FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida Power and Light crews have restored power to an auto repair shop in Fort Lauderdale, days after they shut it off by mistake.
Ben Levy, the owner of Wales Garage, said his troubles started Saturday morning.
“I received a phone call that there was no power here at the shop,” he said.
The family-owned auto repair shop has been fixing engines in South Florida since 1975, a tough job that’s impossible to do without electricity.
Levy said FPL was supposed to turn the power off to a billboard that hovers just above the garage, but crews made a mistake and turned off his instead.
“We went outside and saw that the meters were missing and that the drop from the power pole had been removed,” he said.
His neighbors’ security cameras showed the power truck as it pulled up Friday afternoon. The workers’ bucket went up, and the power was cut off.
“FPL actually admitted that they went to the wrong address, that they removed the drop improperly, and that the meter cans didn’t need to be replaced,” said Levy.
In a statement to 7News, FPL spokesperson Matt Eissey wrote, “We are aware of a situation involving FPL crews who recently went to an incorrect address in Fort Lauderdale for scheduled work. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our customer. We restored service to the customer earlier today and continue to work directly with him regarding this situation.”
Levy said he felt a lot better when he saw the power trucks roll in Monday afternoon and restore his power.
“It was a relief to see them turning the corner and then coming up and saying, ‘We know we made a mistake. We’re gonna make this right for you,'” he said.
Levy said he understands things can happen, but he had to rent an expensive generator to keep his shop up and running throughout the weekend, and he hopes he is able to recoup those costs.
“Hopefully they’ll reimburse us for what it’s cost,” he said.
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