Have You Checked Your Electric Meter's Legal Seal?

On my inspections I routinely check the legal seal under the electric meter. If it is broken, I note it.

Recently some clients of mine were challenged by the electric company that installed a new meter on their house to show why they should not be fined ($500) for tampering with the former meter's broken legal seal. While the clients could not prove that they did NOT fiddle with it, they were able to use my report commentary, and date on The small blue tag is the legal seal the relevant page, to prove that the broken seal pre-existed their occupancy. The legal seal is the small blue tag under the meter in the photo.

No blood, no foul!

They were not fined! Sure, it's one of a thousand things we home inspectors check on every inspection. But if it is not documented, it is not documented.

I got a very grateful thank you note... one can only hope that they also sent a Nyah! Nyah! note to the electric company!

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Anonymous - the law will

jay | Sun, 10/25/2009 - 14:55

Anonymous - the law will not try to sue you. If you have any problem at all, it would be with your electric company, that thinks you were meddling with the meter. You need to try to explain to them that you did not. Jay

the seal came off the meter

Anonymous (not verified) | Sun, 10/18/2009 - 02:35

the seal came off the meter was not removed now the law is trying to sue me for the damage

Jay, very interesting. That

Ian Niquette (not verified) | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 04:31

Jay, very interesting. That is something that most of us inspectors probably do not look at. I know I will be documenting it from now on if it is broken. Thank you, always a learning experience reading your stuff.

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Jay performs inspections Monday through Saturday, throughout Northern Virginia, from his office in Bristow to Leesburg and Centreville, to Great Falls and Vienna and everywhere in between!