Topic 'Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement' in forum 'AT&T Southwest' - dslreports.com

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 07:19:30 EDT

anon posted :

said by David:

I shot it on already and had a reply from earlier this afternoon. I was advised it's being investigated.

Thanks. I appreciate it.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 21:33:58 EDT

David posted : I shot it on already and had a reply from earlier this afternoon. I was advised it's being investigated.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 19:30:30 EDT

anon posted : David, info has been sent to your email address above.

Thanks.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:05:23 EDT

David posted :

said by marcusa007 :

@David what details do you need and what do you mean with post in direct?

I was thinking you had an account here. Email me the details to helprequest at sbcglobal dot net.

Like location of incident, who you are, best contact number, alternate number to call, and such.
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Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:29:33 EDT

cwcjr posted : The easement appears to be the entire 5 feet on both sides of the property line. Note the 10.0' dimension line (arrows) just above the word "UTILITY".

Not withstanding that interpretation issue, I hope they have fixed the problem by now. It was inappropriate routing, in any case.

With trees, you generally have the right to go straight up the property line and cut off overhanging limbs. (The city and the utilities do it over the easement to protect power lines, especially in snow, hurricane, and tornado prone states.) In this case it would seem that anything beyond the easement is at risk.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:16:37 EDT

Strange Data posted : Just make a complaint to the Public Utilities Commission in your county. Also, as mentioned before, if carrying (or the possiblity of carrying dialtone), do not cut that wire.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:35:45 EDT

sparks posted : well I am getting mad for you this sucks.

Start respecting peoples property rights.
Remember they own all politicians and you are just a crap citizen with no rights so forget that line if you finally get to talk to someone.

try to talk to someone in little rock ar about something like this.
We have a public service commission.
Its on the ground floor of the electric company.
gives you a warm feeling all over.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:31:32 EDT

blakbas posted : A complaint to your county or the State Corporation Commission will usually get your problem resolved if AT&T doesn't seem to be in any big hurry. And yes that is in fact a temporary cable providing service to your neighbor. And no, when the perm cable is placed, it will not cross your yard in the same fashion as the temp is running.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:08:48 EDT

tigerpaw509 posted : I wouldnt cut it intentionally but if it got cut accidentally thats a different store.The company is 100% wrong and as a tech myself I wouldnt even think of cutting across someone else s lot

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:46:31 EDT

Gilitar posted : That sucks! At&t is the worst telecom company out there IMO. As soon as cable becomes available here I'm switching.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:19:51 EDT

anon posted : First off thanks to all of you who have given advice, thanks for taking time and doing so. It helped me in my decision making.

@ScrawnyB I don't really know what you are referring to with white trash drama. No white trash here. Just trying to figure things out.

@Matt thanks for the info and for forwarding the info to David.

@David what details do you need and what do you mean with post in direct?

So here is an update. I called At&t back since the managing field person for Dallas did not do what he said he would when I reached him on Saturday and look up who is responsible for Tarrant county. He wanted to do that when he got back in on Tuesday after Labor Day. Imagine that an AT&T worker not doing what they said they would. Impossible! LOL So on this call we created a new trouble ticket since we finally figured out that Tarrant County customers do not belong in the Dallas county system. Someone was supposed to show up and look at stuff on Friday and call me back. Friday night I come home cable in the same place and no phone call. Geez AT&T why are you disappointing me? You have been so reliable. LOL So back on the phone because I love spending my Friday night with AT&T listening to their awesome on hold tunes until the extended wait, they always seem to have, is over. Again a voice on the other end with apologies and we love that you are a customer blahblahblah. Again the promise to have someone over the next day. Maybe AT&T can make a board game out of all the games they play. So Saturday rolls around and I am working in the yard. Around noon I walk through my yard with some 1x2's and in the hurry forgot the stupid cable to once again trip over it. I don't trip and fall it's just enough to piss you off. About 20 minutes later my neighbor (not the one where the cable is coming from) popped over the fence telling me that AT&T just knocked on the guys house where the issue cable comes from and no one is home. AT&T guy gets into his car and is getting ready to leave. I catch him at the street and ask him if he is here to fix the cable going across the yard. His answer: "No, I am here to look at the TV not working". Well damn, I should have called and said my TV is not working they would have been out quicker. I told him that I have an issue with the cable for that service running through my yard. He got out (not happy that he now can't just take off) and follows me to the yard. I show him the mess and he said "How else are we supposed to get service to the customer?". I told him that is what easements are for. Then he pretty much told me they can enter anywhere and run cable wherever they want but he thinks it should have not been done like that. Another crew would be out in 7-10 days since he put a request in. Ok now I am starting to think when did he put a request in, we just met and looked at all of this? I tell him that I have a feeling that it will be buried where it is laying right now. He had the nerve to tell me "ohhh no they would never do that". LOL right I forgot I am dealing with AT&T. We talk a bit more and come to find out he was there for the cable on Friday and just walked up and looked over the fence of the customers house where the cable is coming from. He felt it all looked good and never bothered to look over my fence. Funny thing is I called this in with my address. Finally he agreed to move it and I showed him where the easement behind the properties is. It is a 8-10 feet wide strip of tall grass with some bushed and lots of utility flags (fairly new). Hah, looks like some other companies actually know where the easements are. He did not like the idea back there, grass must have been to tall. Now he is running the line all the way through the customers yard and at the very back of my fence he is cutting across right along my fence line inside my property. It boils down to pure laziness and whatever they can get away with. At least now no one can trip over it.

My main worry was that the cable was going to be buried in the middle of my yard and every time I want to do something I have to watch out for that cable or if they need to access the cable they would trample through my yard. After all the cable only gets put 6 inches deep. Good luck on not hitting that on accident over time.

Again AT&T what are easements for? Start respecting peoples property rights.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:56:00 EDT

David posted : I got matt's voxer message, Can you send me some details or post in direct?

Thanks
David

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:42:22 EDT

mmay149q posted : If you're still having issue with this, and no one at AT&T is helping you, contact uversecare@att.com those guys are some of the best, and if it's not a U-verse cable they can get it in the eyes of some people pretty high up, and get the ball rolling on this, another thing to do would be to contact David here on the forums, or post in the AT&T forums here for David to get to you.

Matt

P.S. I've forwarded this over to David to review.
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Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:41:35 EDT

ScrawnyB posted : On the next episode of "WHY'S THAT SHIT IN MY YARD?!" ... lol... sounds like a white trash drama. Anyways, I want to know what's going on too, so you better give us an update, OP.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 12:35:51 EDT

sparks posted : ok whats happening today.
This is like a tv show but better.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 17:44:31 EDT

anon posted : Here is what I would do -- I would put a "nick" in the cable that will disrupt the service -- something that is not readily apparent to the eye. This way you skip the idea of cutting it, but you still force the tech to visit the property.

Once he arrives, whip out your fancy diagram above, and kindly explain to him where he went wrong and request that he fix it accordingly.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:50:46 EDT

pokesph posted : yank on it real hard to disco it from the source and coil it up and throw the coiled cable over your neighbors (the att customer's) fence. done.

seriously, I'd be all over AT&T until they sent out a tech supervisor to remove it.

Consult legal advice and charge att rent for the time the cable was using your yard for access, outside the easement.
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Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:37:01 EDT

anon posted : I wouldn't cut the cable if I were you.
Suppose you cut it, and your neighbor needs 911.
That neighbor could end up suing you, even though you are within
your so-called rights. (We don't have rights anymore in this country.)
I do agree though that the installer should have asked you if it was OK
to run a temporary line. Me, I wouldn't have a problem with it if asked,
but it seems these installers think they can do what they want.
Still though, CYA.....

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:41:33 EDT

mackey posted :

said by scross:

said by vz sux :

its low voltage 48 volts dc just take a pair of wire cutters and cut it. It looks like they laid it on the grass for temporary service, but they shouldn't have done it without asking permission, they went on your property without permission. easements are only when they are going to place a pole in your yard, or dig it up to bury the cable for a permanent thing

IIRC, ring voltage is something like 100+ volts AC, so just hope the phone doesn't ring while you're messing around.

Doesn't matter, it's current limited. It might sting a bit but it won't kill you. They wouldn't leave the binding posts and punchdown blocks exposed like they do if it could cause serious injury.

/M

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:21:14 EDT

anon posted : I will cut the damn thing since you have a survey map showing where the easement is.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 17:30:56 EDT

Gilitar posted : If you leave it like it is, they may bury it right where it lies. Cut it now before they can.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:22:54 EDT

ropeguru posted : My opinion, the repair tech that came out did not have enough cable to run the poperty line and easement. So he took what he had on the truck and took the most direct route to get it to work.

He should be fired. But as someone else mentioned, he is probably a CWA worker and will get promoted instead.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:42:37 EDT

8744675 posted : It's time to mow the back yard. Cable and all~!

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:17:44 EDT

insomniac84 posted :

said by marcusa007 :

I understand the whole easement thing and that is not the case here. This is called a lazy installer. I have called AT&T and they are about as helpful as talking to a rock :( I was supposed to get a field supervisor to call me on Friday. Nothing! I called back and was told they are running behind and would get all call first thing in the morning. Again, nothing. Is there anything I can do legally to get this taken care of.

Cut the cable, they will be out to rerun it as soon as the new customer calls them about a lack of service.

As long as the cable line is working for the customer, you are at the bottom of the line for any tech to come out and fix it. It could be there until next summer, or never even fixed. You cut that cable, they will fix it within a day.

The way the work is prioritized is probably out of the tech's hands. If they get caught wasting time on low priority work, they get in trouble. You cut the cable, they can then get past the red tape and fix it.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:28:04 EDT

scross posted :

said by vz sux :

IIRC, ring voltage is something like 100+ volts AC, so just hope the phone doesn't ring while you're messing around.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 11:58:50 EDT

cowboyro posted : Obviously it's a cable they forgot to remove. So you do them a favor and remove it for them after it accidentally gets caught in the mower... I wouldn't hesitate for a second.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 19:42:10 EDT

Austinloop posted : Your knowledge of easements are somewhat lacking.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:56:37 EDT

Hellrazor posted : Mistakenly loop it over the ball hitch on someones vehicle... oooooops :D

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:54:25 EDT

anon posted : its low voltage 48 volts dc just take a pair of wire cutters and cut it. It looks like they laid it on the grass for temporary service, but they shouldn't have done it without asking permission, they went on your property without permission. easements are only when they are going to place a pole in your yard, or dig it up to bury the cable for a permanent thing

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:23:14 EDT

BronsCon posted :

said by marcusa007 :

Welcome to Russia.

In Soviet Back Yard, cord cuts YOU!

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:08:39 EDT

Darknessfall posted : Crazy O_O.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 20:59:47 EDT

anon posted : Very interesting take with the 911. Definitely don't want to get the short end of the stick :( There have been crazy developments on Sunday. Remember the pitbull I mentioned? Well he decided to jump the fence Saturday to Sunday night. Sadly he was chained up and when he did that he hung himself, hanging on my side of the fence. I noticed that he was hanging there around lunch. I called animal control and they showed up with the police and got the dog to be cremated. Since I had a policeman right next to me I told him that I have been having issues with the cable since Thursday night and that I have called At&t to give them a 12 hour notice or I will remove it. I had also told him that a child has tripped. He said he understands where I am coming from and told me to get legal advice before I do anything to the cable. He told me I would be surprised at what rights the phone companies have. He said better safe then sorry. Awesome weekend. So no cutting :( Welcome to Russia.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:50:16 EDT

en103 posted :

said by maxboha:

Time to get out your lawnmower !

Yup... I would be running my mower as well. I don't expect a black cord to be running across the middle of my yard.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:25:55 EDT

Ahuacamolli posted : Unless, and until you are absolutely certain that there is no recorded, or prescriptive easement, I would suggest that you not sever or damage that wire.

I suggest that you contact an experienced, reputable real estate attorney. A reputable attorney will not charge you for an initial consultation to determine whether or not you have any claim. Take a copy of your title insurance policy (Which will show all recorded and observed prescriptive easements as exceptions affecting your ownership of your property) with you to the attorney.

The attorney will likely advise you to

A. Contact the utility in writing asking them what right they have to run the line across your yard. He'll also likely offer to conduct that contact on your behalf, for a fee.

B. Advise you to file a report of trespassing with your local law enforcement agency.

Consider:

1. What are the damages to you?

2. The possibility that what you see is simply a dropped aerial wire that was running between the pole and the home to which it is/was connected.

3. The possibility that such an aerial drop line might be permitted as an ancillary right with a recorded easement.

4. Utility companies generally have the right of access to exercise their rights. In some states, and except in a case of emergency, the utility must provide prior notice of their exercise of such right. In California such notice must be in writing, and provided at least 72 hours in advance.

Bottom line, you're spinning your wheels needlessly, and possibly making it extremely easy for the utility to take advantage of you, unless you contact an attorney.

I live in California where I once had a cable company enter my backyard, without any notification, by jumping over a locked gate (breaking the latch and one of two hinges) marked with a no trespassing sign, WHILE I WAS HOME, to gain access to a telephone pole in the backyard of an adjoining neighbor, in order to install service to yet another neighbor. Mine was the only yard without a dog present. It was my dog who was in the house with me who alerted me to an intruder and, once allowed to go outside into the backyard, prevented the cable installer's escape until the local police department arrived. Within 4 weeks, and with the representation of an attorney, the cable company settled my claim against them, without the filing of any court action, with a check for $11,500.00, and my signature upon a document relinquishing my right to pursue the matter further. The attorney took his 40% from that award, less the $500.00 he'd charged me for writing the letters and conducting the telephone conversations with the cable company's attorneys.

Some things are worth pursuing. Some aren't.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:17:05 EDT

Darknessfall posted : ^^^^

Lol

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:15:14 EDT

battleop posted : "Someone isn't going to have a job real soon when they figure out what boob did that."

No, the CWA will see that this guy is promoted.
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Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:33:28 EDT

MrFixit1 posted : "and one kid has already tripped over this cable "
I wonder how ATT would react when you call and ask them for the claim forms related to injures caused be their illegally routed cable :D

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:21:03 EDT

KrK posted : Looks like a temporary service drop to me. Either way it's still BS, the should have run it along the property lines (in the easement.)

You can call them and tell them to come move it or you could just weed whack it or have your dog chew it. That would work too. :D
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Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 11:46:15 EDT

camaro92 posted : Someone isn't going to have a job real soon when they figure out what boob did that.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 10:08:43 EDT

Cheese posted : I thought he was with ATT and is the homeowner?

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 09:47:06 EDT

wesm posted : You can remove items that are not inside the easement, EXCEPT for devices that carry 911 service. Under Texas law, it is illegal (and, depending on what happens if/after you do it, a felony) to interrupt 911 access even if the device in question is on your property and shouldn't be there. If AT&T has told you that the cable is carrying phone service, tread very lightly. I have worked with a company in north Texas--I used to live there--that accidentally cut a 20 pair cable running to a building in an apartment complex. They got criminally fined for all of the telephone subscribers in that building who stopped having 911 access for five hours.

You can still sue AT&T and the homeowner for violating your property rights (especially since you're not subject to arbitration under an AT&T contract because you're not an AT&T subscriber in this instance) but I'd be leery of chopping that cable to bits, knowing what you've told us here.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 08:14:04 EDT

Darknessfall posted : If I had to do this I would be dying laughing the whole time I was doing it :).

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 05:12:29 EDT

Anonymous_ posted :

said by marcusa007 :

So tired of dealing with this bunch of incompetent idiots at AT&T. I called today at 11 am to let them know that I am done with their games and they have 12 hours to remove the cable or I will remove it for them. One of the guys slipped and told me they passed the ticket to a field supervisor on Saturday at 11 am. WTF? I called at 9 am on Friday and was told that it would be done right away. So I guess when I called Saturday morning pissed off that no one came by or returned my call, they finally send the ticket out. Tired of the games. It is Holiday weekend and I am having people over at different times and one kid has already tripped over this cable. They have their final notice and it will be cut today.

just cut the cable all ready.

lawn mowers do a good job.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:24:58 EDT

nokiatech posted : What are you waiting for? It's been 4 days. Go cut it already.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 14:23:09 EDT

anon posted : So tired of dealing with this bunch of incompetent idiots at AT&T. I called today at 11 am to let them know that I am done with their games and they have 12 hours to remove the cable or I will remove it for them. One of the guys slipped and told me they passed the ticket to a field supervisor on Saturday at 11 am. WTF? I called at 9 am on Friday and was told that it would be done right away. So I guess when I called Saturday morning pissed off that no one came by or returned my call, they finally send the ticket out. Tired of the games. It is Holiday weekend and I am having people over at different times and one kid has already tripped over this cable. They have their final notice and it will be cut today.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 10:26:06 EDT

scross posted : I actually have a small phone wiring box in the rear corner of my backyard, which most of the time I all but forget is there. It of course feeds my house and all of my neighbors, where the buried wiring nicely follows the fence line (I know this because I've had it marked out for me before). In the 25 years I've lived here, where at least one of us was usually at home during the day, I only know of it having been accessed maybe twice. Both times the phone company tech was very polite, professional, and organized, and came to the door first before going into the back yard.

The cable company, on the other hand, has never been anything like this professional. They've unexpectedly left temporary cable connections running through both my front and back yards (and my neighbors'), have shown up at ungodly hours to do trenching work, have left their boxes open and exposed to the weather, have left junk (excess cable and sometimes far more expensive stuff) just lying around, never to be reclaimed unless I called it in, and so on. And once when I asked a cable repairman why my cable connection ran all the way up the side of my driveway, all around my back yard, then back down the other side of my house, instead of taking a far more direct route (it was at least twice as long as it needed to be), I was told "Because we're contractors, and we're paid by the foot!"

And the pit bull thing: I don't know where you live, but around here those dogs go for a premium! And there is a high probability that it would get stolen.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 01:10:16 EDT

michieru posted : If I saw this I would first confront the neighbor about it because there is no way in hell this could of been a professional installers work and if so he or she should be fired. Second If the install was indeed from AT&T or the cable company I would call them immediately to remove the wiring and they have the next business day to do so. If they don't like that answer then get a attorney involved with more damages like "trespassing on private property" among the many other bullshit excuses the attorney can come up with. They will quickly remove the wire and think twice about such an action.

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 21:42:21 EDT

Shadow01 posted : call att repair and tell them that they have 12 hrs to move the wire back into the easement or you will remove it for them. Anything outside the easement is on private property and they need your permission to place it there. Be polite but firm on your timetable for removal.
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Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 21:25:10 EDT

anon posted : Thanks for coming back on and shedding more light on this. The issue is that I don't want more of my yard to become an easement because I kept quite about it. I also can't stand that neighbor due to the fact that he keeps has dog chained up in 100 plus degree weather without ever seeing if he is ok. I have nothing that I want to say to the man. He is scum for treating an animal like that. The only reason I have not called animal control is that if they take the dog he surely will be put down. He is a pitbull and almost no chance to be adopted. I hate that choice :( Maybe that is why the installer chose my yard instead. Maybe he was scared of the dog. LOL

Re: At&t ran cable through my yard without having an easement

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 21:08:00 EDT

anon posted : The cable has the following marking: SUPERIOR ESSEX T 06/24/12 2X22 BW NS 670 FEET