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property owners rights re: utility easements

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sevenwords

Junior Member
Florida

My wife and I recently bought a house with a utility easement. I came home one day to find a huge pit in my backyard (on their easement, but my backyard) and a note from AT&T saying they dug the pit and that it would be filled in and sodded ASAP. It's been almost 2 weeks now and the pit is still my backyard. My wife and I have called them 3 times already with nothing done about it. Basically I am just wondering what are my rights (if any) as a property owner in a situation like this and what options I have to force them to finish the work they started. Thank you.
 


NC Aggie

Member
Florida

My wife and I recently bought a house with a utility easement. I came home one day to find a huge pit in my backyard (on their easement, but my backyard) and a note from AT&T saying they dug the pit and that it would be filled in and sodded ASAP. It's been almost 2 weeks now and the pit is still my backyard. My wife and I have called them 3 times already with nothing done about it. Basically I am just wondering what are my rights (if any) as a property owner in a situation like this and what options I have to force them to finish the work they started. Thank you.
I would recommend being persistent. In most instances such as this, it's not a matter of IF they'll fix your yard but a matter of WHEN. There may be justifiable reasons why they haven't fixed your yard, but I think at the very least they ought to give you a window of time when it would be done.
 

sevenwords

Junior Member
Thank you for your reply. I figured as much, but my concern is that this could affect my house being so close to it (about 10 feet away) and my deck is literally right next to the hole. Also since the pit has been exposed for 2 weeks, the rain has eroded the sides of the inside of the pit so I am concerned it could give way, cause a sinkhole, or affect the settling of my house.

I guess I'll just bug them till they fix it. :)
 

FarmerJ

Senior Member
take pics NOW then when you contact ATT get a supervisors name and office address and put your complaint in writting warning them that the work they did with in the easement that is not completed is beging to damage other parts of the yard and you wont have any choice but to speak to a atty soon.
 

csi7

Senior Member
You can also call the toll free number for digging utility lines and request their help as well. Just make certain to take pictures before you do all this.
 

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