Putting Utilities In PM's Name

[Art Maydan]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a property manager in Chicago. Our owners have always paid their own utilities, but I've decided to start offering to pay utilities for them. I'm trialing this out with one client. Creating a business account with ComEd and Peoples Gas and transferring the bill into our name was easy. Like always, dealing with the city is proving to be more difficult.

To create a new account (business or otherwise), you need an account number. The account number for my trial building is already under the current owner's LLC. I've called a few times. A few reps have told me to have the owner cancel their account (Does this mean pay off the bill and call to cancel? I'm concerned about an interruption in service) and then to make an account in my business name under that account number. And that I will be able to add other account numbers to the same account later.

Another few reps told me that I need a letter of authorization from the owners on file which could take a month authorizing me to make changes to the account.

And another told me the bill has to be in the owner's name. But I have a PM buddy who manages tons of property who says they pay all their owners' water bills. So that can't be true. But he can't help me with details as he's past the "do everything yourself" stage of the business and doesn't remember.

Much appreciated,
Artem