Finally closed out the longest-running case of my career. Hospital system in Birmingham had been paying Alabama Power for transformer maintenance and replacement costs since 1999, even though the transformers were clearly customer-owned per the original service agreement. AP kept claiming ownership based on "maintenance history" despite clear documentation showing customer purchase and installation. Total recovery was $340K in improper charges plus $85K in unnecessary transformer replacements. Fourteen years of fighting but worth every minute when that check cleared!
Alabama Power transformer ownership dispute - 14 year saga finally resolved
Brenda, that's persistence paying off! TVA tried similar nonsense with a medical center here in Knoxville - claiming ownership of customer-installed transformers to justify maintenance charges. $45K recovery over 6 years once we dug up the original installation records. These transformer ownership disputes are goldmines if you have the patience to fight them.
Terry - exactly! The key was finding the original engineering drawings and purchase orders from 1998 showing the customer paid for and owned the equipment. Alabama Power had conveniently "lost" those records but we tracked them down through the electrical contractor. Sometimes you have to be part auditor, part detective to win these cases!