Olderqt, this was what I was afraid of, as I mentioned in my answer to your second post. Has there been severe electrical storms or ice-storms in your neighborhood recently? From your earlier descriptions and especially the mention of 4 feet of bad wire, it sounded like the wires in the conduit from your meter box to the weatherhead might be burnt. You say power was surged in and caused breaks in the inside wiring? This would not normally happen because of the power company turning your power back on- there most likely was a defect in the wiring to begin with. The question remains- what caused the damage?
Was the Craigslist electrician a licensed electrician? If your electrical problems are solved (and by solved I mean not just working but also inspected by somebody who knows what he's doing), then that electrician will be able to explain what was repaired and what sort of damage it was. You need that electrician to help you tell the tale of what happened to a lawyer or consumer rights advocate.
