Proud owner of a half a dozen utility poles.

[rdunn]

What is the name of your state?IL
20+ years ago bought a 7 acre farmette in Will County, Illinois, ComEd(execelon) is electric power company. Have utility poles running down the one side of my property for approx 2k feet. Assumed that utility companies owned such things, only to be told by Comed that the poles belong to me. When I purchased the property had 2 neighbors getting their electric power from the poles on my property. Those houses properties have been sold, to the same person, and the older houses that were on the properties have been demolished to save on property tax as well as to make room for development. Sum of the 2 lots is approx the same as mine, 7 acres. I have or know of no legal agreements between the previous owner of my property and the past owners of the neighboring properties.

Am concerned about any new development that may occur on the adjacent properties. Because power was once provided off of my poles to other properties, am I on the hook for supplying power to any new development, whatever size, forever? What if the power requirements exceed my poles capacity for electric equipment? Do I have any say in who can use the my utility poles?

Comed as told me in no uncertain terms that it is my responsibility to keep the length of the 2k ft. easement clear and remove any trees that contact their power lines. Am I also on the hook to make sure people, who I didn't grant authority to use my poles, have uninterrupted access to electrical power?

I am trying not to to become uncompensated power company.

Thx.

 

[adjusterjack]

You bought the property with the poles already there. You're stuck with the easement forever or until you sell.

I'm sure you'll find your obligations when you look up the recorded easement from when the land was first subdivided.

Every homeowner has to deal with that kind of thing at some point.

 

[FarmerJ]

You are free to learn from your city/ county what if any ordinances spell out rules about those lines eventually having to go underground.

 

[xylene]

They "told" you this...

Dont believe everything you are told.

Get your own rep to look into your questions.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state?IL
20+ years ago bought a 7 acre farmette in Will County, Illinois, ComEd(execelon) is electric power company. Have utility poles running down the one side of my property for approx 2k feet. Assumed that utility companies owned such things, only to be told by Comed that the poles belong to me. When I purchased the property had 2 neighbors getting their electric power from the poles on my property. Those houses properties have been sold, to the same person, and the older houses that were on the properties have been demolished to save on property tax as well as to make room for development. Sum of the 2 lots is approx the same as mine, 7 acres. I have or know of no legal agreements between the previous owner of my property and the past owners of the neighboring properties.

Am concerned about any new development that may occur on the adjacent properties. Because power was once provided off of my poles to other properties, am I on the hook for supplying power to any new development, whatever size, forever? What if the power requirements exceed my poles capacity for electric equipment? Do I have any say in who can use the my utility poles?

Comed as told me in no uncertain terms that it is my responsibility to keep the length of the 2k ft. easement clear and remove any trees that contact their power lines. Am I also on the hook to make sure people, who I didn't grant authority to use my poles, have uninterrupted access to electrical power?

I am trying not to to become uncompensated power company.

Thx.

Why do you think that you would become an uncompensated power company? Why do you think that your poles would or wouldn't have sufficient capacity? Poles are just that, poles. Its up to the power company to run the necessary wires and other equipment on the poles to give people power. All you have to do is keep the easement clear.

 

[rdunn]

I own the poles, but the power company owns the wires and transformers, etc.. My question is: because lines were run off my poles to other properties at one time, does that mean there is a precedent and I must allow the power company to run lines from my poles to other peoples property? If that is the case, I am in effect an uncompensated power company making sure these people who I didn't approve of, have unlimited access to power, by keeping easements clear, even if to no benefit of me..

 

[quincy]

You don’t own the poles. You own the property upon which the poles are located.

 

[rdunn]

Why do you think that you would become an uncompensated power company? Why do you think that your poles would or wouldn't have sufficient capacity? Poles are just that, poles. Its up to the power company to run the necessary wires and other equipment on the poles to give people power. All you have to do is keep the easement clear.

I was questioning what if my poles can not handle the necessary equipment the power company needs to install to power homes that are not on my property? I own the pole the power company owns the transformer/wire, etc.. A 3rd party owns property adjacent to mine that at one time got power from the transformer on my pole. Do I have any say in who uses my poles? If I do not, but still have the responsibility to keep the easement clear and take down any trees that fall on the lines, I am in effect providing a service and not getting compensated.

 

[rdunn]

You don’t own the poles. You own the property upon which the poles are located.

I do own the poles, there are no tags from any utility on the poles.

 

[rdunn]

You bought the property with the poles already there. You're stuck with the easement forever or until you sell.

I'm sure you'll find your obligations when you look up the recorded easement from when the land was first subdivided.

Every homeowner has to deal with that kind of thing at some point.

I have no issue with keeping an easement for my benefit, I question the benefit of keeping an easement for the benefit of others who I did not agree to use my poles to get their electricity. The first 1,000 feet of lines/easement go directly to my house. The 2nd 1,000 feet go past my house to now vacant land. At one time this land had 2 houses on it and got their power off my poles. If the new owners of the vacant land were to develop the adjacent land, do I have any say on them accessing the poles on my property to get power? If not, I am on the hook for keeping the easement clear for them and clearing any fallen trees on the line because the pole are mine and on my property?

 

[LdiJ]

I have no issue with keeping an easement for my benefit, I question the benefit of keeping an easement for the benefit of others who I did not agree to use my poles to get their electricity. The first 1,000 feet of lines/easement go directly to my house. The 2nd 1,000 feet go past my house to now vacant land. At one time this land had 2 houses on it and got their power off my poles. If the new owners of the vacant land were to develop the adjacent land, do I have any say on them accessing the poles on my property to get power? If not, I am on the hook for keeping the easement clear for them and clearing any fallen trees on the line because the pole are mine and on my property?

Every single utility pole in existence is on someone's property. Every single utility pole in existence has wires etc., on it that also run power to other people's property. Every single property has utility easements that must be keep relatively clear. No one is ever compensated for that, except some rare instances where the compensation happens when the easement is first granted. You have half a dozen poles on your property rather than the normal one or two. That doesn't change the situation, nor does it make you an uncompensated power company. It makes you a normal homeowner.

Even if you decided to go off the grid and provide your own power (solar, wind etc) the utility easement would still exist.

 

[rdunn]

I own the pole and the pole is on my property. If there is no current service being run from the pole, perhaps I can have comed remove their equipment and take down the pole(s). That may get me out of supplying power to whatever development happens.

 

[quincy]

I own the pole and the pole is on my property. If there is no current service being run from the pole, perhaps I can have comed remove their equipment and take down the pole(s). That may get me out of supplying power to whatever development happens.

You could inquire about having underground lines run to your house. That does not eliminate the easement granted the power company, however.

 

[LdiJ]

I own the pole and the pole is on my property. If there is no current service being run from the pole, perhaps I can have comed remove their equipment and take down the pole(s). That may get me out of supplying power to whatever development happens.

Why is this whole thing so important to you? Is this really about the poles or are you just ticked off that the land is going to be developed and you want to make life difficult for the developer?