Power line from pole to center of front yard??

[Meshka33]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida.
There is a power pole that sits on the property line and from that pole runs a power line directly to the center of our front yard, into a metal loop that is stuck into the ground. Image the power line creating a diagnol line from the pole to the center of our front yard. kind of a limbo if you are mowing the lawn
Called power company they are sending an engineer out to estimate cost for relocation. Why would this cost me? Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Thank you, Jess

 

[xylene]

You are talking, i believe, about a guy wire.

They have the right to place them like that.

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida.
There is a power pole that sits on the property line and from that pole runs a power line directly to the center of our front yard, into a metal loop that is stuck into the ground. Image the power line creating a diagnol line from the pole to the center of our front yard. kind of a limbo if you are mowing the lawn
Called power company they are sending an engineer out to estimate cost for relocation. Why would this cost me? Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Thank you, Jess

**A: that line is not a power line but a support line, not energized. There should be a utility easement.

 

[FarmerJ]

Jess by chance is your elect utility planing on going completely underground , you know like them dark green boxes one sees in many rural and suburban areas ? Do you know of any city ords that have changed that may require a underground install or say road work that requires lines to be moved ?( your city hall can tell you ) What was the purpose of the call to the elect util, was it your need to move the line for a project you are doing ? Generally when it comes to line relocates if the city / county you live in is undergoing road work like say a street being widenedand newer set back rules are taking place then line location move cost is not directly charged to customer ( like in my area a rural hwy was rebuilt so all the old houses that were too close to the highway were either bought by state or state paid a hand full of owners the cost to move them back farther then state required the elect co-ops here and the phone co that served along that hwy to relocate lines so this was done and no customers had to pay individual fees for those lines to be moved)

 

[Meshka33]

You are talking, i believe, about a guy wire.

They have the right to place them like that.

Gotcha! Thank you, if it's used to offset the balance (pole, pull of other wires), then it most like could be moved right?

 

[Meshka33]

Jess by chance is your elect utility planing on going completely underground , you know like them dark green boxes one sees in many rural and suburban areas ? Do you know of any city ords that have changed that may require a underground install or say road work that requires lines to be moved ?( your city hall can tell you ) What was the purpose of the call to the elect util, was it your need to move the line for a project you are doing ? Generally when it comes to line relocates if the city / county you live in is undergoing road work like say a street being widenedand newer set back rules are taking place then line location move cost is not directly charged to customer ( like in my area a rural hwy was rebuilt so all the old houses that were too close to the highway were either bought by state or state paid a hand full of owners the cost to move them back farther then state required the elect co-ops here and the phone co that served along that hwy to relocate lines so this was done and no customers had to pay individual fees for those lines to be moved)

Thank you for replying!
We live in a subdivision so there is not, I don't believe, any road work being done in the future. We have lived in the neighborhood for a while and the line is somewhat of an eyesore, but also it makes it almost impossible to do anything in the front yard, projects, etc. I don't believe there are any green boxes, the neighborhood was built prior to underground electric.

 

[Meshka33]

**A: that line is not a power line but a support line, not energized. There should be a utility easement.

Thank you! how would I find information on the easement?

 

[HomeGuru]

Thank you! how would I find information on the easement?

**A: read your title report or ask the power company.

 

[Ozark_Sophist]

Gotcha! Thank you, if it's used to offset the balance (pole, pull of other wires), then it most like could be moved right?

Lines are heavy. Add wind, heat expansion, weather, etc.

So yeah, the guy wire is probably not moving unless you have five figures, at least.

 

[drewguy]

Gotcha! Thank you, if it's used to offset the balance (pole, pull of other wires), then it most like could be moved right?

Somewhat, but generally it will need to be on the opposite side of the pole from where the electric wires are (often you'll see them at the end of a run, because there's no counterbalancing pull on the other side of the pole.

 

[154NH773]

What you describe is a guy wire, as others have said.

The utility company may not place one on your property unless they have an easement. Most likely, they do; however, you should ask them for a copy of it, and have a lawyer review it.

Most utilities will have a land owner sign a broad grant of an easement that allows them to do almost anything on your property. Most people sign them because they don't know any better and believe they will be denied service if they don't. You do not have to be the one that signed it, it could have been a previous owner. The easement generally runs with the land, regardless of who currently owns it.

A guy wire is generally necessary whenever the power lines leave the pole at an angle to each other (or as has been said; at the end of a line). The easiest way to support the pole is to run a guy straight out from the pole bisecting the angle. Just think of the lines as pulling equally on the pole; if they are straight out from each other, then all their force is just pulling against each other, but if they go out on an angle then all their force is pulling on the pole. That is when a guy is necessary to keep the pole straight.

There are other methods available besides a long straight guy wire (down guy), and the length of the guy can be considerably shortened in some cases. They might be able to put an angled pole on the opposite side as a brace, or something referred to as a "sidewalk" guy wire that could shorten the intrusion onto your property to only about 5 feet. A “sidewalk guy” is a wire that runs along a three-inch steel bar that juts out from the telephone pole and then proceeds straight down from the end of the bar to the anchor in the ground.

I wouldn't get real worried about the cost until they tell you what it is. It could be a minor expense; or not. And yes; you could be asked to pay for the relocation.

 

[csi7]

What I recommend is to request a real estate specialist with the power company to come out and do a free easement evaluation to help you with this dilemma. I live in the state of Florida, and sent a written query to the power company requesting help in figuring out how to handle a landscape issue.

The gentleman who came out was very responsive, wanted to see the property survey, the covenants, the plans for the landscape, and the options I had included. We found a legal and fair compromise that provides for a natural landscape and meets the requirements for the easement.

Best wishes.

 

[HomeGuru]

OP, read your title report and look for an easement of record.

 

[154NH773]

Go here for a photo of an example of a sidewalk guy wire that only extends about 3.5 feet from the pole. You can see the wire going off to the left from the main run, that is pulling on the pole and is balanced by the short guy wire that can't go far into the water, so it uses a "sidewalk" guy wire.

http://www.exxelsys.com/Photos/Sidewalk_guy.html