Openreach have put BT broadband for my neighbours in a trench they dug through my garden

purbeckgirl

A couple of weeks ago Openreach dug a trench from the road through our front garden to the wall and laid a pipe.  When challenged part way through they said they were installing BT broadband and double checked the address and confirmed that it was the correct one.  When asked to leave, they refused and said that they did not need permission to do this. 

I investigated and our next door neighbour had ordered BT full fibre broadband.  She contacted BT and said they were in the wrong garden and I contacted Openreach via their online chat (the only way to contact them).  Both assured that there would be no further incursion.

This week 3 workmen were in our front garden with a ladder, one drilling into the wall of our house fitting a box.  On being challenged they said it was next door’s wall (we are semi detached but clearly preposterous) and refused to stop, only doing so when I said that the box would be removed when they left.  They then repositioned it on next doors wall.  However, the wiring is going through the pipe that was laid through our garden earlier although the original pipe has been cut and the remaining 25cm of wire buried and exiting the ground next to our neighbours wall.

Openreach do not have permission to use our garden for this.  We have neither been asked nor informed at any stage and not contacted when I complained.  

Anyone out there have any idea of the implications of this (Openreach would possibly gain rights on my land if left?).  Or what options I have?

Vitor

Take pictures of the disturbance to your garden and any damage to your house wall from drilling etc. 

Send a recorded delivery letter to Openreach's complaints or legal department:

State that no permission was granted.

Require them to remove all infrastructure from your property

Say that future access is refused unless agreed in writing.

Make clear that legal action will be considered if trespass continues.

Include copies if photos.

PHK

This isn't really a Consumer Rights question.

But what did Openreach say when you asked them about the latest incident ?

purbeckgirl

Sorry about posting here but didn’t know where else to post.

The only way to contact Openreach is via their online chat.  They were very apologetic and have assured me that emails have been sent to the relevant depot to ensure they realise what has been done and do not trespass again, but clearly they are going astray or being ignored.  The department that deals with chat does not seem to have any direct access to the rest of Openreach except by email.
Our garden is a flower bed running adjacent to next door, but next door is paving for parking, so I am thinking that this is a conscious decision by the Openreach depot because it’s a lot easier for them.

purbeckgirl

Openreach do not seem to have a complaints department.  They ask for all complaints to be made via their online chat.  Or more often via the company that has commissioned them to do the work -in this case BT.  However, BT cannot talk to me because I am not their customer (without going through security they can’t even access the details of the job).  I have asked my neighbours to complain to them, but don’t know if they will.

Even finding out why they were in my garden was hard because no one from the companies could talk to me as I wasn’t a customer.  I found out by contacting all the neighbours and asking if they’d ordered broadband.

Eldi_Dos

Any company carrying out work for a utility will be required to put out a curtesy board with contact details on the board, if they have not done so the utility will take a dim view of that.

I would make a formal complaint to Openreach detailing what you have said above and ask them to send a Plant Protection Officer to your address to assess the damage.

Follow this up with a letter to their legal department.

I am sure this happens fairly regularly and they will have a procedure to make good, you just have to get over that intial hurdle of making contact.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

OP have a look on the CEO email website (just Google CEO email) for Openreach and try the contact there. 

shiraz99

Raise a complaint with the ombudsman: https://www.commsombudsman.org/raise-dispute/openreach

sheramber

Do you have legal cover with your house insurance?

If so, contact them for advice/ help.

twopenny

There is a complaints procedure on this page via the menu options and one says you will be put through to an advisor who is your contact.
https://www.openreach.com/help-and-support/when-to-get-in-touch-with-openreach/complaints-policy
Is that the one you did?

Screen shots of everything.

Personally this seems to hark back to the days when utilities etc would try to avoid all contact.
Not having an address for a complaints dept is appalling. I'd try to do it all by post where you have some proof and a paper trail to refer yourself, them, legal proceeding to so it puts all the work and agrivation on you hoping people will give up.

 I'd send, with photos to the CEO.
Also explain briefly and politely that twice trespass and damage to property, no action going through their procedures and with no suitable way to correspond.
Also say what you wish to happen is make good the trench, garden and house with removal of BT cables 

MACKEM99

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

OP have a look on the CEO email website (just Google CEO email) for Openreach and try the contact there. 

Thats what I normally do.  People on here have said its over the top.  However, I almost always get a reply quickly saying exec comps department will deal with and they do quickly.  Be polite and say you are sorry to raise the matter at their level but do so in frustration with lack of response at lower level. Dont forget you wish to have monetary compensation also. Good luck.

M99