative, saying that her department did not schedule appointments. I argued that these 32 units of senior residents needed their basic needs, hot water and the ability to cook meals. It had been 23 days, since the gas service had been turned off. At that point, she became a bit more cooperative and said that she would contact that specific department and get the appointment schedule for first thing in the morning on Tuesday the 29th. She then said that someone would call me back to confirm the appointment. Which she did; she called me back that day and again the next morning.

March 29th, 22
Florida City Gas came by to do the final test. There was a crew of 3 people to check every unit. Again, Jean wanted me to guarantee that we could access every unit. I was so stressed out as many people had expressed their anger about this ordeal to me personally. I was really under pressure to get this done, so I told him that: I had some residents present, I had some keys to access units, and that I had a drill, to drill locks as necessary.

So, we started. Everything went relatively fine, except for 2 units (15 and 27) that I had to drill out the locks and access the units. Of all the units, one (unit 29) was not up to code. It had been checked by Roberto or one of his guys, and was presumed to be OK. However, on that day, when they checked behind the stove, they noticed that there were 2 Flex pipes (of different sizes) connected together. That was not up to code. (Presumably, Roberto did not see Flex pipe inside the cabinets, but never looked behind the stove.)

Given that glitch, I convinced Jean that it was not an eminent danger and that I would correct it right away, which I did. Actually, he was still in the area, and came back to unit 29, and we worked together to get it to his liking.

Finally, on the 29th of March, 2022 (23 days later) all units were cleared, and gas service was restored.


The take away:
When Florida City Gas first came, on the evening of March 6th, 2022 and around 7:00 pm, ??"I was right in the middle of dinner??" the technician was telling me about 2 units (unit 23 and unit 22) that had an ambient gas reading of .006 ppm. It was not a lot; I couldn't even smell gas. But, nevertheless, it should have been a 0.00 reading. Although, he checked all the lines in the cabinets & behind the stove, the reading was not moving from .006, indicating NO definite leak. The .006 reading was just ambient air in adjoining units 23 and 22.

Because he could not pinpoint a leak, and even though a leak was never detected, he decided to turn our gas service off. Since there is only one valve that controls both buildings, all 32 units were then deprived of gas service. I felt it was a bit zealous on his part as, it was never determined that there was in fact a leak. I believe the stove had been left on low, without a flame and that the unit just needed to be aired out. My stove goes out at times when the burner is on low, and I can smell gas throughout my unit.

The gas service could have been left on, while I monitored those two units, and aired them out. Again, because a leak was never found. There was no eminent danger. This was only the start, of my nightmare.

The following day, I was on the phone looking for a gas certified plumber to solve the problem. Ironically, no one was available on that day. The following day however, I contacted Roberto of Forever Gas Corp. He came the following day to assess the problem. Over the phone he had mentioned that he needed to cap the line at each unit, which would have resulted in a huge labor bill.

I convinced him to do the test with the valve at each unit turned off. He agreed to that. OMG! At the price these plumbers charge, I save the association a ton of money. It probably would have cost a few thousand dollars to go to each unit and cap their gas line. So, that day, my neighbor friend & I, went to each unit and turned the valves off. What a job that was!

On the 9th, he performed a pressure test. It did not indicate a leak. He did see that unit 23 was not up to code as it had Flex pipe running through the cabinets. He replaced it, and brough the unit up to code. We called Florida City Gas for an inspection the next day; the 10th. Florida Gas, insisted on inspecting every unit, in both buildings, even though units 22 and 23 were in the East building, and there were no issues in the West building.

Upon inspection of the units, it was found that several units had Flex Pipe running through the cabinets. Granted that it was not up to code, but again, not an immediate danger. These units were, as originally built, some 50 years ago; grandfathered in. There had never been a gas issue in the past.

So, Florida City Gas would not restore the gas service until all the units were brought up to code. From that day March 10th 22, the plumber worked on the units and brought them up to code. We were ready for an inspection on the 25th. The residents had been without gas service since the 6th. (19 days)

Roberto at the suggestion of Florida City Gas, rerouted the water heater gas feed on the 10th, so that resident could have hot water to bathe. However, on the 25th, Jean of Florida City Gas, became really upset that Roberto had turned on the gas to the water heater, ??"only to the water heater. In an angry voice, he claimed that HE and only HE could turn the gas on, not Roberto. As such, he turned the gas service to the water heater Off again, -for no valid reason other than he was angry that Robert had turned the gas on- leaving all 32 residents without hot water again, until service was finally restored on the 29th.

Senior residents had to take Ice Cold Showers, to go to work for another 5 days, and still could not cook a meal, could not do laundry, or anything that required hot water.

Additionally, on the 25th, Jean wanted me to guarantee that we could have access to all 32 units for inspection that day, however, I could not guarantee that, so he refused to inspect any units. The gas service remained off until the 29th, where many residents were available, I had keys to some units and I was able to drill locks where we need to.

He very well could have restored the service, and given us 10 days or so, to bring the units up to code. Each unit has its own gas shut off valve, and we did have the plumber available to do the work. There was no eminent danger of any gas fire as none of the units had leaks. And, we could have turned off the service to any group of 4 units, that were not up to code, while other units could have had gas service, as we had Roberto install shut off valves on the roof, that feeds all the units in groups of 4 units. Besides, every unit's gas valve had been turned off.

But, because Jean was really annoyed that the gas had been turned back on by Roberto, he intentionally and maliciously left the service off, depriving all 32 senior residents of gas service for another 5 days. I think that this is elderly abuse and neglect, with malice and that we deserve some considerable punitive damages. I am now looking for legal representation.

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