DIYbanter - View Single Post

wrote:

A) Come onto my property (inside by FENCED BACKYARD) without my
permission.
B) Take half full tanks without contacting me.

??????

In the Flagstaff AZ area, where we have a cabin, the propane
companies will work with either situation. If you own your own
tank, they charge you for a system check when you first sign
up with them, then just charge you for the propane they put
in your tank. If you don't own a tank, they'll be glad to either
sell you a tank, or bill you a monthly rental on a tank.

It seems likely that the previous owner was renting the tank.
If you never contacted the propane company after buying
the house, they probably decided that the previous owner
had stopped paying the tank rental, and came to recover
their property. A tank rental agreement would probably
make provision for them to access your property to recover
their tank. They may have sent notice in the previous
owner's name, which got forwarded to them, and you never
saw it.

On the other hand, it doesn't seem like the propane company
made much of an effort to contact you. I would have tried:
A) Mail to the previous owners name, B) Mail to Occupant
at the service address, C) Send somebody around to knock
on the door, D) If no answer at the door, leave a note.

And of course, if the contents of the removed tanks were
already paid for, it seems like they would owe you the cost
of the propane.

Just my opinion, YMMV.

Jerry