AT&T destroyed my backyard

[Leros]

I came home from work yesterday to find a note on my door from AT&T saying that they had to do some maintenance in my backyard. There is currently a 20ft x 4ft hole in my backyard that goes down about 4 feet. They exposed some cables that I guess they're working on.

They dug up two small trees and a bunch of shrubs. These appear to have been removed from the property. They destroyed the border around my planting bed. They also took apart my fence in order to gain access because I had a locked gate. The gate is currently lying broken on my side lawn.

I haven't been able to get a hold of anybody from AT&T yet, but I'm fairly angry. I'm quite appalled that they can just break into my fenced in yard and dig half of it up, destroying the landscaping in the process.

Anybody else have this sort of experience?

 

[olds]

I am sure they have an easement but they shouldn't have left the gate off. What if you had a dog and let it out without knowing they had been back there?
They'll probably restore the yard/border back to how it was.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Try giving your insurance company a call. You will likely have to file a claim against them to get things fixed to the way they were.

 

[Iron Woode]

you need to see if they have an easement back there.

 

[dmcowen674]

AT&T destroyed my backyard

I came home from work yesterday to find a note on my door from AT&T saying that they had to do some maintenance in my backyard. There is currently a 20ft x 4ft hole in my backyard that goes down about 4 feet. They exposed some cables that I guess they're working on.

They dug up two small trees and a bunch of shrubs. These appear to have been removed from the property. They destroyed the border around my planting bed. They also took apart my fence in order to gain access because I had a locked gate. The gate is currently lying broken on my side lawn.

I haven't been able to get a hold of anybody from AT&T yet, but I'm fairly angry. I'm quite appalled that they can just break into my fenced in yard and dig half of it up, destroying the landscaping in the process.

Anybody else have this sort of experience?

Awesome :thumbsup:

 

[dmcowen674]

you need to see if they have an easement back there.

Obviously, the cables didn't move by themselves

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Awesome :thumbsup:

You could well be the biggest asshole I have ever encounterd on any forum anywhere.

 

[Lifted]

Eye for an eye.

Go git em!

 

[Leros]

you need to see if they have an easement back there.

I'm sure they do. It looks like they have a cable that runs through the entire length of my yard.

 

[tommo123]

isn't it trespassing and vandalism? i mean do they have the right to do that with no consequences?

 

[NL5]

isn't it trespassing and vandalism? i mean do they have the right to do that with no consequences?

Not if they have an easment.

 

[ch33zw1z]

wow, wtf. I've never heard of a telco doing anything like this...

 

[Anubis]

pics?

 

[Anubis]

wow, wtf. I've never heard of a telco doing anything like this...

the rock you live under must be huge

 

[ch33zw1z]

the rock you live under must be huge

or I've just never heard of it? lol...I will admit, my limited experience with the telco's is communicating at work with them...not at home. So I'm not involved in people's backyards

 

[squirrel dog]

It's called a servitude.They have a right to enter the servitude anytime they need to.They will make it back like it was b4 they got there.They do not go around and enter servitudes without a direct need to do so.

 

[Cattlegod]

Go to their hq and dig a big hole

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Call your police non emergency number and have someone come to file a report.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I'm sure they do. It looks like they have a cable that runs through the entire length of my yard.

Easement or not, I don't believe that can remove the property like that. It would be one thing if they dug them up, netted them, and left them in the yard.

 

[Baked]

I need to see a pic of that big ass hole in your back yard to assess the level of retribution.

 

[olds]

Easement or not, I don't believe that can remove the property like that. It would be one thing if they dug them up, netted them, and left them in the yard.

They can. Technically you shouldn't be planting over the easement. They generally don't care and will likely restore it as it was before.

 

[squirrel dog]

better yet fall in it and call 911.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I came home from work yesterday to find a note on my door from AT&T saying that they had to do some maintenance in my backyard. There is currently a 20ft x 4ft hole in my backyard that goes down about 4 feet. They exposed some cables that I guess they're working on.

They dug up two small trees and a bunch of shrubs. These appear to have been removed from the property. They destroyed the border around my planting bed. They also took apart my fence in order to gain access because I had a locked gate. The gate is currently lying broken on my side lawn.

I haven't been able to get a hold of anybody from AT&T yet, but I'm fairly angry. I'm quite appalled that they can just break into my fenced in yard and dig half of it up, destroying the landscaping in the process.

Anybody else have this sort of experience?

yes. Came home and the lock to the gate was cut. The guy at least closed the gate and hung the lock through it so it wouldn't just fling open (we had a dog), but I was still pretty pissed. They told me next time to not lock the gate, since they had an easement and rights to the pole in my yard 24x7. They said if we're home, they'll ask us to unlock it, and ONLY if it's an emergency and they need access to it to restore service will they cut a lock. For scheduled maintenance, they will leave a notice saying what time it will be performed and inform us to leave the lock unlocked at that time.

But yea, if they need back there, they'll nuke your yard if it gets in their way.

 

[Jumpem]

Easement or not, I don't believe that can remove the property like that. It would be one thing if they dug them up, netted them, and left them in the yard.

They are allowed to remove landscaping and trees in their easements at will. Both my parents and grandparents have come home to trees cut down and left on their lawns. In my development we were warned not to put expensive landscaping around the utility boxes in the lawn because it can be removed.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Call your police non emergency number and have someone come to file a report.

they won't file a report. A cop will know that it's obvious the telco has an easement and inform you of their rights. That's what happened to me.