After what she described as frequent power outages and a lack of resolution by other means, a Missouri City resident filed a complaint against CenterPoint Energy in small claims court. Rhonda Johnson is seeking $5,000 in damages to repair or replace appliances damaged by the power outages.

Johnson filed the complaint in the Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Court. She previously filed a complaint about the issue with the Public Utilities Commission and said she intended to appear before the commission June 29.

“Myself, alone with other homeowners, have taken necessary legal and proper protocol to resolve and rectify the situation … All have been unsuccessful,” said Johnson’s letter of notice to the court.

In the letter, Johnson claimed that CenterPoint's "faulty" equipment caused outages and that company officials failed to tell residents when the CenterPoint’s technicians were dispatched to meet with an electrician hired by residents. Johnson also claimed that employees insulted and patronized residents.

As a part-time shuttle driver for Houston Methodist Hospital, Johnson said she cannot afford to replace her broken appliances. The damaged items include a refrigerator, TV, oven, microwaves, light bulbs, stereo components and an air conditioner, she said.

After CenterPoint failed to appear in court for mediation on June 7, the court granted a request to reschedule mediation. A new date has not been set yet, a court official said June 27.

CenterPoint attorney Stephanie Bundage said the company failed to appear because it did not receive initial notice of the date. While she is listed as the defendant’s legal representative on the complaint in Fort Bend County, Bundage said she is not personally working on the case and that another company attorney would handle the complaint.

Bundage is, however, working on the complaint at the PUC, she said. CenterPoint spokesperson Alicia Dixon said CenterPoint would not comment on the case while litigation is pending.

“Overall, the safe reliable delivery of electricity is our No. 1 priority,” she said.

After reading about similar power outages in the Sienna Plantation master-planned community, Johnson said she reached out to the neighborhood’s homeowners association to discuss the issue.

Residents in the community previously complained about outages and power surges around the neighborhood, regardless of weather conditions. CenterPoint blamed the issues on vegetation around power lines and inclement weather, and employees said improvements would be made as of May or June.

Sandy Denton, general manager for Sienna Plantation Associations, said that since discussing the matter with the company in January, most of the outages had been resolved.

“So far it’s been successful,” Denton said. “[CenterPoint has] been doing quite a bit of work.”