Legal right to remove Virgin connection

Legacy_user

Remove Virgin connection?

Keep_pedalling

Chop it off, there will be no comeback.

armchaireconomist

Ring them and ask?

EachPenny

ajak81 wrote: »

Virgin is connected to the house but there's no contract.

It depends when the connection was originally installed, but a few years ago the contract new customers signed gave them a right to install their equipment and leave it on your property even after the current contract was terminated.

Legally it belongs to them and if you remove or damage it then you may be charged.... assuming they find out of course.

FreeBear

ajak81 wrote: »

Virgin is connected to the house but there's no contract. There's a box located on the inside of the property. What can be done to get rid of this as it's messy and in the way of plastering/painting.

I'm on a Virgin contract and have (had) a couple of their boxes inside the house. The one in the lounge was in the wrong place and in the way - Simply unscrewed it from the wall, cut the cable, and filled in the hole. The box, cable, and bits inside the box are all "consumables" in the eyes of the installers. Should I ever want the box in the lounge reinstated, there is a brown box on the outside that all the cables are connected to.

EachPenny

ajak81 wrote: »

So then by the same token if I wrote a contract with my current neighbor saying he could park his car on my driveway and it stated it would apply after house is sold on

Would that contract remain in force? I thought that for that type of contract to work it had to be sewn into the deeds of the house or in some way attached to the house in the same way that some houses have got legal restrictions against using them for businesses etc but these all come up in the searches

In UK law how can I be legally held accountable to a contract that I've neither been aware of nor agreed to?

If you entered into a contract with your neighbour that granted them that enduring right, but didn't take the necessary steps to ensure that right would be maintained, then the neighbour could sue you for breach of contract.

If the contract you entered into was legally enforceable and you hadn't told the new purchaser about it, then the purchaser could sue you for not disclosing something which affected the value of the property.

The reason things appear in the deeds of property is so the beneficiary of the contract (the neighbour) knows that their right is protected, even if you sell the property. And the purpose of searches (and questionnaires) is so any such agreements are made known to the purchaser.

ajak81 wrote: »

This is only a question out of legal interest. I've no intention of testing this in a court of law I just want to know my legal situation. The fixture in question is not very valuable but it might be a different kettle of fish if I disconnected their intrusive cable which does go over my land and that also is unwanted.

I didn't check the legal position at the time, but assumed cable providers like Virgin would have been granted similar rights to BT and gas and electricity companies. For example if you decided you didn't like that gas meter and pipework in/on your house and removed it you'd find yourself in very hot water. A comms network like BT's poses a lower safety risk than gas pipes, but DIY alterations/removals do pose a risk to the functioning of the 'public' network so are likewise prohibited. If Virgin don't have similar protection then I'd be surprised, perhaps someone on the forum knows for sure.

ajak81 wrote: »

Regarding the ownership, yes they own the wire but as long as they were given the wire and plastic back that's fine. If it got damaged during removal I can't see that's a problem because again using analogy if I put a lock on your gate and you cut the lock am I legally accountable for damaging the lock on your gate?

As a general principle it is unlawful to cause damage to other people's property. I'm not sure I understand your lock example, but to give another one, if your neighbour parks their car on your drive it would be unlawful to smash their window to release the handbrake to push it off your property, but it would be lawful for a vehicle removal contractor to use appropriate equipment to lift the car off your drive and put in on the neighbour's land. If the car's paintwork got scratched in the process the neighbour could try to sue you (or the contractor), but it is unlikely they'd get much sympathy from the Courts.

EachPenny

ajak81 wrote: »

Sorry for deleting the above post but I thought it was to burdensome for anybody to actually answer! I deleted it before I saw you'd just replied

No problem, it is an interesting topic, and it affects many DIY'ers.

In my case I dealt with it by firmly requesting the equipment was put where it wouldn't be a problem in future, apart from the cable from the street to my house which the installer had already buried under my neighbour's garden.

stator

Don't just chop off cables. They should be terminated properly. If you accidentally ground one of their cables and knock out the neighbours broadband you won't be very popular.
You might want VM in the future, so just tuck the cable away somewhere, behind a blank faceplate or something.

Wassa123

On a similar topic, I'm considering getting Virgin Media Broadband.

They've just installed it into area and we all have these boxes located outside each property. Do they need to then cable that up to the house somehow?

stator

Wassa123 wrote: »

On a similar topic, I'm considering getting Virgin Media Broadband.

They've just installed it into area and we all have these boxes located outside each property. Do they need to then cable that up to the house somehow?

Yes they will send a spotter, who will decide what is to be done, you discuss with him/her what you are happy with. Then they send a team to dig the trench or run the wire along the wall etc.