Neighbor's gas service extends through my property

[ronny Slats]

Petaluma,California

We have lived at our home for 8 years. We are doing an addition/ remodel for our home and called Underground Service Alert (USA) to determine utility locations and possible conflicts with the construction. PG&E determined that there is a gas service line for my neighbor's property that extends through our side yard. The title report for our parcel indicates no recorded easement for this service or any other service. There was never any notification of this service until PG&E evaluated the site through the USA notification. PG&E has informed us that we need to bring the service into compliance as part of the work we are doing.-We are totally blown away by this request and the fact that they will not take responsibility for this. We feel that another undocumented gas service on our property is more than unreasonable- it's totally unsafe. We have rtecently contacted the PUC and we are just looking for a leg to stand on here. PG&E has access to a legal staff that far exceeds the reaches of me and my wife but it's hard to lay on backs for something like this.

Not sure who responds to these postings since this is the first time i have ever used this site or anything like it. I guess my question is what should we do regarding this matter?

any advice could help at this point.

[IndianaOwner]

Does the encroaching gas line extent from the public right of way, over your property, and services your neighbors property (but not yours)?

[ronny Slats]

Correct.. One service line to our meter. Before the lines reaches our meter it tees off and heads back to our neighbors behind us by way of our side yard.

[IndianaOwner]

Well that explains why it is YOUR expense to move the line...because it SERVICES your house right? Regardless of whether or not the side gas line lateral served the neighbor, you'd still need to relocate, correct?

The most you could hope for in this situation is to inform the utility that they are trespassing and to settle it please simply move the line at no cost. Their response will probably be that they will cap of the lateral and run a new line to your neighbor and leave yours where it is. Your best hope is to get in nice with the utility line supervisor and ask him nicely.

[IndianaOwner]

Well that explains why it is YOUR expense to move the line...because it SERVICES your house right? Regardless of whether or not the side gas line lateral served the neighbor, you'd still need to relocate, correct?

The most you could hope for in this situation is to inform the utility that they are trespassing and to settle it please simply move the line at no cost. Their response will probably be that they will cap of the lateral and run a new line to your neighbor and leave yours where it is. Your best hope is to get in nice with the utility line supervisor and ask him nicely.

[ronny Slats]

The utility company already told me that they will not pay for the neighbor's service nor will they pay for the relocation necessary for their service line as it is affected by our construction. We are looking at about 7 to 10k is costs.

Without a recorded utility easement for this service on our property how is this able to hold water on their end. an easment was never recorded on their end and they have told me that shouldn't have happened. What keeps me from removing that portion of the undocumented service myself or what gives them the right to enforce this use. Is this a case of eminent domain?

[tigger22472]

I have a quick question...

Have you ever had a survey done of your property? Was one required for this project?

[IndianaOwner]

The utility company already told me that they will not pay for the neighbor's service nor will they pay for the relocation necessary for their service line as it is affected by our construction. We are looking at about 7 to 10k is costs.

Without a recorded utility easement for this service on our property how is this able to hold water on their end. an easment was never recorded on their end and they have told me that shouldn't have happened. What keeps me from removing that portion of the undocumented service myself or what gives them the right to enforce this use. Is this a case of eminent domain?

Yes, that is correct, the utility company will not pay if that is how you state it since the utility company does not know about the problem that THEY have. You are simply going about it the wrong way. Call them up, talk to the construction department and explain that they are trespassing via the side lateral gas line (this assumes they do not have an easement over your property to serve another property...double check that) and tell them you have a solution that is mutually beneficial per my previous post. If they aren't receptive, tell them they have 5 business days to stop the trespass and follow it up with a cert RR letter...

[ronny Slats]

We have had a survey completed. the service for our neighbor is loccated about 25 feet inside our property line. That was a good and obvious question. We live on an old quaryy site and i speculate that it was alot easier to come of our service (at the time odf install) instead of a driveway that is solid rock next door.

[ronny Slats]

Indiana, I have tried and am currently working with PGE. This has been going on for months. PG&E initially asked the neighbors to take care of the service, then they said they will remove and relocate the line off our property at their cost which was 30k. then they flipped back to having the neighbors as the responsible party because of the utility's legal staff input. Now it has come full circle and they are saying we are obligated because we are the ones modifying our own service which will affect the service of the lot behind usregardless of the fact that the service runs through our lot. I know it may seem confusing-w I think the utility company is confused as well. when our neighbors were on the hook for this we worked together and offered them an easement to cross over to their driveway because we didn't want them to fork out 30k to rectify the promblem. Now it's our problem according to the utility comapny and my neighbor isn't "Answering" the door.
I'm starting to feel like the village idiot and maybe so is everyone else.

[demartian]

How long has this gas line been in place? I have worked with many a city and utility company on easements (as an owner, not a lawyer) and can personally say, they are the most difficult to work with, keep as friendly as possible with them.

[IndianaOwner]

I think they are making you into the bad guy with the neighbor. I would think that the utility has an obliation to provide utility service to each home in its service area --- from the public right of way to the home over that home's property (since there is no easement over yours). That is the utility's obligation for using the public right of way. You need to press them on that...or just convert to all electric!

[nextwife]

Maybe it would be easier to add upwards?

[shyamdavuluru]

I am also fighting exactly the same issue with PG&E. PG&E needs to abandon my gas service so that I can get a clearance from them for a demolition permit on my house from the city of cupertino.

Gas line in my property gets T'ed off into my neighbor's property just before my meter and there is no record of this anywhere except in some map PG&E has. Now PG&E is asking me to get an easement for 10x20ft all the way up to my garage and relocate my neighbor's gas service so that the Tee moves about 3-4 feet away from garage foundation.

Please let me know how you were able to resolve this issue.

Thanks,
Shyam

[ronny Slats]

Shyam,
I will let you know how it turns out...It hasn't been going very well. PG &E is really tough to deal with. I'm sure you can relate. It seems like they make the rules as they go. I'm getting pretty close to capping my neighbors line myself and they see what happens....After all it's my property and there is no recorded document for that line. That's my last resort but I'm almost there. Seeing a lawyer this week...cha..ching!!!