Thiebear Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Doesn't matter if he was an old man or a woman with 5 kids. This to me appears to be at best negligent manslaughter. WWII Veteran Freezes To Death In Own Home Bay City Electric & Light Restricted Power To Man's Home After Not Paying Bills POSTED: 2:20 pm EST January 26, 2009 UPDATED: 6:56 am EST January 27, 2009 BAY CITY, Mich. -- Officials in central Michigan say a 93-year-old man who owed more than $1,000 in unpaid electric bills froze to death inside his home -- where the municipal power company had restricted his use of electricity. Neighbors and friends of Marvin Schur want answers as to how this could happen. “Now that we do know it was hypothermia, there’s a whole bunch of feelings that I’ve got going through me,” said Jim Herndon, a neighbor of Schur’s. “There’s anger, for the city and the electrical company.” Bay City officials said changes are on the way in an attempt to not let another instance like this happen again. An autopsy determined Schur, 93, died from hypothermia in the home he lived in for years. Bay City Electric Light and Power sent Schur a shutoff notice through the mail a few weeks ago. Then crews placed a shutoff notice on his front door. A few days later, Schur was found by neighbors. Bay City Electric Light and Power, which is owned by the city, said a limiter was placed on Schur’s electrical line. The device limits the power that reaches a home, and it blows out like a fuse if power consumption rises past a set level. The manager of Bay City said the limiter was tripped sometime between the time of installation and the discovery of the man's body. The city manager said city workers keep the limiter on a house for 10 days, then shut off power entirely if the homeowner hasn't paid utility bills or arranged to do so. A medical examiner who conducted the autopsy on Schur told TV5 and WNEM.com that Schur died a painful death due to the hypothermia. Dr. Kanu Varani has done hundreds of autopsies, and he said he’d never seen a person die of hypothermia indoors. A neighbor who lives across the street from Schur is angered that the city didn’t personally notify the elderly man about his utility situation. Schur’s neighbor, Herndon, said Schur had a utility bill on his kitchen table with a large amount of money clipped to it, with the intention of paying that bill. Right now the city said the situation is still under investigation. Marvin Schur was a World War II veteran. A memorial service for him will take place Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. at the Gephart Funeral Home in Bay City. Some will come in and say: I feel bad for him (but). [insert reason why i really don't here] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 That's just unacceptable. Cold hearted ****s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmySmith Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I saw a quote by some official that "neighbors should keep an eye on neighbors". So really it's his neighbors that failed him, not the people that actually turned off the heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Nope. All of the above. Including our veteran support system. Anyone who volunteered for service and put his life at risk for America does not deserve to die like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryfuhl Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I doubt that the companies really look over that type of thing (veteran status, age, etc) nor are they legally obligated too. It's a shame that the man was as solitary as he was though and didn't have anyone that checked in on him daily. Don't know if he couldn't afford it, didn't want it, or had nobody he felt comfortable with around. It's sad but I don't see electrical services as a right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryfuhl Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I saw a quote by some official that "neighbors should keep an eye on neighbors". So really it's his neighbors that failed him, not the people that actually turned off the heat. Who's to say he wanted them over everyday? Apparently they checked within a few days. It's not uncommon for an older person to stay inside for a few days running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redskins Diehard Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I doubt that the companies really look over that type of thing (veteran status, age, etc) nor are they legally obligated too. It's a shame that the man was as solitary as he was though and didn't have anyone that checked in on him daily. Don't know if he couldn't afford it, didn't want it, or had nobody he felt comfortable with around.It's sad but I don't see electrical services as a right. Maybe they should be legally obligated to. Whether electricity is a universal right or not is debatable...whether or not a 93 year old World War II veteran(or down the road Korean war, Vietnam war, OIF, OEF) deserves electricity in the middle of winter is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryfuhl Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Maybe they should be legally obligated to. Whether electricity is a universal right or not is debatable...whether or not a 93 year old World War II veteran(or down the road Korean war, Vietnam war, OIF, OEF) deserves electricity in the middle of winter is not. What if the person refuses to open the door or they can't get in contact with the person? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#98QBKiller Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 That's a damn shame. I hope his family looks to take legal action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Its fine line to walk. I think Utility companies should have leniency in regards to the elderly. Living on medicare and social security must be hard, and a humbling experience for people that have worked their whole lives, let alone a Vet. Sometimes there needs to be exceptions to the rules, or a plan for the elderly in proportion to their medicare and social security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Well, taking the vet thing off the table. The utility company knows approximately how much power is needed to get the heater working. If they set their limiter at or below that in sub freezing winter that's reprehensible. Adding the vet thing on top of it makes it totally despicable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryfuhl Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I think that it's something to look at going forward, but money won't solve anything here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mursilis Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 That's a damn shame. I hope his family looks to take legal action. If his family cared, they should've been checking on him. A 93 year-old shouldn't be living alone anyway. It's not the gov't's job to take care of the elderly; it's the family's responsibility first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmySmith Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Who's to say he wanted them over everyday? Apparently they checked within a few days. It's not uncommon for an older person to stay inside for a few days running.It was sarcasm. For the officials to imply that neighbors were at all responsible for this is reprehensible, and merely spin to deflect their liability.Although it is a good cautionary tale to keep tabs on those around you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dictator Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 If his family cared, they should've been checking on him. A 93 year-old shouldn't be living alone anyway. It's not the gov't's job to take care of the elderly; it's the family's responsibility first. one article I read said he had no children, and his wife had died several years earlier. I understand where the utility is coming from, however, it takes a pretty black heart to shut off electricity in Michigan in the winter. We also don't know if he had made any calls to the utility to work out the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sacase Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I feel sorry for the family in this situation. I thought most cities/states had laws about turning off power in the winter time? With that being said, if there was not such a law on the books I don't see how the power company was at fault. They sent him notice, the put a notice on his door they did a lot to notify him. What about his family, they should have been looking into his situation. Perhaps, he was the type of person who kept to himself. Someone from the greatest Generation should not have had to die like this, but there is far more at play here than the "evil" power company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOSH8572 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 feel bad for the guy, but all he had to do is pay his bills it takes awhile to get over a 1000 bill from the electric company, at his age he shouldnt have been living by himself. however it is sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan T. Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I feel sorry for the family in this situation. I thought most cities/states had laws about turning off power in the winter time?With that being said, if there was not such a law on the books I don't see how the power company was at fault. They sent him notice, the put a notice on his door they did a lot to notify him. What about his family, they should have been looking into his situation. Perhaps, he was the type of person who kept to himself. Someone from the greatest Generation should not have had to die like this, but there is far more at play here than the "evil" power company. I don't know if he HAD any family. He was a 93-year old widower with no children. He may have outlived all his relatives. Just a tragic story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zguy28 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Sad story. This is why it is so important to take care of our elderly. Visit them or at least try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I blame Obama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve09ru Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 sad, but after (more than likely) 7-8 months of non paid electric bills from an elderly man (or not) almost every electric company in the US would shut off power. Hell I had my power shut off for paying 1 day late. I understand he was a veteran and all and shouldn't had died that way but I don't necessarily see the electric company at fault. It's just as looking at it this way. Suppose I have a gas/wood stove that is used to heat my house but I don't have the money or wood to heat it...should the city pay for it? Again it is sad and tragic though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky21 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Officials with the Michigan Public Service Commission said Monday that the agency does not regulate municipal utilities such as the one in Bay City. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 He should have been forcibly removed and put in a home by authorities. There are worse ways to go out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#98QBKiller Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 If his family cared, they should've been checking on him. A 93 year-old shouldn't be living alone anyway. It's not the gov't's job to take care of the elderly; it's the family's responsibility first. Someone else said he had no family, so it would be the electric company's responsibility not to let this man freeze to death in his own home. Besides, the man was a WWII veteran and I'm sure he's been paying money to Social Security his entire life. He served his country, the least his country could do is keep him from freezing to death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popeman38 Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Someone else said he had no family, so it would be the electric company's responsibility not to let this man freeze to death in his own home. Besides, the man was a WWII veteran and I'm sure he's been paying money to Social Security his entire life. He served his country, the least his country could do is keep him from freezing to death. And I am sure SS has been paying him for the last 30+ years. He owed over $1000 in unpaid electric bills. He lived in this home for years, per the article. Chances are the home had alternate heating options, like a fireplace. My guess is he chose to live on his own, knowing full well that there was no one to care for him. At 93 years of age, with no family, whose to say he didn't decide it was time? My grandparents live alone in WV. They are in their upper 70's. They have both stated that they will not move out of their house. They will die in that house, whenever the time comes. Death, while sad, is a necessary evil. There is not always a negligent party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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