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bchandler02
join:2011-07-08
Oklahoma City, OK

bchandler02

Member

Construction crew cut line

There's construction behind my house, and last week they hit my gas line. This weekend, they hit my Cox drop. Cox came out to fix it today, no issues. However, when I called the owner of the construction company, he was a royal jerk about it to the point of threatening his attorney on me.

So, anyone here have any experience with this? Who all should the guy be reported to as far as digging up buried lines? (Yes, they were marked, I have pictures)

SrsBsns
join:2001-08-30
Oklahoma City, OK

2 edits

1 recommendation

SrsBsns

Member

I've not had experience with this before but you may want to see if you can get some direction from »www.callokie.com . I'm sure they have run into this or had a homeowner call and ask.

»www.callokie.com/how-it- ··· the-law/
Unless I'm reading this wrong or they are otherwise exempt, its the excavator must notify Cox. Cox will make the repair but the excavator is liable for the damages.

jchambers28
Premium Member
join:2007-05-12
Peculiar, MO
·Comcast XFINITY

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jchambers28

Premium Member

yes companies have to abide by dig laws I have friends who work in the underground construction field they have to abide one call laws. if they don't they get Fined. A company hit a gas line in kansas city killed 1 person and Leveled a restaurant There has been a slew of lawsuits from the company to the gas company not notifying people to get out and not being able to locate a gas shut off.

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· F4IJjnfA


»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· v68WL7PI
VentShop
join:2009-08-21
Oklahoma City, OK
ARRIS CM8200
(Software) OPNsense
Netgear R8000

1 recommendation

VentShop to bchandler02

Member

to bchandler02
If I were in your shoes I would contact the licensing board. Don't know if this is a general contractor or a specialized company but this »www.contractors-license. ··· oma.html should cover most anything they could be. You can also contact the city, should be one or multiple here »www.okc.gov/contact/ who can deal with them.

Sounds like a contractor not following basic rules of how to work in and around utilities who probably shouldn't be anyway and will soon get someone hurt or killed.

BTW rest assured that when they hit a line they get a bill for the repairs and they will also get a bill for the estimated amount of gas that would have been released in the gas line break. I know someone who hit a gas line in Lawton while putting in a water line who got socked for a little over 10K. . . hit a 6 inch main line. Only reason he didn't loose a whole lot more and go to jail is because I made him call the locate number, he originally was not going to.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

rody_44 to bchandler02

Premium Member

to bchandler02
»www.nj.com/mercer/index. ··· ion.html

Some people call for markups and find it cheaper and easier to just ignore them. Until something like this happens that is. Than they go out of business.

Termites
@cox.net

Termites to bchandler02

Anon

to bchandler02
Call the police make out a police report
said by bchandler02:

There's construction behind my house, and last week they hit my gas line. This weekend, they hit my Cox drop. Cox came out to fix it today, no issues. However, when I called the owner of the construction company, he was a royal jerk about it to the point of threatening his attorney on me.

So, anyone here have any experience with this? Who all should the guy be reported to as far as digging up buried lines? (Yes, they were marked, I have pictures)

bchandler02
join:2011-07-08
Oklahoma City, OK

bchandler02

Member

I'm not against this at all - but on what grounds? What law did he potentially break?

chrisf8657
join:2002-01-27
Glendale, AZ

1 recommendation

chrisf8657 to bchandler02

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to bchandler02
Obviously a contractor who doesn't care.
Usually when they have to work around multiple lines, at least here in AZ, they use vacuum excavation alot or hand digging - no backloaders, etc.

Sounds like the owner and his employees don't care. Complain to the Contractors Authority and whoever they are doing the job for. They might think next time about using that contractor.

If it cost you lost revenue, etc. there might be something actionable from negligence.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

rody_44 to bchandler02

Premium Member

to bchandler02
Go to your township and complain. Explain to them you are unhappy the contractor keeps hitting your utilities and you want the township code enforcement officer to visit you. He can take care of it.
ajwees41
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Omaha, NE

ajwees41 to bchandler02

Premium Member

to bchandler02
did Cox charge you for the repair? find out who the construction is for what is being built and go from there.

bbeesley
join:2003-08-07
Richardson, TX

1 recommendation

bbeesley to bchandler02

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to bchandler02
said by bchandler02:

hen I called the owner of the construction company, he was a royal jerk about it to the point of threatening his attorney on me.

Having previously worked for Cox, I know that they are pretty aggressive in billing folks who damage their plant, especially if they didn't do a proper locate.

In this instance, I would expect that Cox has probably already passed the charges for the repairs made to your drop along to them which would do much to explain the aggressive response you received from the owner.