Former dairy farm owners suing over stray voltage

STEVENS POINT – The former owners of a Junction City dairy farm are suing a power company claiming the stray voltage hurt their cows and caused them to lose their farm.

Steven Weyerts and Annette Weyerts are suing Wisconsin Power and Light Company and Associated Electric and Gas Insurance Services because they say they were misled about voltage levels on their dairy farm at 10811 Highway N in Junction City, which they say hurt and killed their cows and caused them to lose their farm. The trial began Aug. 11 in Wood County after the case was moved from Portage County.

The Weyerts allege in the lawsuit that Wisconsin Power and Light knew about the stray voltage, which is voltage that escapes and theoretically harms people and animals affected by it, but did not tell them about the issue, The voltage injured and killed cows and forced them to sell off their herd, auction their equipment and undergo foreclosure on the farm in April 2009, the suit says. The Weyerts are also suing Associated Electric and Gas Insurance because they are supposed to be covered under one of its policies, the lawsuit claims.

The suit also named as defendants Bernard Coerper, a real estate agent in Portage County, as well as Wisconsin Power and Light employee Gary Tetzloff and insurance agent Jeffrey Filtz. The Weyerts' attorney, Russell Golla, has dismissed Coerper, Tetzloff and Filtz as defendants and may call them as witnesses during the two-week trial, according to court records.

The Weyerts claim in the lawsuit that Tetzloff tested the Junction City farm for stray voltage as late as March 2008, with the knowledge that the Weyerts planned to buy the farm and move their herd to the property. Tetzloff told the Weyerts that his tests found 0.5 volts of stray voltage; one volt and above is considered cause for concern, according to the suit.

An unlabeled circuit breaker box on the farm led to stray voltage the Weyerts said injured their herd. According to the claim, that breaker was supposed to be replaced in 2005, and would have cost $19,800 to fix. The suit alleges that that was never told to the Weyerts when they purchased the farm for roughly $77,000.

The Weyerts are asking for damages for lost milk production, the fair market value of their herd, injury to their dairy animals, loss of dairy animals, excessive feed and veterinary expenses and the loss of their Junction City farm.

Annette Weyerts declined comment on advice from her attorney. Golla did not return calls seeking comment.

Annemarie Newman, a spokeswoman for Wisconsin Power and Light parent company Alliant Energy, said the company normally doesn't comment on pending litigation.

"We believe the service we provided to the farm met regulatory standards," Newman said.

B.C. Kowalski can be reached at 715-345-2251. Find him on Twitter as @BCreporter.