Help with underground phone/internet lines

[Dale Moser]

So I'm fencing in my back yard. I called 811 like a good boy and had them come out and mark everything in the questionable area. As it turns out CenturyLink has my neighbors Phone/internet line several feet onto my property....right where the fence needs to go.

I'm having hell getting a straight answer out of Century Link, and I'm getting impatient.

My question is whether or not they can charge me to repair it if I go ahead with digging and hit it? I'm trying to give them a chance to move it but they don't seem interested in that. I don't really want to cause them un-necessary expense, and have to send some poor guy out at night to fix it.....but if they can't get me a straight answer pretty quick, holes are gonna get dug, and I don't see any way I won't hit it.

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't mind hitting it just to irritate my neighbor for reporting me for building a fence without a permit, but not if Centurylink is gonna try to charge me some insane amount to fix it. I think it's just regular phone line, there's no fiber optic available out there.

[LloydMcCoy]

If it's marked and you hit it it's your baby. If not and they give the all clear and you hit it ... Their baby

[Mike Javi Cooper]

First thing you need to do is check your survey for an easement, no easement send them a certified letter giving them 10 days to move it..

Happened in my back yard and they were not within their easement... I did the letter thing and they didn't respond.. I trenched, and they came out and move the two broken pieces to another spot within their easement.

[texan16]

Give the phone company another call, ask to talk to someone that has authority to make a decision and see what he/she says. I would make sure you get the name of anyone you talk to at the phone company so if/when you hit the phone line, you can say that so and so told me to go ahead and dig. If they say they will send a guy out to look at it, just tell them to hurry up because you have work to get done.

I don't know if they can charge you to repair it if you hit it or not, I am sure they would try to charge you though. Not a good situation.

[Ouch]

Just do it.

I have the authority to give you the go ahead... I'm wearing my vintage Air Jordans.

[LWD]

The easement part is key. On my block, the utility easement is on my side of the property/fence line. If there's an easement and it's in the easement, you're probably stuck. If there's no easement or it's outside of the easement, then that's a whole nother story. But out of an abundance of caution, you should send them the certified mail with 10 days to move it. That should cover you pretty well.

LWD

[tex4k]

Pretty sure if you hit a marked line your gonna pay. I'd go with Mikes answer.

[Goldeneagle]

Come on Dale, if you cut em just twist em back together, wrap em in tape and bury the sucker.

[Dale Moser]

I talked to someone at the phone company who said she'd asked her "authority" and they said the best thing to do was to call if I hit it. I asked her specificly if I'd be charged for the repair and she said no. She gave me the number to call if I hit it, I'm gonna call them 1st and verify this complete with names.

Come on Dale, if you cut em just twist em back together, wrap em in tape and bury the sucker.

If I cut it..I'm gonna wrap'em in sakrete.


There are no easements. Either way, I aint waitin 10 days.

[Charles]

If you cut it they will send you a bill.

It's not just a regular phone line either. It's a jelly filled outdoor rated cable.

If you cut it just splice it back together and bury it. This will be a short term fix as it will eventually fail over time.

[Randy]

I cut my own running juice to my barn. They came out and fixed me back up and wrote it up as a lightning strike.

[cvanbrunt]

My experiences are 10 yrs old from when I worked for the city water department. If they're within 18" of their mark and you hit it, the repair bill is on you. If they're outside of their mark more than 18" then the locate company picks up the bill.

I've seen fiber lines pulled up by a trackhoe that was a good 5' away from any locate marks and all we could do was sit back and smile that they were outside of their marks. I've also pulled up gas service lines with a backhoe that was well outside of the locate marks and the locate company always got the bill.

Come to find out, the locator that worked our area was seen buying crack cocaine from a known drug house a few houses away from one of our guys houses. Larry spotted his truck, and verified it with the truck number the next time he showed up to locate one of our main breaks. 1 quick phone call to his supervisor had him pulled off the locate and headed to a drug test. He never showed up again.

[Dale Moser]

I waiting for a call from the field supervisor now. And I have to go get a permit after work, I'm thinkin the guy at the city may have some info as well. It's a VERY small city.


I can't imagine the phone company can put a line under my back yard and then tell me where I can and can't put my fence....

[125Dad]

you could always hydro excavation on each post hole.

[quackerback]

if it is the main line then there is a utility easment. if it is just the service line to the one house then it should be on their property not yours.