Duking it out, Round 3
Last week I posted a back-and-forth about the state ordering Duke Energy to clean up and move coal ash. A guest blogger charged that Duke has lost touch – and clout – with powerful people in Raleigh. A Duke exec asked me to take down the blog. Instead, I let Duke respond.
Today let’s talk about some people who aren’t powerful at all and are suffering because they’re in Duke’s way. Literally.
Cullen Browder at WRAL did a story about them, “Long-forgotten Duke Energy easement threatens Johnston neighborhood.” He reported:
“Nearly two dozen homeowners in the Buffalo Creek subdivision near Zebulon are in the fight of their lives for their homes.
“In 2017, homeowners started receiving letters from Duke Energy informing them their homes, or part of their land, are on property owned by the utility company. Carolina Power & Light, which later merged into Duke, acquired a 180-foot-wide easement in 1987 for future power lines. However, those easements were omitted from plat maps when the neighborhood was built.”
Now, the homeowners could lose their homes – and suffer financial disaster. They say the stress is affecting their health, fraying their families and jeopardizing all their plans for the future.
“It’s well over 20 years, and you’re now trying to tell us you’re going to come in and destroy our homes and destroy our lives? That’s ridiculous,” one homeowner said.
The homeowners are suing Duke, claiming the company in effect abandoned the easement by providing power to the homeowners (and taking their money) for two decades – and never mentioning the problem. They’re also suing the Fred Smith Co., which developed the subdivision, for negligence.
Browder reported:
“WRAL Investigates reached out to Duke, which would not comment on the pending litigation. But spokeswoman Meredith Archie said, ‘We appreciate the understanding and continued patience of property owners as we work to resolve the existing encroachment issue.’
“Builder Fred Smith Jr. also provided a statement to WRAL Investigates, saying the company acted appropriately and legally when developing Buffalo Creek.”
Their statements aren’t any solace to the homeowners who are in Duke’s way – and facing financial catastrophe.
Let’s see if somebody from Duke calls about their plight.
Duking it out, Round 3
Last week I posted a back-and-forth about the state ordering Duke Energy to clean up and move coal ash. A guest blogger charged that Duke has lost touch – and clout – with powerful people in Raleigh. A Duke exec asked me to take down the blog. Instead, I let Duke respond.
Today let’s talk about some people who aren’t powerful at all and are suffering because they’re in Duke’s way. Literally.
Cullen Browder at WRAL did a story about them, “Long-forgotten Duke Energy easement threatens Johnston neighborhood.” He reported:
“Nearly two dozen homeowners in the Buffalo Creek subdivision near Zebulon are in the fight of their lives for their homes.
“In 2017, homeowners started receiving letters from Duke Energy informing them their homes, or part of their land, are on property owned by the utility company. Carolina Power & Light, which later merged into Duke, acquired a 180-foot-wide easement in 1987 for future power lines. However, those easements were omitted from plat maps when the neighborhood was built.”
Now, the homeowners could lose their homes – and suffer financial disaster. They say the stress is affecting their health, fraying their families and jeopardizing all their plans for the future.
“It’s well over 20 years, and you’re now trying to tell us you’re going to come in and destroy our homes and destroy our lives? That’s ridiculous,” one homeowner said.
The homeowners are suing Duke, claiming the company in effect abandoned the easement by providing power to the homeowners (and taking their money) for two decades – and never mentioning the problem. They’re also suing the Fred Smith Co., which developed the subdivision, for negligence.
Browder reported:
“WRAL Investigates reached out to Duke, which would not comment on the pending litigation. But spokeswoman Meredith Archie said, ‘We appreciate the understanding and continued patience of property owners as we work to resolve the existing encroachment issue.’
“Builder Fred Smith Jr. also provided a statement to WRAL Investigates, saying the company acted appropriately and legally when developing Buffalo Creek.”
Their statements aren’t any solace to the homeowners who are in Duke’s way – and facing financial catastrophe.
Let’s see if somebody from Duke calls about their plight.