A 56-year-old South Side plumber has filed a $1.3 million lawsuitagainst Peoples Gas in a continuing battle with the energy giant.
Obie Pittman, of 2114 E. 83rd, filed suit Tuesday in Cook CountyCircuit Court charging the company illegally disconnected service tofive of his South Side apartment buildings, damaging his businessefforts.
Service was cut off after he failed to pay about $50,000 in gasbills.
Pittman's attorney, Charles Getto, said the company neverproperly read Pittman's meters or informed him of exactly how muchgas was being used, but continued to bill him on its computer.
The trouble began in 1979 when Pittman began renovating the fivebuildings, converting them from central heat to individual heat foreach apartment, thus making tenants responsible for their own bills,Getto said.
Instead of collecting bills from one landlord, the company nowhad to deal with dozens of new customers, some of whom were late withtheir payments, Getto said.
"The gas company does not want other landlords to convert fromcentral heating," Getto said. "They're afraid they'll lose money."
"I think they wanted to put Mr. Pittman out of business," Gettosaid.
A spokesman for Peoples Gas said it hadn't received a copy of thesuit and had no comment.
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