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Scarborough woman looks to join lawsuit against CMP after $1484 bill for empty condo


Sally Trussell is looking to be added as a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against CMP.
Sally Trussell is looking to be added as a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against CMP.
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SCARBOROUGH (WGME) -- A proposed class-action lawsuit against Central Maine Power is expanding with more allegations and defendants, including the company's CEO.

"It's the first winter we've been away," said Sally Trussell, a CMP customer.

Last November, Trussell and her husband closed their Scarborough condo and headed to South Carolina for six months. She expected their CMP bill to go down, but that's not what happened.

"I remember because it was on my birthday," she said. "What a present."

In February, she was billed nearly $1500, reflecting a huge spike in usage. In fact, it was more than almost six times the year before when the couple was actually living there.

"It was empty," said Trussell.

She said she canceled her Autopay account after that big bill, but CMP continued to withdraw payments three more times.

Trussell is one of two customers looking to be added as a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the company. A motion filed last week also looks to name parent company Iberdrola and CEO Doug Herling as defendants.

Herling is accused of making false statements in a letter sent to customers in January 2019.

The suit also alleges the company intended to over bill customers and cover up known billing errors.

"I think it's fraud," said Trussell. "I do now."

The I-Team reached out to CMP, but we were told the company won't comment on pending litigation.

In a letter obtained by the I-Team, Herling tells employees he's been named a defendant and says their legal team is working hard to defend the company

Trussell says she can't trust the company.

"Now when I get a bill in the mail, I don't know if it's true or not," she said.

Attorneys say the lawsuit is on hold for now, as the state's investigation into metering and billing continues. They expect a judge to revisit the issue in November.

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