Utility company makes things right with Seminole small business after cutting sewer line

SEMINOLE, Okla. (KFOR) - KFOR recently brought you a story about a mobile home and RV park in Seminole that claimed an electric utility company was not taking responsibility for damaging a sewer line on their property. But when KFOR stepped in, the almost 2-month problem was resolved in just a few days. 

Back in April, the owners of Shady Acres Mobile Home and RV Park said a contractor for Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative (CVEC) hit a sewer line while drilling on their property. One of the owners claimed the company would not pay for the repairs so he reached out to KFOR for help. 

“If it wasn't for KFOR getting involved, I'm sure this would have went on for months. Probably court proceedings... I think we'd still be in the argumentative stages, things emailing back and forth and who was responsible and stuff,” said Chris Courtney, co-owner of Shady Acres Mobile Home and RV Park.  

Co-owner of Shady Acres Mobile Home, Chris Courtney said he paid a plumber $6,200 to repair a sewer line that he claims the company responsible for the damage wouldn’t fix.  

“Over the course of the last month, I sent several emails... They basically denied any responsibility to it. Once Channel 4 got involved, it was a complete turnaround,” said Courtney.  

KFOR reached out to the company last week and within hours, CVEC’s CEO met in person with Courtney to hear out his issues. 

“I spoke with the executives we got with the right people, and they made things happen,” said Courtney.  

CEO of CVEC, Gary Highley, told KFOR quote, “I asked him for one business day to check into the issues, but I heard his issues we will get him taken care of.”   

Sure enough, he did. Courtney was handed a check for $6,200 just days after KFOR’s story ran. 

“If you have a problem with a contractor or just need something resolved that you're being kind of messed around about, I recommend getting ahold of Channel 4,” said Courtney.  

CVEC also sent a crew of eight people out to the property to clean up the mess they left behind back in April. 

“The rocks and the all the extra tubing that was left around my storm shelter, left around my sewer drains. I mean, there was like 50-to-80-foot tubing that was just left there that we've been mowing and weed eating around since mowing season started,” said Courtney. 

After making things right with Courtney, Highley told KFOR, “Once we were aware of the issue, we were able to quickly get it resolved. Our mission is to Improve Life and Serve Community.  The current rural broadband project is bringing jobs and revenue to the area along with high-speed fiber-to-the-home connectivity.”