# neighbors cable install lies on my garage roof



## jennis9 (Jun 13, 2008)

I live at the end of the line -- the utility pole is in my back yard. Next door, there is a double/rental unit. Each time a new tenant moves in, the cable guy comes and runs a new service lines and I have to call to get the cables tightened because they will not climb the pole to install the cable... Same with the phone line... and, every other year because the pole sags and sways, I have to call and have them tightened and lifted off my roof.

So, my postage stamp sized yard has everyone's cable running across and laying on my garage roof and some of these cables are not even in use!

When I approached the cable guy Saturday and asked if the cable that was touching on my garage roof was the line he just ran, I was told he hated to redo a job when it was finished and he would cancel the install and have someone out Monday to rerun it. Martys9 had words with the guy as well and neither one of them were happy. I think if he had done a quality job in the firstplace, there would have been no issue. Now one of his buddies is going to have to redo his shotty work.

What can I do about this? I am going to call city hall this morning and see who our rep is that deals directly with the utility companies to see if they have better luck at having the lines run properly. 

Anyone have any advice or experience getting the utility companies to respect my property? I don't want to be nasty to my neighbors, but each renter that moves in is not concerned with being neighborly (and the home owner is only interested in collecting rent - no help there), they just want their internet and TV. 

I'm not going to cut the cables or be nasty. I just want to know if there are any guidelines to keeping a rats nest from coming across my yard and if anyone is responsible for keeping the cables off of MY roof (installed in 2006).


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## boatnut (Nov 22, 2006)

do they have an "easement" to cut across your air space/roof etc? or is one needed? I would think so.


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## jennis9 (Jun 13, 2008)

how do I find out? can it be revoked?


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

seems I would have an accident while up on my garage roof....and no more cable line in the way....


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

even if they have a right to bring the line across your property, which i dont know they do. i dont think they have the right to have it on your buildings. that could be a fire hazard. if lighting strikes the line and its touching your building and not grounded. i would do more digging into this and try to get this stopped. i would talk to the dept that handles building codes or maby building permits. somebody has to have an answer for you. good luck.
sherman


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

I would cut all the lines that are laying on YOUR roof and wait for them to install them properly.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

sherman51 said:


> even if they have a right to bring the line across your property, which i dont know they do. i dont think they have the right to have it on your buildings. that could be a fire hazard. if lighting strikes the line and its touching your building and not grounded. i would do more digging into this and try to get this stopped. i would talk to the dept that handles building codes or maby building permits. somebody has to have an answer for you. good luck.
> sherman


The cable system is grounded. I would not pursue that route.

What the original poster is talking about is called Arial Trespass. Its a very valid concern. They should be running that line along the main line to the point they can pull it back to the house without trespassing on another property. Call the cable company. Actually, send me a PM with your location(city, cable company), I may be able to help you out myself.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

MassillonBuckeye said:


> The cable system is grounded. I would not pursue that route.
> 
> What the original poster is talking about is called Arial Trespass. Its a very valid concern. They should be running that line along the main line to the point they can pull it back to the house without trespassing on another property. Call the cable company. Actually, send me a PM with your location(city, cable company), I may be able to help you out myself.


its real nice of you to offer to help out. its just that so many people dont want to get involved. its just nice for someone that knows alittle about the problem to step up and make the offer to help. and even if its not a fire hazard i still wouldnt want it rubbing my building.
sherman


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## KaGee (Sep 8, 2006)

You can ask a question or file a complaint about the easement right at:
http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/


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## Slatebar (Apr 9, 2011)

I think MassillonBuckeye gave you some good advice, and an offer to help...thumbs up. 
A few years ago, I had a phone line coming to the power pole in my yard that was sagging bad. It didn't bother anything, just aggravating to look at (Geezer Factor I guess). I had called the phone Co a couple times and got the old "we will send a guy out routine". I decided 2 could play that game, So I called and told them I would fix it myself. I have an extention ladder and if I prop it on the bottom wire of Buckeye Rural's power line I can climb up and tie your phone line up... The guy I was talking to was going nuts, begging me not to try that. (Buckeye uses 7200VAC primary). After hanging up it wasn't 30 minutes till a phone company truck pulls in followed shortly by a BRE truck.. I had to use some BS but got the phone cable fixed..


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## jennis9 (Jun 13, 2008)

MB - thank you. Be on the lookout for a PM. 
KaGee, thank you for the link, I will investigate there as well. 

I did call the city and was told that FCC governs... and could trump anything they would say. But I am looking further. 

Thanks for the replies so far. I know I can count on the gang here for good advice.


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## Lil' Rob (Apr 11, 2004)

I ran hundreds of new drops, as a contractor, on both sides of Cleveland for the cable company one summer back in the mid-90's. There is no reason that cable should be touching any dwelling. 

I will ask this though. Is the height of your garage roof potentially a reason why the cable is touching? I ran across a number of such instances that summer. It didn't matter how tight you got the wire, it still sagged and would touch a roof. In those cases, we were instructed to route our cable from the connection point over and onto the pole, install a screw-eye onto the pole a few feet above the cable main line (but below the power in case it was that close), use that as an anchor point, and then route the cable to the house. Just a couple of extra feet higher on the pole would often make all the difference. 

I worked with a lot of guys that were lazy and often had to go back to their jobs to re-do something properly. The problem was that the $ amount they'd get back-charged for having to have a follow-up to one of their jobs didn't amount to more than a slap on the wrist compared to what they got for doing the install originally. So, they often abused the system, took advantage of the loophole, and get more jobs done in a day than most, but several needed re-visits, but they still made a ton of money anyways, so what did they care...they didn't.


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