No TV / Internet / Phone - Cut Cable

[papasmurf]

Not sure where to post this as it involves a total loss of 3 services.

I've been having some garden work done today, which involved cutting down a tree. My install is fine, as the cable is in a burried conduit which I informed the gardeners about, and approximately the line of the run, I even marked it with line paint. However, this evening, my next door neighbour said he had lost all his cable services. On checking outside, this is what we found. (see image).

This is comming off the same Tee that my cable runs from, however, it was installed after NTL took over (my install was way back in the Comtel days). As you can see, there is no conduit around the cable, and forward of the fence, i.e. the black bit, is a public (right of way) footpath. The cable has then been tacked to our boundary fence (which I am responsible for), and then enters his property by his front door.

Now, while it is possible that in the process of doing the landscaping, my gardeners have inadvertently caught the cable, which I knew nothing about as it had been previously hidden by foliage.

I lent my neighbour my 'phone to call 151 and he is getting a repair crew this Friday am. Please note, we get on well and this is not a "falling out" issue!!

My questions are, though:-

How much will he be charged for a damaged cable replacement ?

Can he complain and refuse to pay, as the install is obviously sub-standard, and should at least have been buried / put in a short conduit (if they were going to go along the fence) ?

As the cable exit point is (debatably) on my land, should I have been requested to sign a... is it called a... "waybill" ?

Finally, it should be pointed out that, whilst the path is a public right of way, mine and my neighbours land extends approx 30' out from the fence. (Hence when Comtel initially laid the main cable, I got a free install as they didn't realise that the path was private land ;-)

Any thoughts would be welcomed. It's not the money, by the way, it's the bloody awful install that incensed me.

Bests
PS

[Peter_]

This issue would not have arose if the original installation crew had not done a rush job to get the job finished and upon inspection by the engineers on Friday the should be no charge made, plus you have photographic evidence showing the poor installation.

I had a similar issue about 4 years ago when I had my front wall taken down and it turned out that the installation guys had not gone under the wall but through it and when the wall came down my cable was chopped in two.

I had a construction crew come and install a new cover in the road and a proper underground run was put in place as it should have been in the first place.

This not the first time I have cut my cable as a few years earlier I was digging in the front garden and my spade caught the cable and again it was down to the installation guys who had not bothered with the green protective conduit.

On both of these occasions no charge has been made as the issue was down to Virgin and your photo tells the same story, if they say anything just tell them it was a poor install and that you have photographic proof.

I will be amazed if they try to charge you for any repairs.

[papasmurf]

Thanks for the quick reply Moldova. As this is not really my issue, if they try and charge my neighbour, what line of attack should I advise him to persue ? Who to contact ? Complaints ? etc.

[on in an hour!]

it would be impossible to go 'under' the wall unless they dug the footpath outside to below the foundations of the wall!! the practice is to dig a 10inch trench in the garden on the custs side,then drilling down through the swept tee on an angle through the wall, to try and hit the bottom of the dug trench.

this is not always possible so if the hole were to come out higher up the trench on the custs side then it can always be 'capped' with a sand/cement mix to protect it,(and also placed in conduit)and the cust informed for future reference.

i dont dispute the OP's points and indeed it isnt a perfect install,so i would agree that any remedial works should be done at VM's expense and not the custs.;)

---------- Post added at 19:09 ---------- Previous post was at 19:08 ----------

Thanks for the quick reply Moldova. As this is not really my issue, if they try and charge my neighbour, what line of attack should I advise him to persue ? Who to contact ? Complaints ? etc.

if you explain the situation fully to the service tech who visits there shouldnt be a problem papa ;)

[Peter_]

it would be impossible to go 'under' the wall unless they dug the footpath outside to below the foundations of the wall!! the practice is to dig a 10inch trench in the garden on the custs side,then drilling down through the swept tee on an angle through the wall, to try and hit the bottom of the dug trench.

this is not always possible so if the hole were to come out higher up the trench on the custs side then it can always be 'capped' with a sand/cement mix to protect it,(and also placed in conduit)and the cust informed for future reference.

i dont dispute the OP's points and indeed it isnt a perfect install,so i would agree that any remedial works should be done at VM's expense and not the custs.;)

---------- Post added at 19:09 ---------- Previous post was at 19:08 ----------



if you explain the situation fully to the service tech who visits there shouldnt be a problem papa ;)
What he said to be honest because as I said above the should be no real issue when they see how the damage occured.

[papasmurf]

To All, thanks. I thought that we were in a 'reasonable' situation, i.e. VM's fault. I'ts probably lucky that I will be at home on Friday, so my view, and my neighbours can be voiced when the tech turns up.

Fingers crossed.

I'll let you know the outcome.

PS

---------- Post added at 22:39 ---------- Previous post was at 22:36 ----------

Cheers, if standard prctice is to go down 10", then he (my neighbour), obviously has a claim for a bad install. Many thanks.

PS

[martyh]

my cable is fed along a 10ft dividing privet hedge in my front garden is this normal?i have never really thought about it till reading this

[Peter_]

my cable is fed along a 10ft dividing privet hedge in my front garden is this normal?i have never really thought about it till reading this
More convenient for the installer unless you requested it.

[martyh]

More convenient for the installer unless you requested it.

no i didn't i was at work during instalation ..although i dont think it was easy for the installer cos there's a thorn bush in hedge

[Peter_]

no i didn't i was at work during instalation ..although i dont think it was easy for the installer cos there's a thorn bush in hedge
If it causes no issues and you are happy with it then leave alone, you know its there so you are not going to damage it.

[martyh]

it's been ok for 3yrs so i'm not really bothered

[papasmurf]

Just to finish off from me, (as I hate people who leave threads without an outcome :rolleyes:), The engineer came to my neighbours this morning, started bluffing a bit, but eventually no problems. Temp repair done with a drill down, as OIAH suggested, to come later next week. No charge and next door happy, so there we go. Result. :tu:

Cheers for the help chaps !

PS

[homealone]

Just to finish off from me, (as I hate people who leave threads without an outcome :rolleyes:), The engineer came to my neighbours this morning, started bluffing a bit, but eventually no problems. Temp repair done with a drill down, as OIAH suggested, to come later next week. No charge and next door happy, so there we go. Result. :tu:

Cheers for the help chaps !

PS

good to hear - and thanks for closing it out :tu: