What's going at Blue Angel?

[blue steal]

Thanks for the updates Christi.
So the blue angel (hotel part) is now back in business?

 

[Christi]

Thanks for the updates Christi.
So the blue angel (hotel part) is now back in business?

Yes it is - I will be over there tomorrow to swim and have breakfast so I'll be able to personally and double confirm - but I got the good news on expert authority

 

[Zman96]

I drove by a while ago and saw lights on at the hotel part now as well.

 

[Sideways]

Awesome news! Way to go Eva!!! Can't wait... 1 more month and we're there Thanks for the updates Christi!

 

[Christi]

Let there be light!!!! Lights are ON! Carry-on with your vacation plans at Blue Angel!

 

[ggunn]

Let there be light!!!! Lights are ON! Carry-on with your vacation plans at Blue Angel!

Indeed they are. My wife, mom, daughter and sister were there a few days ago on a cruise stopover. They spent some time with Eva and got the straight skinny on what happened, and here is what I gleaned from talking to my wife about it when she got back (DISCLAIMER: This is third hand information):

BA had some work done on the electrical system that required an inspection. In the course of the inspection the utility discovered some sort of device installed on the feeder to the hotel that somehow reduced the amount of consumed energy registering on the utility meter. I work in the energy sector and I deal with electrical services all the time, and I cannot conceive of what that device would be, but anyway, the device, whatever it was, had obviously been there a very long time, and Eva is not being accused of having it installed during her tenure as owner.

The utility shut down power to the hotel and refused to reconnect the service until Eva could come up with ~$60k to compensate them for the energy they estimated had been stolen from them during the time the device was in place. Eva had to get legal representation to help her negotiate with the utility, helping her make the point that if they shut down the hotel there is no way that Eva could ever pay them the money. Apparently they made a deal which allows her to pay them some sum of money over some interval of years, and power was restored.

 

[blue steal]

Indeed they are. My wife, mom, daughter and sister were there a few days ago on a cruise stopover. They spent some time with Eva and got the straight skinny on what happened, and here is what I gleaned from talking to my wife about it when she got back (DISCLAIMER: This is third hand information):

BA had some work done on the electrical system that required an inspection. In the course of the inspection the utility discovered some sort of device installed on the feeder to the hotel that somehow reduced the amount of consumed energy registering on the utility meter. I work in the energy sector and I deal with electrical services all the time, and I cannot conceive of what that device would be, but anyway, the device, whatever it was, had obviously been there a very long time, and Eva is not being accused of having it installed during her tenure as owner.

The utility shut down power to the hotel and refused to reconnect the service until Eva could come up with ~$60k to compensate them for the energy they estimated had been stolen from them during the time the device was in place. Eva had to get legal representation to help her negotiate with the utility, helping her make the point that if they shut down the hotel there is no way that Eva could ever pay them the money. Apparently they made a deal which allows her to pay them some sum of money over some interval of years, and power was restored.

Thanks for the update ggunn.
Hope to see you down there one day.

 

[DandyDon]

Wow! How unfair. I still can't imagine a scamming device tho? Another odd, Mexican story....

 

[Christi]

BA had some work done on the electrical system that required an inspection. In the course of the inspection the utility discovered some sort of device installed on the feeder to the hotel that somehow reduced the amount of consumed energy registering on the utility meter. I work in the energy sector and I deal with electrical services all the time, and I cannot conceive of what that device would be, but anyway, the device, whatever it was, had obviously been there a very long time, and Eva is not being accused of having it installed during her tenure as owner.

It is called a "Diablo" - and it's a magnet of some sort that slows down the meter. They used to be very common here when there was no regulation or monitoring by the electric company. This is why it was not caught before and also further evidence in Eva's favor that this device has been there for YEARS installed by one of the previous owners of the hotel - probably all the way back to BEFORE the Blue Angel days (pre-Alejandra).

There is no way that Eva could have even known it was there unless she went out and opened up the meter herself (and why would she do that) - from my understanding, it's a device that actually has to be installed inside the meter and you cannot see it from visual inspection! There would be no way for her to even suspect anything based on regular utility consumption and no irregularities over the past few years of her owning the property.

I am thrilled for her that she was able to get it worked out - and that she met with the powers that be outside of Cozumel and actually have authority and insight to make reasonable decisions.

I suspect there will be more stories of this on the island as the electric company changes all of the residential and commercial meters to digital meters.

This is a double hit as well because now electricity will be twice as expensive for Eva at the hotel now that this device has been removed. So please, be conservative with your electricity when staying on the island - you all really have no idea how outrageous electricity is here - I read somewhere that is was 3x's more than in the average US city. Turn off your AC, fans and lights when not in your room, open the doors and windows when weather permits. Especially when staying in a privately owned hotel, condo or house - this is a HUGE expense for property owners and I am sure they will appreciate your conservatism

 

[Midge907]

This sure seems unfair to me, sounds like a good bit of curuption to make her pay for the device being installed, unless they can prove that she had prior knowledge of it, and/or had it installed. Yes she is the owner of the property, however is she technically the owner of the meter? Where I live, the meter is owned by the electrical utility and has a tamper evident tag on it. Bad thing for everyone is when utility rates go up, the rates of everything including your dive/stay package goes up, and in turn you may get less business. Less business means less electrical usage and income to the power utility. Just my .02 which isn't worth .01