A Massachusetts homeowner experienced a frustrating situation when the solar company Sunrun delayed transferring ownership of rooftop solar panels after buying a home.
The homeowner sought legal counsel and eventually got the company to transfer the solar system to their name.
The scoop
As described in a Reddit post to r/solar, the solar panels had already been fully paid off at closing. However, the homeowner still hadn't received payoff confirmation or ownership documents two and a half weeks later.
The OP discovered that the panels were still listed under the seller's name. They publicly called out Sunrun for failing to deliver on its promises to remedy the situation.
"How in the heck the company would allow that is beyond me," the OP wrote.
After making the initial post, the OP updated it to share that Sunrun finally transferred the system to their name.
How it's helping
The OP's post about their solar panel frustrations highlights the importance of ownership transfers and payoff confirmations.
It's a cautionary tale for anyone considering buying a home with an existing solar installation or leased system. There is a certain amount of complexity involved in solar ownership transfers that new home buyers should be aware of.
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Clear documentation is crucial to describe how solar systems will be handled during a home sale. There's a significant need for proactive communication between homeowners and solar companies. Improved transparency and accountability in the solar industry are key as well.
Although the OP's solar experience was initially frustrating, they can now hopefully enjoy the money-saving, pollution-reducing benefits of their solar setup.
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What everyone's saying
Reddit users sympathized with the OP and shared their feedback in the comments.
"If the system is already paid off, they don't really gain anything by hanging on to the title," one Reddit user wrote. "Sounds like it's bad customer service here."
"Some patience is called for," a Redditor suggested. "But keep after them."
"Good on you for getting them to buy the panels out, though," someone else commented. "Smart move."
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