Millington

MLGW reverses, returning money

Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division relented Thursday and told an impoverished Millington woman it would return $77 she overpaid.

Last week, Teressa Leith mistakenly gave the power company a $270 rent check made out to Millington Oaks Apartments. She owed MLGW only $193.

When she called the next day to ask for her check back, the utility told her no. Instead, it planned to credit the extra $77 to her next power bill.

Trouble was, Leith really needed the $77 for food and medicine. Her only income is a $637 disability check from Social Security.

She contacted the newspaper, which called the utility.

MLGW usually credits overpayments because it would be inefficient to continually cut checks, spokesman Chris Stanley said.

- Tom Bailey Jr.

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Originally published by Tom Bailey Jr. .

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