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Update
The 40 homes in the Parks Square Condominium community across from Wegman’s now have their exterior power and Verizon services restored.
Potomac Local spoke with the same community resident about the situation, and the resident asked that their name not be used.
According to the resident, the Verizon services were restored around 6 p.m. last night.
The resident stated that there was no notice given to the community about the restoration of services, and the resident discovered it.
Additionally, the resident stated that the Verizon and Dominion Power outage impacted the Potomac Club Homeowner’s Association. Potomac Local received comment from another Potomac Club resident, Bill Petrak, that the Potomac Club Verizon outage was unrelated to the incident that the residents experience.
“People also did not have their landline phones. And the irony of the whole thing, as I just discovered, is that the homeowner’s association also didn’t have [access] to a phone,” the resident stated.
The resident has concerns about the management of the Parks Square Condominium Association, and fears that an outage could occur again.
“I think the [association] has to get their act together…they’re rather unresponsive. I’m afraid it’s going to happen again. I actually called Verizon for a refund, for four days of no service. They told me they’d take it off my bill,” the resident commented.
Original post
About 40 homes in the Park Square Condominiums subdivision have been without Verizon access for several days, due to their condo association not paying for their Dominion Power electric power bills, according to a resident who spoke with Potomac Local.
The Park Square Condominium Association, which is a part of the Potomac Club Homeowners Association and is located next to Wegmans in Woodbridge, is responsible for paying for the Dominion Power service that powers the Verizon services at the complex, according to the resident who requested that Potomac Local not use her name.
Condo owners here pay for the electricity used inside of their own homes. The homeowners association is responsible for paying for the power bill for the Verizon hookup, as well as outdoor safety features including fire alarms and entry-way lighting, according to the resident.
The association collects a $155 a month fee and part of that is to be used to pay the a portion of the Dominion bill, the resident stated. The association made no attempts to tell residents that Dominion Power and Verizon services were cut off, the resident said.
“….[we] have not had any Verizon [service] for three days…We only discovered this when we checked with Verizon. I first discovered it when my Internet wasn’t working…and then I discovered I didn’t have TV either,” the resident said, continuing, “Then I walked out to the [street] and saw other people trying to figure out what’s going on. And what it all boils down to, according to Verizon, is that Park Square Condominiums had not paid their bill.”
Park Square Condominium Association did not return a request for comment.
The condo complex is located at the Potomac Club housing development, across the street from the bustling Potomac Town Center at Stonebridge.
When residents called their homeowners association to try and restore their Verizon services, residents were informed that the Park Square Condominium Association would be bringing a check to Dominion Power, but the problem has not been resolved, according to the resident.
“The last I heard, the [condo association] is going to Dominion Power with a check in their hand,” the resident said.
Residents are also concerned about the safety issue of exterior fire alarms not being in service, which was pointed out to them after the outage occurred.
“When Verizon has been here…they pointed out the farm alarm isn’t connected either. I think that’s a [required] safety feature, and I think that the Fire Marshal should know about it,” the resident said.
According to Chuck Penn, a for Dominion Power spokesman, the company does everything they can to work with customers, to ensure that an outage or termination of services does not occur.
“Our goal always is to maintain service. So our policies and practices are written with that in mind, because disconnection is out absolute last resort. But before disconnection does occur, we make up to three outbound calls. We place past due reminders on bills, and we mail a disconnection notice out, all for prompt action. And in general, we would not disconnect any service until there are over 70 days of electricity used in unpaid bills,” Penn said.
*This story has been corrected.
