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Extension Cord across easement...

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nastyneighbors

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Missouri

Hi,

My neighbors recently built a barn across from another barn that has electricity. To get electricity to the other barn, they have decided to run an extension cord across the road inside a steel pipe! It is a nuisance but one I was just "dealing" with. Now, they have decided to put a make-shift speed bump type thing over this pipe...I guess as a permanent structure. Is this legal? Running an extension cord across an easement? Building a bump over it?

Don't know if I am within any rights... I have noticed people saying look at your easement agreement but where would that be? In my property deed? Or filed away somewhere?
 


154NH773

Senior Member
You might find your easement description in one, or all, of three places. There may be a description in your deed (and any associated plat), your neighbor's deed, or in a separate filed easement document. It may depend on whose land the easement runs across. Anyway, these may be looked up at your County Recorder of Deeds. Copies are usually very inexpensive.
If you are unsure of how to research these documents, you can hire a title company to research it for you. Usually the people working at the Registry are very helpful, and it's not that hard to do yourself.
Another place might be in an unfiled agreement, and it's anybody's guess where you might find that. It is unlikely, however, that a permanent easement would not be filed.
It doesn't sound like the electrical installation is compliant with code, but that's not your question.
 

nastyneighbors

Junior Member
I wouldn't necessarily call it it an installation. It is just a steel pipe laid across the road with an extension cord inside. Now it has gravel over it...

But, I think I will look into finding all the documentation on my easement.

Thanks for your reply!
 

drewguy

Member
Help me out here . . . . you have an easement that runs between these two barns, but the barns are on someone else's property (the "servient" estate).

So your complaint is that their extension cord/pipe interferes with your use of the easement? Seems to me if they bury the pipe/cord, then there's no interference and if it's on their property they can do what they want. Of course, pretty much every electrical code would prohibit using an extension cord run a few inches under the ground, even in conduit, as a supply line. But that's not a property issue, but rather a code issue.
 

NC Aggie

Member
Well first things first...what type of easement is this? If this is simply a driveway easement, then as long as they are allowing access to the easement, then I don't see the problem here.

Secondly, this "cord" running through a "pipe" sounds fairly reasonable...he's simply using a conduit to provide electricity to the barn and that's what you would expect, granted burying it a few inches or a foot underground would probably be recommended. Now if you want to be an arse about the matter, you may be able to contact the local building inspections department and they may cite him if this violates any building standards...but would you really want to be a "nasty" neighbor?
 

FlyingRon

Senior Member
Secondly, this "cord" running through a "pipe" sounds fairly reasonable
It's not reasonable in the least. It's 100% illegal to run extension cords through conduit and to use them as permanent wiring. I'm unclear if this is crossing your property (for which the other guy has an easement) or whether it's his property for which you have an easement. If the former, I would demand it's removal (either it's covered by the easement in which case you have the right to demand it be done to code, or it's not covered by the easement, in which case you can argue he has no right to do so at all).
 

NC Aggie

Member
It's not reasonable in the least. It's 100% illegal to run extension cords through conduit and to use them as permanent wiring. I'm unclear if this is crossing your property (for which the other guy has an easement) or whether it's his property for which you have an easement. If the former, I would demand it's removal (either it's covered by the easement in which case you have the right to demand it be done to code, or it's not covered by the easement, in which case you can argue he has no right to do so at all).
Yeah, you're right...if it is in fact an extension cord, then it would met requirement for any state electrical building standards. However, I made the assumption that this was propably a higher grade wire that the O.P. refenced as an extension cord.
 

FlyingRon

Senior Member
Yeah, you're right...if it is in fact an extension cord, then it would met requirement for any state electrical building standards. However, I made the assumption that this was propably a higher grade wire that the O.P. refenced as an extension cord.
Still even with rigid conduit, it needs to be buried at least 6" down. Probably deeper.
 

NC Aggie

Member
Still even with rigid conduit, it needs to be buried at least 6" down. Probably deeper.
Electrical requirements is not my expertise, but that sounds logical and reasonable. However, I think the issue would still depend on whether or not the county or municipality with jurisdiction has specific code that this individual has violated.

I do know that in some jurisdictions, certain requirements related to building codes would not kick in unless the individual is operating under a building permit, at which time they are required to install electrical wires and outlets that meet state and local standards.
 

FlyingRon

Senior Member
Electrical requirements is not my expertise, but that sounds logical and reasonable. However, I think the issue would still depend on whether or not the county or municipality with jurisdiction has specific code that this individual has violated.
While Missouri doesn't have statewide adoption of the National Electrical Code, almost all the jurisidictions adopt some version of it in some for or another. I can pretty much guarantee if they have have an electrical code there, it's illegal. It's been that way in the NEC in my 25+ career.
I do know that in some jurisdictions, certain requirements related to building codes would not kick in unless the individual is operating under a building permit, at which time they are required to install electrical wires and outlets that meet state and local standards.
That would be highly unusual. While you may not need an inspection without a building permit, I've never seen a place with CODES that said it was OK to disregard the codes just because you didn't get a permit. It's just a "tree falls in the woods" type thing.

By the way, since you're in NC, I'll point out that NC has statewide adoption of the various building codes (including electrical).
 

NC Aggie

Member
While Missouri doesn't have statewide adoption of the National Electrical Code, almost all the jurisidictions adopt some version of it in some for or another. I can pretty much guarantee if they have have an electrical code there, it's illegal. It's been that way in the NEC in my 25+ career.

That would be highly unusual. While you may not need an inspection without a building permit, I've never seen a place with CODES that said it was OK to disregard the codes just because you didn't get a permit. It's just a "tree falls in the woods" type thing.

By the way, since you're in NC, I'll point out that NC has statewide adoption of the various building codes (including electrical).
Flying Ron, your points are noted. If you read my original post, you see that I implied that this individual may have broken code with the installion of this "extension chord" and that if the O.P. wanted to pursue the matter he/she should contact the department that has jurisdiction over building standards. So that's not what I'm debating.

My point, however, was that running this electrical wire through an easement and later installing this hump to protect the wire is likely not a violation of the O.P.'s easement rights.
 
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nextwife

Senior Member
I would disagree. Creating a health and safety hazard hazard within and across the easement IS likely to be a violation of easement rights. A mickey mouse electrical rigging, such as described, is a potential safety risk and therefore interferes with safe, continued use of the easement.

I'm stunned that anybody thinks running a full powered (not even low voltage) power cord across such a distance on a semi permanant basis is in any way safe. If an critter, or other outside force cause the coverings to degrade, the conduit gets charged with electricity. I had enough trouble with rabbits eating through my yard light wires, and those were semi buried low voltage lines (I'm all solar stakes now, though!). I can't imagine how anyone would not realize how utterly stupid running live cords across the ground then through a pipe at ground level, bump or no bump is in any way acceptable..

Poster, you need to get code enforcment out there NOW.
 
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