She Faces a $2,600 Bill After Garbage Truck Rips Down Power Lines, But They Aren’t Claiming Responsibility

A homeowner says she was left with a $2,600 bill after a local garbage company tore down the power lines on her street. Misty Butkiewicz spoke with WOIO about the incident, telling them how the entire house shook when the truck collided with the lines on Aug. 12.

When she initially reached out to Kimble Recycling & Disposal, Inc., the company that owns the garbage trucks, she was told to submit reimbursement paperwork, which included photos of the damage. However, nearly two months later, Butkiewicz says she still hasn’t heard anything back.

Now, WOIO contacted the company to see if they can help Butkiewicz recoup some of her money from the company. However, Kimble Recycling & Disposal, Inc. doesn’t have much more to say about what happened.

That’s because a statement from the company says the driver didn’t do anything wrong, potentially pushing the burden of payment back on Butkiewicz. Here’s what we know.

The Garbage Truck Took Down the Power Lines With a Bucket

Fortunately, nobody was hurt during the August incident, when the truck was driving down a street in Garfield Heights with its bucket extended. The bucket caught the power lines and pulled them away from the home, disconnecting it from the main electrical service. 

Butkiewicz says she was forced to call Mr. Electric to get the wiring repaired on the rental property, and she got ahold of Kimble Recycling & Disposal to see how she could go about being reimbursed. “We’ve submitted all of these documents to Kimble several times,” she told WOIO, even providing proof of the emails that were sent as well as the repair bill. “It’s unfair that they won’t even respond to let me know, ‘ Yes, we are looking into it; we are taking care of it,” she continued.

Kimble Recycling & Disposal Declines Further Comment

When they were contacted for a response, a representative told the outlet that the investigation into the incident showed that the driver was operating the truck lawfully, and that the power lines were hanging too low for a vehicle to safely pass underneath them.

“The driver was not cited in connection with the incident,” a statement from the company said in part. “The company’s investigation determined that the driver was operating the vehicle lawfully at the time of the occurrence.”

However, the statement also said that the company reached out to Butkiewicz after the incident, but they were only able to reach her voicemail. “Because the matter may involve insurance claims and potential litigation, we are unable to provide additional comment at this time,” the statement concluded. 

Who is Responsible for the Lines Outside Your Home?

While circumstances can vary, Angi says that the “service drop,” which is the wires that run from the home to the local utility pole, is typically the responsibility of the electric company. Additionally, the outlet says that the electric meter is usually the electric company’s responsibility as well. 

Meanwhile, homeowners are typically responsible for the point where the wires connect to the home, the service entrance cable, meter base, and circuit or fuse box. However, the outlet notes that things can vary by region, so it’s important to check with the local utility provider whenever there are questions.

If Butkiewicz doesn’t hear anything back from the garbage company, she may want to reach out to her local power company to see if they can offer her any support instead.