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14 replies

Man who froze over $1K in unpaid bills had $600K

T TweetyBirdFamiliar Face
Looks like the guy just didn't pay his bills. Maybe he wasn't to blame, the utility was not to blame, but whatever friends and family he had should have made sure he had his finances in order and was able to take mentally and physically care of his bills. What a shame.



Man who froze over $1K in unpaid bills had $600K

BAY CITY, Mich. – An attorney says a 93-year-old Michigan man who froze to death after a power company restricted electricity to his home over roughly $1,000 in unpaid bills left an estimated $600,000 to a hospital.

Marvin Schur's attorney, Cathy Reder, told the Detroit Free Press the World War II veteran bequeathed his entire fortune to Bay Medical Center.

Schur's frozen body was found Jan. 17, four days after Bay City Electric Light & Power installed a device on his electric meter that cuts power after a predetermined level is reached.

State regulators on Wednesday issued emergency rules designed to protect more people against electricity or heat shutoffs in the winter.

___

Information from: Detroit Free Press, Link
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D DixieChikOld Faithful
If someone leaves money in a will that is hardly a reflection of his not paying the bills. He could have had money at one point and fallen on hard times or anything of that nature. If the hospital actually gets the money it may be paid from an insurance policy or funds in a market account or something he couldn't just liquidate on command.

Sounds like he may have had Alzheimers or something and didn't realize he had not paid them. My grandmother would swear she had paid something when she got the first bill in the mail and would toss it to the side -- we had to have my uncle take over the finances after a few of those.
JaneYISJaneYISEverybody Knows My Name
This is a sad story, and when you really think about it there are multiple angles to consider. Ideally he should have had someone watching out for him, he was more than likely afflicted with some sort of dementia at that age. We've seen it in our own family. SO sad. We should all notice our neighbors more, especially the elderly and the children.
S SeaweedPost Master
Just plain stupid. Even if he was mentally challenged at that age, he didn't make that $600k in the last few months of his life.
It is so easy to have your monthly bills just automatically be taken out of your bank account, and unless a person is living day to day, he should have had that set up long ago, when his thinking was better.
T TheTotalTruthHall of Famer
He may not have known he was going to fall ill and need someone to take care of his bills..... none of us know... it is just a very sad thing to have happen to one of our elderly...... I have seen elderly folks go from doing great to dying within days..... so we cant pass judgement on this man and his mental capabilities... he has passed away a very horrible death and something could have been done if anyone had of just called DHR to get him some help......

Power Companies that limit use of power should do it in the summer time...... not the dead of winter.... that is just cruel....
JaneYISJaneYISEverybody Knows My Name
If they turned off the power in the summer people would die of heatstroke.
Sadly enough there will always be stories such as this. There are too many opportunities for people to "fall through the cracks", there are millions of people so things are going to happen. Personal responsibility and watching out for our neighbors is the best thing that we as individuals can do. Think globally, act locally.
T TheTotalTruthHall of Famer
quote:
Originally posted by JaneYIS:
If they turned off the power in the summer people would die of heatstroke.
Sadly enough there will always be stories such as this. There are too many opportunities for people to "fall through the cracks", there are millions of people so things are going to happen. Personal responsibility and watching out for our neighbors is the best thing that we as individuals can do. Think globally, act locally.


Good points.... I remember when I was a kid we did watch out for our neighbors,,, especially the children and the elderly ones.... what has happened to make that stop I wonder......
UNA LIONS FANUNA LIONS FANHall of Famer
quote:
Originally posted by SHELDIVR:
The utility dept. has culpability..put it before the Grand Jury and seek indictment on Criminally Negligent Homocide charges.

Either way, some one should have this old WW II vet's death on their heart, mind and conscience from now on.


The Utility Dept. did nothing wrong, evil, or improper. They handled this case as they do any other. When you do not pay your utility bill, you do not have electricity. Period. It is a shame that the man had no family, friends, or neighbors looking out for him.

I don't care if he had $1 or $600k in his bank account. If he had no survivors, there is actually no one to blame at this point.
JG just gFamiliar Face
quote:
Originally posted by SHELDIVR:
The utility dept. has culpability..put it before the Grand Jury and seek indictment on Criminally Negligent Homocide charges.

Either way, some one should have this old WW II vet's death on their heart, mind and conscience from now on.


Would you feel the same way about a grocery store that did not provide food for someone that starved to death. Maybe we should indict the local propane dealer for not giving him free propane. Why not just indict everyone in that city for failing to take care of him. He died. It's sad, but the utility department is a business that offers a service for a fee.... not for free. If they gave him free utilities we would call it welfare and then some of you would have a problem with it. Someone should have had enough fortitude to stand up and get this man examined if he was showing signes of mental illness. We should all be ashamed for this incident...use it as a reminder to check up on our neighbors and to do the right thing instead of turning our heads and pretending not to notice.
S SeaweedPost Master
quote:
Originally posted by TheTotalTruth:
He may not have known he was going to fall ill and need someone to take care of his bills..... none of us know... it is just a very sad thing to have happen to one of our elderly...... I have seen elderly folks go from doing great to dying within days..... so we cant pass judgement on this man and his mental capabilities... he has passed away a very horrible death and something could have been done if anyone had of just called DHR to get him some help......

Power Companies that limit use of power should do it in the summer time...... not the dead of winter.... that is just cruel....


Not necessary to know that you may ultimately loose your marbles to have your monthly bills paid automatically. Only necessary to know that you have monthly bills that should be paid.
I have been doing this for over 20 years, long before I started posting on these forums and went nuts. I may forget to get food, but the heat or ac will keep working, I'll get dialtone, and the Dishnet will continue to bring me 100 channels of worthless crap.
JG just gFamiliar Face
quote:
Originally posted by SHELDIVR:
Failure to pay your utility bill amounts to a death sentence. Get real...! They are a public utility and they had an obligation to work with this elderly man. He was not a throw away, he was not indigent...his crime was being old and they executed him for it without due process.

If you know the consequences or the results to not taking care of your responsibilities/ bills, then you can not complain. As I stated this was a sad situation, BUT this is a business. There was no execution!!! I don't know how you can compare the two. If you do not pay your mortgage and your home was foreclosed, would it be the banks fault if you froze to death or yours? Their obligation was to operate their business within their guidelines resulting in your power being shut off for failure to pay. Get real with yourself and put the guns back in the closet...no one is coming to take your rights!!!
J james123456789Member
quote:
Originally posted by excelman:
quote:
Originally posted by TheTotalTruth:
He may not have known he was going to fall ill and need someone to take care of his bills..... none of us know... it is just a very sad thing to have happen to one of our elderly...... I have seen elderly folks go from doing great to dying within days..... so we cant pass judgement on this man and his mental capabilities... he has passed away a very horrible death and something could have been done if anyone had of just called DHR to get him some help......

Power Companies that limit use of power should do it in the summer time...... not the dead of winter.... that is just cruel....


Not necessary to know that you may ultimately loose your marbles to have your monthly bills paid automatically. Only necessary to know that you have monthly bills that should be paid.
I have been doing this for over 20 years, long before I started posting on these forums and went nuts. I may forget to get food, but the heat or ac will keep working, I'll get dialtone, and the Dishnet will continue to bring me 100 channels of worthless crap.
Lets see if you say the same crap at 93 years old.
S SeaweedPost Master
quote:
Originally posted by james123456789:
quote:
Originally posted by excelman:
quote:
Originally posted by TheTotalTruth:
He may not have known he was going to fall ill and need someone to take care of his bills..... none of us know... it is just a very sad thing to have happen to one of our elderly...... I have seen elderly folks go from doing great to dying within days..... so we cant pass judgement on this man and his mental capabilities... he has passed away a very horrible death and something could have been done if anyone had of just called DHR to get him some help......

Power Companies that limit use of power should do it in the summer time...... not the dead of winter.... that is just cruel....


Not necessary to know that you may ultimately loose your marbles to have your monthly bills paid automatically. Only necessary to know that you have monthly bills that should be paid.
I have been doing this for over 20 years, long before I started posting on these forums and went nuts. I may forget to get food, but the heat or ac will keep working, I'll get dialtone, and the Dishnet will continue to bring me 100 channels of worthless crap.
Lets see if you say the same crap at 93 years old.


I have no doubt that when I'm 93 Dishnet (cable, or Direct TV whatever) will still continue to bring me over 100 channels of worthless crap.

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