Virgin Media damage to property

loubeelou32

Virgin Media installed a new green street cabinet right next to my garden hedge just over 2 weeks ago. They had clearly dug down into the pavement to do this. On Monday, I noticed that the 4 trees in my hedge right next to the box have started to die. Leaves at the bottom have gone brown and I can see this is working its way up and more dead leaves by today. Might sound minor, but this will leave a 2 metre wide gap in our hedge out onto the street. I've eventually got through to a department that deals with this and they offered £100, but as each replacement tree is at least £90, plus delivery plus labour to remove and replant, I declined. They said they'll send someone out to assess the damage.

I can see a few other people have had problems with Virgin paying out so any advice or contact details for them/ways to escalate would be helpful as I suspect I will need to chase. Thank you!

oldernonethewiser

" They said they'll send someone out to assess the damage. "

Maybe wait until they report back?

loubeelou32

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81956704#Comment_81956704

Perhaps I'm being glass half empty too quickly…but I now have an email closing the complaint but no email confirming the visit will happen! I'll keep my fingers crossed for a bit longer.

oldernonethewiser

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81956729#Comment_81956729

Chase them up and confirm they are intending to send someone out to visit. Keep being proactive and don't just wait and hope.

Ayr_Rage

Just wait a few years and VM will be charging you for damage to their cables from the roots of your trees.

JSmithy45AD

Since it's outside of your property line I'm actually surprised they offered anything.

Ayr_Rage

If the work was entirely outside the boundary of your property on the pavement or service strip then don't hold your breath for any compensation above their current offer, as @JSmithy45AD said I am surprised they even engaged with you.

From the VM forums, they aren't the best company to deal with in this situation and their surveyor may well say that your roots were outside the property line and it was necessary to remove them to complete their work and withdraw their offer.

Eldi_Dos

@loubeelou32

As it is a new instal not a repair to exsisting plant that puts you in a stronger position.

With new instals the main contract holder and their sub contractors are obliged not to do anything that would cause damage or cause a nuisance to other parties. ie the new cabinet could have been installed at a different position where it would not cause damage to your property.That is the tact I would be taking when dealing with them.

Concerning the hedge I presume some of the roots have been severed but it may still be savable, try watering the area, regularly to see if you can get any grow back into hedge before it is to late.

If it had been a boundry wall rather than a hedge and their work had undermined it most people would agree that is unacceptable, I do not see how a hedge is any different.

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81956743#Comment_81956743

You joke, but a few years back we had our lane resurfaced (big job, 100m long, big tarmac machines etc). there were some old VM co-ax cables exposed at the side of the road (no conduit), when we warned VM of upcoming works they said that they would do nothing but if we damaged their kit then we were liable.

The cables are no longer exposed, VM haven't been in touch, might stil work.

loubeelou32

Thanks everyone. To my amazement, an engineer has been out, looked at the damage and taken photos. He reckons that when they've used the machines that burn the tar sealant into the pavement that they've just burnt all of the leaves on the trees rather than it being a problem with the roots. He said he will keep coming back to check whether its getting worse or recovering. I have a complaint number and its 'on the system' so fingers crossed its not as bad as I first thought. Annoying, but perhaps not 4 dead trees.