next doors phone line through my lawn

onthehill

A guy from bt rang my bell and asked if they could run the line to next door under my small front lawn in a trench.

He said it would be invisible within a week as the grass would knit back and i would be the first to say that my lawn is not finely manicured.

He sounded very reasonable and professional and i have no reason to doubt his assurances.

But i got thinking later. I may sell in the next year or so. Is this small thing likely to cause any issue with a buyer? Would i have to declare it in any way? I have arranged to be present during the work.

HappyMJ

onthehill wrote: »

A guy from bt rang my bell and asked if they could run the line to next door under my small front lawn in a trench.

He said it would be invisible within a week as the grass would knit back and i would be the first to say that my lawn is not finely manicured.

He sounded very reasonable and professional and i have no reason to doubt his assurances.

But i got thinking later. I may sell in the next year or so. Is this small thing likely to cause any issue with a buyer? Would i have to declare it in any way? I have arranged to be present during the work.

I wouldn't worry about it and I wouldn't declare it. Ask them if they could put the trench as close to the road as possible then right angle into the neighbours property rather than close to your building. I think they're just trying to avoid digging up the road and digging grass and dirt is so much easier than asphalt or concrete.

G_M

My phone line comes across the neighbour's (large) front garden. from a telagraph pole to my roof. It passes through his apple tree.

I had a broadband fault which 3 engineers later was identified as caused by the branches. Knocked on neighbour's door: "Can the enginner cut back your apple tree please?" "No problem." Sorted.

Not sure what would have happened if my neighbour was a XXXX and said "No" though!

Hedgehog99

Careful!!! Research "Wayleave Agreement" because that is what you'd be agreeing to if you say OK to this. Yes, it can affect the sale of your property and yes, you would have to declare it. Yes, it'll disappear quickly now, but BT could come back anytime to maintain it. I said no when the cable TV ppl wanted to do a similar thing across my property and I'm so glad I did.

marksoton

onthehill wrote: »

A guy from bt rang my bell and asked if they could run the line to next door under my small front lawn in a trench.

He said it would be invisible within a week as the grass would knit back and i would be the first to say that my lawn is not finely manicured.

He sounded very reasonable and professional and i have no reason to doubt his assurances.

But i got thinking later. I may sell in the next year or so. Is this small thing likely to cause any issue with a buyer? Would i have to declare it in any way? I have arranged to be present during the work.

I bet he did as he's trying to do things on the cheap! No way should you agree to this.

You've no guarantee of anything. They are asking to place their asset within your land but providing no indemnity to their reinstatement or liabilities. To do so they should follow proper protocol not just knock on your door.

I work in the water industry and we have powers to lay pipelines etc through private land but there's a legal process to follow. In my experience BT are absolute cowboys in this sort of matter. Beware!

Soot2006

What happens/whose fault is it if you cut through the wire with a spade while planting a hedge?

Winter_Phoenix

I recommend saying no, loudly and clearly!

My phone line crossed my neighbour's property, and caused no problems at all - until new neighbours moved in and proceeded to renovate their house. Their workmen stripped out all the old wiring ready to rewire, and my phone line went with it. It took weeks before I had a working landline, and months and months and months before I had one which was properly fitted and secure (as opposed to just lying on the ground).

My new neighbours had to pay about £500 to Open Reach (the cost of replacing the line) as well as paying my mobile and internet costs, and grew exhausted from contacting BT and demanding action day after day, week after week, month after month. And both they and I were "threatened" with having a telegraph pole put up on our land as this was claimed to be "the only solution" (it wasn't).

So I would stay well clear if I were you.

slowpoke_rodriguez

Soot2006 wrote: »

What happens/whose fault is it if you cut through the wire with a spade while planting a hedge?

My neighbour's builders did this three times while they were extending their house, landscaping etc. our phone line ran through their garden.
After the first cut off the neighbour obviously knew it was there but didn't think to warn subsequent sets of builders/ landscapers.
BT came out and fixed it for free each time.
The neighbours also cut off our water twice, and tendered to disappear for the weekend, without warning neighbours, when the noisy stuff was being done, 7am-10pm...
rant over.

moneyistooshorttomention

Hedgehog99 wrote: »

Careful!!! Research "Wayleave Agreement" because that is what you'd be agreeing to if you say OK to this. Yes, it can affect the sale of your property and yes, you would have to declare it. Yes, it'll disappear quickly now, but BT could come back anytime to maintain it. I said no when the cable TV ppl wanted to do a similar thing across my property and I'm so glad I did.

That would be the lines I would be thinking along - and I'd refuse.

I bet there is an alternative way they can go - that is purely on "public" territory (ie underneath nearby road/pavement). They just want to use the easiest option (ie the cheapest for them) and they don't care if it puts you out.

moneyistooshorttomention

slowpoke_rodriguez wrote: »

My neighbour's builders did this three times while they were extending their house, landscaping etc. our phone line ran through their garden.
After the first cut off the neighbour obviously knew it was there but didn't think to warn subsequent sets of builders/ landscapers.
BT came out and fixed it for free each time.
The neighbours also cut off our water twice, and tendered to disappear for the weekend, without warning neighbours, when the noisy stuff was being done, 7am-10pm...
rant over.

In your position - I would think that the neighbours quite deliberately didn't tell those subsequent builders etc and that their reason was probably as a (roundabout) way of trying to get your line removed from their land.

It would have been more straightforward to ask for your utilities to be re-routed to be on "public" territory - but possibly they had already asked and realised they would have to put up a fight with BT and the Water Board to get them to move them and therefore just "shrugged their shoulders" and hoped the cut-offs would convince BT/Water Board to do so.

Davesnave

There is always the risk that the line might be run overhead instead, though whether that would bother you depends on the exact circumstances.

One of the joys of my property is that there are no wires of any description in the forward outlook.

BT/Openreach do have draconian powers. They can almost do what they like, if push comes to shove. I've had dealings with them myself and the score is currently1:1 !