!Gas line cannot be installed for 5 months.

[Aref Shehadeh]

Closing on an REO Friday Nov. 27th. I suspected the gas line was disconnected on the street. I called the the gas company ahead of time to get a service installed within the week that follows. Their cutoff date to get a crew out there is is apparently Dec. 1st. I received feedback that service cannot be installed until Spring! They mentioned April.

Even if I knew about the cutoff date ahead of time I would have no choice since I'd have to wait to close to get the service turned on in my name. 

What are my choices now? I have a rehab scheduled for the week after and this is supposed to be a 45 day project. It gets extremely cold here during the winter. 

[Aref Shehadeh]

Want to update this thread on what I was able to make happen. After visiting the department of public works (3 times), the city engineer explained to me that the gas company will essentially throw the city under the bus stating that the city will not dig up in the ground after December 1st. The city engineer said that was simply not true and stated "we have a duty to provide heat to everyone." The gas company seemed to have just been behind schedule and wanted to push anyone they could until spring.

After going back and forth with the gas company many many times and pushing them to acquire the permit, I was able to get them to come out yesterday to put in the gas line. I was extremely persistent and even wrote a hardship letter. The gas company rep told me my property address was well known across the construction department by the time it was to be installed :)

Persistence is key, I'll know for next time to start this process very early.