Phone lines through crown

[Kenty]

Morning people, I just thought I would share my latest experience dealing with Openreach.

I have a mature Sycamore removal coming up due to ganoderma & located in the front garden road side with the tree owners & neighbours telephone lines running through the centre of the crown.

I contact Openreach to discuss a temporary disconnection & told that it would cost £200 for an engineer to disconnect.

I pointed out that the tree was there before the property was built which was in the sixties & that BT ran the lines through the tree in the first place but it fell on deaf ears.

The job is doable with the lines there but easier without.

Personally I find it incredible that large companies can charge for something they put in place.

What are other peoples experience of these types of situations.

[treequip]

Ask to see the easement that allows them to run the line over your clients property, when they say they dont need one ask to see chapter and verse on that, they often realise its easier to drop the line than argue with you.

[Kenty]

Thanks for the advice Treequip, I was on Openreach website last night reading about easements but it must of bored me as I fell asleep.

I think its outrageous that try to charge.

[treequip]

If the ine goes to your customers house you pretty much have to play thier game, or drop it off the pole yourself, thats not allwed because the pole belongs to open reach but i have heard of it happening.

 

If the line goes elsewhere the "get orf moi laaaand" tack often gets results.

[felixthelogchopper]

Wouldn't it be a shame if the tree fell down and took the line with it but the debris was all cleared up and gone by the time the engineer turned up as the home owner uses a very efficient team of arborists?

Edited December 13, 2014 by felixthelogchopper

[Kenty]

The line runs from the pole outside the neighbours house to my clients.

Just have to be careful, although I stated that we would not be paying if we damage the lines & the customer is fine with that.

We've done lots of work with lines involved & never had a problem.

[Kenty]

Wouldn't it be a shame if the tree fell down and took the line with it but the debris was all cleared up and gone by the time the engineer turned up as the home owner uses a very efficient team of arborists?

 

I like your thinking.

[felixthelogchopper]

I like your thinking.

 

Of course, if the line was broken by a limb failing before you had to attend to deal with such a dangerous tree then nobody would have to pay.

[treequip]

Of course, if the line was broken by a limb failing before you had to attend to deal with such a dangerous tree then nobody would have to pay.

 

It has been my experience that lines through trees rub on the bark which is exceptionally rough, wearing the line through and causing it to snap quite spontaneously and without warning

[felixthelogchopper]

It has been my experience that lines through trees rub on the bark which is exceptionally rough, wearing the line through and causing it to snap quite spontaneously and without warning

 

Do you know, I've noticed that too!