streetlight rental

Shannon,

Your HOA is renting street lights from FPL? Is there a contract? How many lights are being rented?

Shannon,

Are you implying that you own the street but renting (leasing) street lights? If true, I think there must be a written ‘street lighting agreement’ between FPL and the Association and that agreement must be recorded in your county official records in order to be valid.
Who was paying for the street light rental while the developer was in charge? You may need to consult an attorney.

Just posted Rental fees of $306.00 plus tax for rental on 14 poles. Electric is only $45.00 per month. 1/3 of homes in foreclosure. Fees not coming in because of economy. This is a bugdet breaker.

Shannon,

Where are you located. The Progress Energy name is headquartered in Raleigh N.Carolina. I would find out about the contract and if you can opt out of it. Find out if you can purchase the light poles . There are only 14 of them so they might put you on a payment plan that would end up much less than a monthly rental. Is all of your electric from PE?

If there is no written rental agreement, then they can't force you to pay UNLESS it is a city requirement. BUT before you tell them to come get their lights, I would check with your local Zoning Board.

Out of curiosity, just what do you want? The lights gone, plunging the community into darkness and inviting crime. To purchase the lights? I did see on the news feed about a year age where a HOA was replacing their wired street lights with lights that had a combination of solar panels and a wind turbine at only (I think) around $25,000.00 each.

It would be nice to redo the reantal agreement where they were paid for at some date. We have already paid over $18,000, but after several e mails and talking to lighting solutiuons for progress there seems to be no solution.Can anyone tell me how to get the attention of corporate Progress Energy where this may be worked out, as Florida calls and letters all get the same results.

Turn the street lights off.

Thanks, would like to, but in a bad crime area. Will have to cut off some to paa bills

You want their attention file a complaint with the Florida Public Service Commission, you know the people who regulate utilities and vote on their rate increase requests. Trust me, utilities do not want unresolved complaints in their file when it is rate increase time.

BUT before you do, your Board will need to decide exactly what it wants and you will need the information others have asked for and the authority of your fellow Board members to act, least they post here about how to reign in a rogue Board Member.

Street lights are liability and security issues. I would, most likely, check with the insurance company before turning any lights off.

We rent lighting from Progress Energy and, since LED's weren't offered by Progress 5 years ago, I'm bettng you have the orangish, sodium vapor lights on a pole.

I'll also bet you that you're not longer restricted by any minimum mandated lease terms since you've met them over the past few years and can have them removed or partially removed, leaving some security lighting.

Why not call Progress Energy and don't fret at all. They have officials who will come to your HOA property (as opposed to the phone operator for us residential customers) and, with that person in your presence, lay out your ability to pay and what can be done maximize lighting at minimum monthly cost and lease obligation. After all, the lease is pointless if you can't pay it and they're not gonna sue over 14 lights. They might as well work w/ you as the Times are hard. I signed a Progress Energy Commercial Lighting contract yesterday, so I've seen the process up close.

NOTE: In NC, Progress offers LED street lighting for about $14-$16 per month roughly BUT they want a 10-year commitment for installing the expensive lighting. Don't get talked into that in exchange of "cheaper" lighting.

Sodium vapor lighting prices have actually dropped on a per-month basis here. Also, a lighting person may work a plan to save you on the number of lights that are installed and STILL protect your property.

Aren't public utilites regulated in your state? If so, then the state department having juristiction for public utilities in your state should have name and address information.

Just in the event you are asked to deal with 'Progress Energy of Florida' in St. Pete here is their web site.

https://www.progress-energy.com/florida/home/index.page

Why isn’t the OP doing their own basic research?

Asking for phone numbers. Doesn’t have copy of contract? Discussion with original developer, if they are still around?

My guess is that you won't hear from the OP since this is a 7 year old thread.

Um, this was an old post for 2011 - you might want to start a new topic with your questions so you'll get updated information and people won't have to wade through a ton of old information (things may have changed in 6 years).

A reminder to all - if you find a topic that interests you from the search, please note the date of the original post. Things can change quickly in HOA land and it's best to at least look at stuff from 2018 or set up your own topic.

LOL ... While we all try to do that ... some always slip through. That’s OK ... while we all try hard ... nobody is perfect.