Consumer Sunday: power of attorney and BGE's tree-trimming schedules
Power of attorney is an important responsibility, so choose wisely, Eileen warned us this week.
According to Eileen's column yesterday,
... the power of attorney gives your "agent," the person acting on your behalf, broad authority over your finances with little or no monitoring.
Few protections exist, unfortunately, to keep the person you've selected from paying their own bills with your savings if you're unable to make those decisions yourself.
AARP is lobbying to have a Uniform Power of Attorney Act to try to keep folks from taking advantage, but until then, consider requiring the agent to share financial records with someone else, to ensure that no hanky-panky happens.
And over in Watchdog World, we addressed a pretty common reader complaint ...
... tree limbs that threaten power lines.
If you see a problem tree, you can report it to BGE by calling 410-685-0123 or filling out a non-emergency BGE problem form online.
You could also check BGE's online tree trimming schedule to find out when they'll be in your area. (I've only gotten it to work in Internet Explorer --- no FireFox or Safari.)
Find out more about how and why the company trims trees near utility poles on the BGE tree care FAQ.
