Home repairs

Hi,

I'm Edward Bucci. I'm a disabled combat veteran from the Iraq war. I'm on a fixed income because I can't find anyone who wants to hire me with my physical limitations as a manual laborer, which is what I do and love doing. I bought my house 12 years ago in Philadelphia. I noticed after I bought my house, I did not have any outside outlets for water and gas shut off. Also, no outlet to clean the sewer line like the other neighbors have. I've tried for years to get the city to tell me where these outlets are on my property, only to be ignored or told to call a plumber and have them figure it out. I did not know about 811 until I decided to start digging little by little myself.

My sewer pipe is rotted and collapsing on itself and has old tree roots growing through it. The gas line was so corroded and was a mercury line that is now illegal. That's why, because of me just tapping that line and causing the already small gas leak to turn into a big one, the neighbors get free replacements while I get stuck with a bill from the gas company for $10,000 just to put a boot on the pipe to slow the gas spilling out until they were able to locate the neighbor's shut off and dig up the sidewalk to cut my line off, as I did not have one for some reason.

The water line also was old and did the same thing as it busted and couldn't shut off the water at the street, so I had to bend the pipe when I couldn't get a clean cut to at least add a ball valve to get temporary water reconnection back flowing to the house.

So now I'm without water and sewer till I can come up with the money to get them fixed. I told the gas company no to rerunning a new line as I'm sure they would charge me for that and I'm over gas, as houses have been exploding because they don't fix the lines until they blow.

I need $5,500 for the water to be properly fixed and also finally will have a shut off at the curb like I should have had when I bought the house.

The sewer replacement is $20,000 and that's an estimate; it could be more or less. I was trying for financing for that, but a bank won't touch me because I'm on a fixed income and my credit is shot.

I'm just so defeated at this point and hate asking for help because normally I'm always helping people and never get any in return, which I've become accustomed to. I help people when they need it because I know what it's like to need it and not have it and wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!