Electric Cable Across Garden from nearby Pylon

Lyn0612

confused: My daughters been in her house now for 13 years, last week a building serveyor knocked on her door saying she could claim compensation for the electricity cable going across her garden and he would act on her behalf. He said he's taken action for other clients. He also called on her neighbours as their in the same situation. He left her a form to complete should she want to proceed. she's checked with the RICS(Royal Insitute of Charterd Serveyors) and the company is registered with them. Has anyone heard of this before? Have there been any sucess stories?

moonrakerz

On what basis is the compensation going to be claimed ?

Sounds like another version of ambulance chasing !

NAR

A house I used to live in had such a cable and I received money to allow it to be there (can't remember how much, but it wasn't very much).
The money should come from the local electricity supplier. It depends how much the surveyor is asking for; better giving him a percentage than a fixed fee (unless it's small) IMHO and let him get on with it.

Biggles

I know if you have an electricity pole in your garden you are paid an annual rent, if there's a change of ownership the new owner may have to claim it anew.

I assume it's the same with a power cable. I very much doubt it needs a surveyor to do that, though, talk to others who have the cable going over their land and see who pays them their rent and drop the firm a line; don't pay the ambulance-chaser anything for a few minutes paperwork that you can do yourself.

JohalaReewi

The electricity for our next door neighbour comes off the pole in the street onto our house, runs around the wall of our house before reaching next door's property. We don't get anything from the electricity board (or anybody else).

However, my grandparents did get payment from the GPO (years ago) because they had a telegraph pole in their garden. Unfortunately, it was a fixed amount per year and was not inflation linked so over the years, it became worthless.

YorkshireBoy

Is it possible the surveyor has been instructed by the REC to carry out negotiations on their behalf, especially since there may be several properties affected?

On industrial premises and agricultural land, I believe it's called a 'Wayleave Agreement'.

It is sometimes possible, through negotiation, to convert the wayleave agreement to a 'Deed of Grant of Easement' which results in a sum of approximately 20 x annual 'rent' being paid as a one-off lump sum.

The following relates to the National Grid operation, although I'm not sure if it also applies to your local REC...

http://www.nationalgrid.com/NR/rdonlyres/A4410F4A-7A09-48AD-B865-35F72A4D906A/4751/NGrid_Grantors.pdf

Bean_Counter

Yes, this is called wayleaves and is standard income for people such as farmers for pylons etc on their land.

Not something to get rich over, but something is better than nothing.

harryhound

If the property benefits from the wire you won't get anything.

greyteam1959

Lyn0612 wrote: »

confused: My daughters been in her house now for 13 years, last week a building serveyor knocked on her door saying she could claim compensation for the electricity cable going across her garden and he would act on her behalf. He said he's taken action for other clients. He also called on her neighbours as their in the same situation. He left her a form to complete should she want to proceed. she's checked with the RICS(Royal Insitute of Charterd Serveyors) and the company is registered with them. Has anyone heard of this before? Have there been any sucess stories?

Mmmmmm I would be extremely careful.
Do not pay anybody anything least of all this surveyor or his company.
She can find out herself as the OP says
If she is due any wayleave payment for a cable / pole etc it will be very small maybe a few £s a year and probably not worth the paperwork

harryhound

You may find that the electricity company has to pay the surveyors fee.
It takes 20 years to establish a wayleave by default, so the surveyor may have found a situation where he can sign up a row of houses and make an economic proposition of the exercise.

Where does the wire go - is it inconvenient? does it have poles on the land or is it underground?

I got 250 GBP for a watermain once upon a time.

Harry

DUKE

My gran had a pylon in her garden (years ago) and I'm sure that she got money knocked off her rent for this.