Manor Residents Frustrated with Response to November Electrical Surge

Douglas Manor residents said they are blowing a fuse after still having not received an explanation for a power surge that zapped their electrical appliances on the day before Thanksgiving.

On Nov. 23, residents were left with thousands of dollars in damages and smoking appliances following an unexplained power surge that occurred just before 10 a.m.

Jamie Sutherland, secretary for the Douglas Manor Association, said the utility has yet to explain the incident.

“There’s been no official response for it,” she said. “They’ve not recognized there’s been a surge at all.”

Con Ed could not be reached for comment.

Sutherland said the association receives daily calls about the incident and that more than 55 manor residents have complained about damaged appliances.

“People lost a lot,” she said. “It affected our entire community. One elderly man lost his electricity for three days and his heating system was knocked out, so he had to move in with his daughter.”

Another resident, Katherine Bealin, lost her microwave and stove during the pre-Thanksgiving surge.

“We lost about a dozen appliances, including our garage door, dishwasher and a brand new electric piano,” she said. “The house alarm went off and there was a burning smell. I thought my house was possessed. I’ve spent thousands of dollars to get things repaired and to have an electrician come in.”

Bealin spotted a Con Ed truck pull onto her block shortly after the incident and a worker told her that there had been a power surge.

But the Douglas Manor resident said she was more frustrated with the utility’s response to the incident than the loss of her appliances.

“I have gotten no response to my phone calls, emails or registered letter,” she said. “It’s now been a month. There’s been no guidance as to whether there’s a process for compensation or an explanation as to what happened. We’ve been left completely in the dark.”

George Schmidt, who lives on Melrose Lane, said damages to his home cost him an estimated $2,000.

“My washing machine, microwave and dishwasher were destroyed and my computer was smoking,” he said. “It was pretty scary. There was a banging noise and acrid smoke in our home. A lot of circuit breakers tripped. My oil burner was going crazy.”

Schmidt said he recently found out that he would need to replace a circulator pump for his heating system.

has been placing signs around the community asking residents to notify the group if they suffered damages due to the surge.

“Con Ed is telling us that they are not responsible for surges,” Sutherland said. “We’re in the process of writing to the [state] Public Service Commission and letting them know the manor is not taking this sitting down.”

Residents can download claim forms at coned.com/customercentral/lawclaims.asp and and mail them to Thomas Kojes, Room 1820, 4 Irving Place, New York, NY, 10003.