Trees interfering with phone lines

Bikerman2019

Read this somewhere and wondered the irish situation.


Where and who has the obligation to trim trees, which are on private property, but are rubbing phone / esb lines.



It would not be an issue trimming the relevant branches, but if the owner doesnt want them touched, and you ended up with a stalemate, what is the situation. The rubbing is causing performance issues down the line. Could someone trim the branch anyway? as if they were left alone, and subsequently the lines came down, would the owner of the trees be liable for the costs.


In theory, its not a cost issue, but if it could be pointed out they could face a damage bill and it would prevent a repair bill, it may convince them to allow the trees be trimmed.

GerardKeating

Bikerman2019 wrote: »

Where and who has the obligation to trim trees, which are on private property, but are rubbing phone / esb lines.

You mention the trees are on private propety, but are the phone / esb lines also on private property?

I am sure the ESB/Eir have some right to entry private propery to maintain their network.

brian_t

Under no circumstances should you attempt to cut (Trees) back yourself as you could come in contact with the live wires and might be electrocuted. Tree cutting contractors are specialists who are used to dealing with live wires when cutting trees.

Call us on 1850 372 757 or +353 21 2386555. We will then arrange for a tree cutting crew to make an inspection. If tree cutting is necessary, we aim to carry out the work within 4 weeks.

No, there is no charge to you for essential tree cutting


https://www.esbnetworks.ie/help-centre/tree-cutting

Bikerman2019

brian_t wrote: »

Under no circumstances should you attempt to cut (Trees) back yourself as you could come in contact with the live wires and might be electrocuted. Tree cutting contractors are specialists who are used to dealing with live wires when cutting trees.

Call us on 1850 372 757 or +353 21 2386555. We will then arrange for a tree cutting crew to make an inspection. If tree cutting is necessary, we aim to carry out the work within 4 weeks.

No, there is no charge to you for essential tree cutting


https://www.esbnetworks.ie/help-centre/tree-cutting

The line is question is actually phone line and fibre line.

brian_t

Contact Eir.

Bikerman2019

I believe eir networks don't talk to the public. Only providers. They know, but it would be very simple to trim the branches.

The issue would be is there a permission issue for essential utilities.

turbbo

Bikerman2019 wrote: »

I believe eir networks don't talk to the public. Only providers. They know, but it would be very simple to trim the branches.

The issue would be is there a permission issue for essential utilities.

ESB can cut what they like afaik. OE on the other hand don't have as many rights I think they need to seek permission off the land owner unless they are on the side of the road which is public.

brian_t

Bikerman2019 wrote: »

Could someone trim the branch anyway? as if they were left alone, and subsequently the lines came down, would the owner of the trees be liable for the costs.

Landowners are not paid to maintain lines that cross their property.

If the landowner cut the branch and the falling branch damaged the line then I think the landowner might be held responsible.

As cutting the branch would involve working at a height and probably involve the use of a ladder and a dangerous bladed instrument, the landowner probably might be sensible to only allow an Eir contractor do the job.

Bikerman2019

The issue is the landowner is being difficult. If someone trimmed it and said nothing, it would be fine.


However, the pole is on the side of the road, but the tree is in the field, so its branches are reaching out OVER the road.

brian_t

Can it be trimmed back without entering the field.

If the answer is yes then personally I would go ahead and just do it.

(Aldi and Lidl often sell reasonable priced Long-Reach tree pruners.)

Marcusm

Bikerman2019 wrote: »

The issue is the landowner is being difficult. If someone trimmed it and said nothing, it would be fine.


However, the pole is on the side of the road, but the tree is in the field, so its branches are reaching out OVER the road.

A neighbour recently had 4 professionals in trimming the trees in his back garden. As a consequence 4 neighbours lost phone and internet service for 2 weeks. Another lost it for 6 weeks. The lines were not obviously cut, ie none had been severed but clearly there were knicks. Whatever you do, be extremely careful.

Bikerman2019

Marcusm wrote: »

A neighbour recently had 4 professionals in trimming the trees in his back garden. As a consequence 4 neighbours lost phone and internet service for 2 weeks. Another lost it for 6 weeks. The lines were not obviously cut, ie none had been severed but clearly there were knicks. Whatever you do, be extremely careful.

While you couldnt do something like that, it could certainly solve the problem as it would cause whoever looks after this stuff to come out and do it properly.

Victor

brian_t wrote: »

Can it be trimmed back without entering the field.

If the answer is yes then personally I would go ahead and just do it.

(Aldi and Lidl often sell reasonable priced Long-Reach tree pruners.)

This is a recipe for disaster as someone gets electrocuted / falls off ladder.

brian_t

Victor wrote: »

This is a recipe for disaster as someone gets electrocuted / falls off ladder.

Can you be electrocuted by a phone line.

Peregrinus

Yes, you can, although you would have to be very unlucky before it would be at a level that would kill you or seriously injure you.

Victor

People can also mix up power and telephone lines.

Bikerman2019

The pole with the esb is separate, but fair comment anyway. I think if the tree broke the line, it would spur the relevant company to fix it properly. The engineer showed which branches need trimming so it's not complicated.

So the final question. Can a landowner object or stop the trimming of branches of a tree, which is on private property, but overhanging a public road boundary (into the phone lines)

Victor

Bikerman2019 wrote: »

Can a landowner object or stop the trimming of branches of a tree, which is on private property, but overhanging a public road boundary (into the phone lines)

They can object, but save exceptional circumstances, any objection is unlikely to be heeded by the utility,

GMSA

Slightly off topic but here goes.
2 houses side by side on a rural road. Owners related but not on good terms. Man in house A gets job driving HGV. HGV needs parking so he removes roadside ditch and levels some of the garden to create a parking area.
Now there was a eircom pole on the ditch since the late 70s. This is now interfering with parking the vehicle and a danger to road users as people use the layby to pull in when meeting oncoming traffic.
House A approaches Eircom about moving the pole. After about 12months they sanction the job at a cost of around 400e. Contractor is sent out to stand a new pole. He digs a new hole about 30 ft away on House As side of the boundary ditch with House B.
Woman in House B comes out roaring and shouting. She orders the contractor to stop. She calls the Gardai. They come out. Her husband is also a high ranking Garda and he has left work to get involved as well. In the end the contractor pulls the pole back out of the hole loads up and goes home.
A few months later House A get a letter from Eircom. A bill for almost 5k and a threat of court if it's not paid. The original pole is still in the same spot since. The only way they might shift it is if enough locals report it as a danger or if it gets damaged.

Turbohymac

Down my locality the trees are actually holding up the phone lines as most of the poles are rotted away...as a company eir are a complete joke..
Now looking to change the terms of the. national broadband plan to suit themselves..when they were in the tendering process it didn't suit them at about 2.5 million .. now they think they can fool everyone including the government into thinking they should give them the broadband contract and they will deliver a very scaled back product.... oh and they cant even run the fibre out to properties either. They have to rely on kn networks to do that.. interesting to see how that works out a few years down the line...
At work we recently got eir fibre and speeds are fluctuating massively..
Not good . And with eir it will simply cost the taxpayers even more in the longterm

Bikerman2019

GMSA wrote: »

Slightly off topic but here goes.
2 houses side by side on a rural road. Owners related but not on good terms. Man in house A gets job driving HGV. HGV needs parking so he removes roadside ditch and levels some of the garden to create a parking area.
Now there was a eircom pole on the ditch since the late 70s. This is now interfering with parking the vehicle and a danger to road users as people use the layby to pull in when meeting oncoming traffic.
House A approaches Eircom about moving the pole. After about 12months they sanction the job at a cost of around 400e. Contractor is sent out to stand a new pole. He digs a new hole about 30 ft away on House As side of the boundary ditch with House B.
Woman in House B comes out roaring and shouting. She orders the contractor to stop. She calls the Gardai. They come out. Her husband is also a high ranking Garda and he has left work to get involved as well. In the end the contractor pulls the pole back out of the hole loads up and goes home.
A few months later House A get a letter from Eircom. A bill for almost 5k and a threat of court if it's not paid. The original pole is still in the same spot since. The only way they might shift it is if enough locals report it as a danger or if it gets damaged.

If some ejit hit the pole, problem solved, maybe I should just hope for the line to get pulled down in a wind. Them trees would be responsible.

GM228

Bikerman2019 wrote: »

The pole with the esb is separate, but fair comment anyway. I think if the tree broke the line, it would spur the relevant company to fix it properly. The engineer showed which branches need trimming so it's not complicated.

So the final question. Can a landowner object or stop the trimming of branches of a tree, which is on private property, but overhanging a public road boundary (into the phone lines)

The answer is no, once the phone operator gives the land owner 28 days notice they can then both cut the trees and enter private land to do so, the trees do not need to overhang onto public property, once they interfere with infrastructure the location is irrelevant. Once the 28 day notice is served they have lawful authority to enter private land and cut the trees even if the owner objects.

The same can be said for many companies such as the ESB, Bord Gáis, CIE companies etc with varying notice periods, for example the ESB only requires 7 days notice.

Bikerman2019

GM228 wrote: »

The answer is no, once the phone operator gives the land owner 28 days notice they can then both cut the trees and enter private land to do so, the trees do not need to overhang onto public property, once they interfere with infrastructure the location is irrelevant. Once the 28 day notice is served they have lawful authority to enter private land and cut the trees even if the owner objects.

The same can be said for many companies such as the ESB, Bord Gáis, CIE companies etc with varying notice periods, for example the ESB only requires 7 days notice.

EXCELLENT. That is the main question answered. Thank you very much.