I'm facing a bit of a moral dilemma with my home's electrical issues. The wires connecting my home to the service head are old and the insulation has cracked off, leaving two wires partially exposed. In my area, a master electrician needs to handle this, and they require a permit; otherwise, the power company will cut off my electric supply to do the repairs. Meanwhile, my neighbor is working on building an unpermitted deck. I don't want to be the bad guy and get him into trouble, but I also have a fire hazard at home and I'm worried about my pregnant wife and dogs. What's the best way to approach this? Should I just inform the inspector about my electrical issues and hope my neighbor gets off easy? I'm feeling pretty stressed about this whole situation.
2 Answers
You definitely need to prioritize your family's safety over your neighbor's situation. It might depend on where you live, but usually, the electrical inspector might not even notice the deck if they're focused on your home. Just get the inspector out for your safety, and it’s up to your neighbor to deal with his own permits. Keeping it separate might save you both some trouble.
Honestly, what your neighbor does is his own issue. Just focus on getting your home inspected and dealing with your repairs. Don’t mention anything about your neighbor; let the inspector do their job. If they find anything concerning about the deck, that’s between them and your neighbor. Your priority should be your home and family.