Hackettstown Corporation

On 2/13/2019 we delivered to ....The driver struggled to access the fill location because the home owner was not considerate enough to salt or sand the icy passage way to her fill location. A malfunction in the vent alarm on the customer's tank caused a quick overflow mist and luckily the driver was diligent in his response to shut down the nozzle. The driver carries an oil absorbent pad with him as standard procedure. He used one single pad to wipe the vent pipe and the small area where a mist of foam had landed on the ice below. This area was less than 1' in diameter. The ice, as mentioned by the customer, proved as a barrier to the soil below, so no further action was needed. We received a call from the customer that the tank was leaking inside the house. We sent a sub contractor to the job site, who indicated there was no evidence of discharge on the outside of the home and the old rusty tank had ruptures on the inside. We referred the customer to another company in *** that was available to install and emergency replacement tank. Ms. did not like that this company was related to the owners of Hackettstown Oil, although an entirely separate business. She decided to hire her own contractor, well within her right. Ms *** decided to call in a remediation team also. She later provided us with the NJ DEP case files that indicated no trace of contamination from the soil which was removed. The way Ms *** handled this entire situation is very suspicious. She was converting to gas, yet requested her oil tank to be filled. In addition Ms *** accepted the "Terms and Conditions" of our delivery policies when she placed her order on our website. The clause that pertains to a situation like this reads: "I certify that my fuel storage tank and all connected piping are in good operating condition, free from leaks, and installed according to local building code. I understand and agree that Hackettstown Oil is not to be held liable in cases where my equipment is not in proper operating order, such as inoperable vent alarm (whistle), PVC piping, or other unsafe or environmentally risky circumstance." Lastly, a properly vented oil tank has a 2" inlet and a 2" outlet. At no time is there any pressure built up inside the tank. This would not change in an over-fill scenario. We can gladly provide much expert testimony to this point, upon request. In the majority of cases where oil tanks fail it is during or shortly after the delivery. These tanks are typically over 10 years old and Ms. tank was clearly well beyond that. The reason that tanks rupture during or shortly after delivery is because they receive the added weight of oil. For example, 1/4 of a 275 gallon tank weighs roughly 400 lbs. When that tank is filled roughly 1200 lbs is added to the tank. This is standard procedure and because the tank is inside the home the driver cannot determine the condition of the tank. In fact a visual inspection does not certify a tanks integrity either. Tanks should be replaced based on age. It would seem since Ms. had recently had a company there to quote the removal of her tank and conversion to gas, she was aware that her tank age was a risky situation. In short Ms. is asking us to pay for contamination that her own remediation's test results prove did not exist. We have ignored Ms. threats to slander our company on social media and suggested she proceed with the courts if she did not like our position and the findings of our insurance company. We will seek to recoup our legal defense expense in the event of a ruling on our behalf, because we find this to be both a suspicious and frivolous accusation. Respectfully submitted, Christopher C. C...CFO Hackettstown Oil Corporation