UPC destroyed my roofline

CBYR1983

I had a new PVC fascia and soffit installed recently - looked lovely.

Now all of sudden UPC arrive in the area stringing up overhead wiring everywhere, and they decide to run cabling all along my roofline.

Can they just do this? What rights do they have? Can I just pull it down?

It's a disgrace as far as I'm concerned, I have no desire for any of these new services they're offering, I'm happy out with the eircom landline.

Poor Uncle Tom

Contact your solicitor, this is a legal matter.

Moved to Legal Discussion.

MagicSean

What kind of premises do you live in? Is it private or rented?

Doom

Charge them rent, i know if the ESB have poles on your land you can claim rent off them

seamus

If there is an existing wayleave agreement in place, then UPC are well within their rights to change/upgrade the existing cable.

If no UPC/NTL cabling previously existing along your roofline, then they are not entitled to do this without your permission.

If they damaged anything while installing the line you are entitled to the cost of repairing it.

Contact UPC about it and if they're being less than helpful, talk to a solicitor.

AnnaStezia

I saw this type of problem recently with neighbours.

In my area there was an existing cable on the houses. UPC as successors in title to ownership of the cable replaced it by way of an upgrading exercise.

The people who installed the original cable several decades ago (RTE Relays ?) got house owners to sign a WAYLEAVE. This seems to have conferred upon them a permanent permission to run the cable across the property and to access your property to service the cable. I think that this right attached to the property - as distinct from the owner personally - and that it bound successors in title to ownership of the house.

If you are not a customer of UPC or more importantly a customer of their predecessors in title I think that it did not matter. Specifically, if the owner of your property before you signed the wayleave that seems to have been the permission that they needed. I do not know if this permission can be revoked by the householder - I don't think so.

If there is no existing cable and this is a new installation it looks like basic trespass.

seamus

^^
Pretty much sums it up right there.

CBYR1983

Many thanks for the replies.

There was cabling but it only came to one side of the house (the attached side - it's an end of terrace). It did not cross the house.

Their new cable now runs all the way across the house and they have crossed the (double) side entrance to the next terrace, drilling a fixing into both my house and my neighbours house to bridge the divide.

It certainly never crossed the house before, though ESB cabling had previously crossed over. When I was getting the roofline re-done the guys covered over the ESB cabling, so as it was no longer visible.

I'll get on to them but you know how it is - you can never get through to them.