Cyprus Mail
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I’m stranded with no electricity after estate agent ripped me off

letters 1 grammata

I am a Kostas Georgiou, 50 years old with cerebral palsy since I was eight months old – the polio vaccine gave me the deformity – and all my left side is shorter than my right, my left hand does not function and I have a limp.

In June I viewed a third floor apartment in Paralimni and I liked it, and its amazing sea view and only €470. I told the agent then and there I wanted it, he told me an electrician had to come and make an application to the EAC to connect me. About a week later the agent called me and said the electrician had been but EAC cannot connect me for 6-8 weeks.

The electric told EAC I had a one-year contact starting August 1, 2022 .The agent told me that they will connect me to the communal electricity box so I would have electric until EAC came to connect me properly.

I moved in on August 1, 2022, and all rent was paid to the estate agent in Larnaca who pulled a fast one and issued me an electricity bill for €427. I responded that’s not mine that’s the whole communal charges, and said I wanted a true bill with the kilowatts I used in my apartment.

This was in January 2023. We paid the rent and gave the estate agent €100 for my electric, which he accepted and I got a receipt for. But he was not happy. In February one morning I got a phone call from his electrician saying he’s coming to cut my electric and EAC will come to connect me. I said no, when EAC connects me you can disconnect me on same day.

I waited but no sign of them, so I went out on chores and when I got back at 5pm I had no electric. We went to EAC to put it in my name and get it connected and this is what the manager of EAC said: the apartment has been empty since March 31, 2016. EAC removed the metre and no one has lived there since. They said they cannot connect me because there are issues and no meter.

The EAC DID NOT give the estate agent any authority to connect me to the communal metre, which was a criminal act by the estate agent. I’ve been down the police station and filed a criminal complaint but they do not seem to see it as criminal. I’m living in an apartment for the past three months without electricity for a fridge and cooking. It’s freezing without electricity.

I am disabled man living with two beautiful dogs that give unconditional love, that are like humans and very loving with everyone and everything. They feel me suffering and the stressful, inhumane conditions that we live in. This is torture and I only get disability allowance which is not enough to get a new home with deposits and rent is sky high. I cannot find anything in my budget but I am not moving out until I get compensation for crimes against humanity and unlawful binding contract as this apartment was empty since March 31, 2016 and the metre was removed by EAC.

No authorities care or can help.

Kostas Georgiou,

Paralimni

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