Hippo Hardware & Trading Co. stuck with bill for overnight window repair
Ariel Salk and Aimee Plante
Hippo Hardware & Trading Co. (Courtesy: Google Street View)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A window was repaired after an unknown person left it shattered at Hippo Hardware & Trading Company. But that was only the beginning of the trouble owners would come to face.
Window repair is standard service handled throughout Portland in which police call a contractor to board up broken windows, and the contractor bills the city. The city then bills the owner.
But managers of the well-known East Burnside business said they’re frustrated the company will have to pay an amount they didn’t agree to for a problem they didn’t cause.
When someone broke Hippo Hardware’s window late Wednesday night, employees didn’t have a chance to survey the damage before the window was boarded up with a massive piece of plywood.
“Attempts were made to contact somebody connected to the business/building but that was unsuccessful,” according to a statement from the Portland Police Bureau. “Because we did not want anyone to go inside and loot the place, we ordered a board up.”
Hardware Manager Colin Stevens said they never received a note or an email from the city or police.
“The fact that nobody dropped a card, gave us a call, said, ‘Hey, I noticed it was busted. So I covered it.’ You know, nothing like that,” Stevens said. “Oh, cool. That was completed. Oh, cool. We’re on the hook for something now. Fantastic. Always love unpaid bills.”
It is still unclear just how much Hippo Hardware will have to pay back for the service.
“You kind of get pigeonholed or cornered by the fact that crime will happen,” Stevens said. “Then it’s just like, OK, well, I did that for you, so can you please pay us now?”
It’s a service that’s faced scrutiny in the past. Last summer, Portland’s Ombudsman said the city contractor overcharged for the service and raised prices by billing people directly.
The office suggested the city hire an outside firm to audit the contractor, but that option has yet to be considered.
Authorities have yet to arrest any suspects. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact police.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.
