Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

In answer to questions the cables are on the ground between 6ins to a foot from
the fence. They seem to start from his house, go under his side path, under the
fence then run up the garden to his various sheds and pigeon lofts. He is an
obsessively tidy man and I think he just decided the cables would look nicer in
my garden. The person living here before me was a 92 year old woman who paid
someone just to tidy the garden occasionly. I want the cables moved for reasons
that involve both safety and stubborness,on the grounds that if it mattters to
him, it matters to me. Finally, just what can and will the electric company do
if I tell them?
Bill Pritchard
Retired and Emotional

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

Bill Pritchard22/12/03 9:58

In answer to questions the cables are on the ground between 6ins to a foot
from
the fence. They seem to start from his house, go under his side path, under
the
fence then run up the garden to his various sheds and pigeon lofts. He is an
obsessively tidy man and I think he just decided the cables would look nicer
in
my garden. The person living here before me was a 92 year old woman who paid
someone just to tidy the garden occasionly. I want the cables moved for
reasons
that involve both safety and stubborness,on the grounds that if it mattters to
him, it matters to me. Finally, just what can and will the electric company do
if I tell them?

My guess - and it's only a guess - is that they will say they're unsafe and
make him move them, trunk them, bury them etc. Clearly, anyone with a sharp
spade, axe, trowel or hoe could electrocute themselves in your garden. It
seems pretty clear he wanted them your garden because he knew that old lady
wasn't going to do any heavy, sharp tooled gardening work. In other words,
his family was safe while she wasn't.
I think you need to make that clear to your neighbour and tell him that on
those grounds alone, you need him to take the cables onto his land and make
them HIS risk, not yours. If he's a difficult person, I don't know how any
of this can be done nicely but I think you also have to make it very clear
to him that if he does not do this you will a) sue him if anything happens
to you, your family or your property and b) failing suitable and immediate
action on his part, will contact the Electricity Board who will not only
disconnect that supply on the grounds of safety but will insist on more
expensive cabling which they will, undoubtedly, inspect rigorously.

--

Sacha
(remove the 'x' to email me)

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

"Sacha" wrote in message
.. .
Bill Pritchard22/12/03 9:58

In answer to questions the cables are on the ground between 6ins to a
foot
from
the fence. They seem to start from his house, go under his side path,
under
the
fence then run up the garden to his various sheds and pigeon lofts. He
is an
obsessively tidy man and I think he just decided the cables would look
nicer
in
my garden. The person living here before me was a 92 year old woman who
paid
someone just to tidy the garden occasionly. I want the cables moved for
reasons
that involve both safety and stubborness,on the grounds that if it
mattters to
him, it matters to me. Finally, just what can and will the electric
company do
if I tell them?

My guess - and it's only a guess - is that they will say they're unsafe
and
make him move them, trunk them, bury them etc. Clearly, anyone with a
sharp
spade, axe, trowel or hoe could electrocute themselves in your garden. It
seems pretty clear he wanted them your garden because he knew that old
lady
wasn't going to do any heavy, sharp tooled gardening work. In other
words,
his family was safe while she wasn't.
I think you need to make that clear to your neighbour and tell him that on
those grounds alone, you need him to take the cables onto his land and
make
them HIS risk, not yours. If he's a difficult person, I don't know how
any
of this can be done nicely but I think you also have to make it very clear
to him that if he does not do this you will a) sue him if anything
happens
to you, your family or your property and b) failing suitable and immediate
action on his part, will contact the Electricity Board who will not only
disconnect that supply on the grounds of safety but will insist on more
expensive cabling which they will, undoubtedly, inspect rigorously.

--

Sacha
(remove the 'x' to email me)

Thoroughly agree ..........exterior cables MUST be properly installed
.......theirs lots of rules about such things ......scare the pants off the
old goat .......you might also tell him he needs legal deeds to have
anything from drains to cables on your land and failure to do so will land
him with legal trouble

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

"Sacha" wrote in message after Bill
In answer to questions the cables are on the ground between 6ins to a
foot
from
the fence. They seem to start from his house, go under his side path,
under
the
fence then run up the garden to his various sheds and pigeon lofts.
((SNIP))

My guess - and it's only a guess - is that they will say they're unsafe
and
make him move them, trunk them, bury them etc. Clearly, anyone with a
sharp
spade, axe, trowel or hoe could electrocute themselves in your garden. It
seems pretty clear he wanted them your garden because he knew that old
lady
wasn't going to do any heavy, sharp tooled gardening work. In other
words,
his family was safe while she wasn't.

AND his garden looked tidier and he didn't have to go to the bother of
expensive underground work and all the disruption that causes. Sounds a
right selfish b...... to do that to a 92 year old probably because she
couldn't/wouldn't do anything about it. Another reason to stick your heals
in and get it sorted, to show you arn't a pushover that he can ride
roughshod over all the time.

I think you need to make that clear to your neighbour and tell him that on
those grounds alone, you need him to take the cables onto his land and
make
them HIS risk, not yours. If he's a difficult person, I don't know how
any
of this can be done nicely but I think you also have to make it very clear
to him that if he does not do this you will a) sue him if anything
happens
to you, your family or your property and b) failing suitable and immediate
action on his part, will contact the Electricity Board who will not only
disconnect that supply on the grounds of safety but will insist on more
expensive cabling which they will, undoubtedly, inspect rigorously.


You have already asked politely a number of times so, yes, tell the
Electricity Board or whoever it is these days, there must be a number in
your local phone directory for them, you could even dial "emergency" on this
one I would have thought. I'm sure they will condemn the cabling and remove
it at his expense or demand he does immediately, and as Sacha says, they
will probably keep an eye on him in future which will be a pain for him.


--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars
351 data units completed.

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

I'd also be wary once your neighbour does pull his finger out and move the
cabling. Wary of him doing damage to your property in the process, like the
fence (if it's yours).
Make sure that any unavoidable damage he does that he's aware he'll be
responsible for putting right within a reasonable amount of time and that's
your reasonable not his!
L

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

On Tue, 23 Dec 2003 00:07:13 +0000 (UTC), "bnd777"
wrote:

Thoroughly agree ..........exterior cables MUST be properly installed
......theirs lots of rules about such things ......scare the pants off the
old goat .......you might also tell him he needs legal deeds to have
anything from drains to cables on your land and failure to do so will land
him with legal trouble


It's better to just query the purpose of the wire with the energy
supplier and let them do the rest and not have a direct confrontation
with the neighbour.
--
Martin

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

On 22 Dec 2003 21:58:22 GMT, (Bill Pritchard)
wrote:

In answer to questions the cables are on the ground between 6ins to a foot from
the fence. They seem to start from his house, go under his side path, under the
fence then run up the garden to his various sheds and pigeon lofts. He is an
obsessively tidy man and I think he just decided the cables would look nicer in
my garden. The person living here before me was a 92 year old woman who paid
someone just to tidy the garden occasionly. I want the cables moved for reasons
that involve both safety and stubborness,on the grounds that if it mattters to
him, it matters to me. Finally, just what can and will the electric company do
if I tell them?

Ask them and see. It's always unpleasant to have feuds with neighbors,
particularly ones next door. Your insurance agent might be a source of
information on the 'perils' involved. You've done as much as you can
with polite (I presume) requests. You still want to keep to the high
ground with regard to "accidental" sabotage. Best to find some
municiple athority that can solve the problem.

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

The message
from "Zizz" contains these words:

I'd also be wary once your neighbour does pull his finger out and move the
cabling. Wary of him doing damage to your property in the process, like the
fence (if it's yours).
Make sure that any unavoidable damage he does that he's aware he'll be
responsible for putting right within a reasonable amount of time and that's
your reasonable not his!

Never use the word 'reasonable' - it can be interpreted unreasonably.
'Immediately' is a much better term.....

--
Rusty Hinge http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Dark thoughts about the Wumpus concerto played with piano,
iron bar and two sledge hammers. (Wumpus, 15/11/03)

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

The message
from Sacha contains these words:

that involve both safety and stubborness,on the grounds that if it
mattters to
him, it matters to me. Finally, just what can and will the electric
company do
if I tell them?

My guess - and it's only a guess - is that they will say they're unsafe and
make him move them, trunk them, bury them etc. Clearly, anyone with a sharp
spade, axe, trowel or hoe could electrocute themselves in your garden. It
seems pretty clear he wanted them your garden because he knew that old lady
wasn't going to do any heavy, sharp tooled gardening work. In other words,
his family was safe while she wasn't.

Which is why you should mention it to your insurance company. I think
they will make more than a bit of fuss.

I think you need to make that clear to your neighbour and tell him that on
those grounds alone, you need him to take the cables onto his land and make
them HIS risk, not yours. If he's a difficult person, I don't know how any
of this can be done nicely but I think you also have to make it very clear
to him that if he does not do this you will a) sue him if anything happens
to you, your family or your property and b) failing suitable and immediate
action on his part, will contact the Electricity Board who will not only
disconnect that supply on the grounds of safety but will insist on more
expensive cabling which they will, undoubtedly, inspect rigorously.

I don't know if it will bother the electricity company unduly, though it
would have done before the industry was privatised. Wasn't the cable
mentioned in your survey? It should have been spotted.

--
Rusty Hinge http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Dark thoughts about the Wumpus concerto played with piano,
iron bar and two sledge hammers. (Wumpus, 15/11/03)

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

On Tue, 23 Dec 2003 12:25:42 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:


I don't know if it will bother the electricity company unduly, though it
would have done before the industry was privatised. Wasn't the cable
mentioned in your survey? It should have been spotted.

I don't know about spotted, but cables for exterior use are colour
coded. What colour is Mr. OP?
--
Martin

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

In article ,
says...
You still want to keep to the high ground with regard to "accidental" sabotage.

My temptation would be once it's gone past pleasantries to sabotage the
damned thing. Once a spade's gone through it he'll have plenty of reason
to relay the cables properly. A reel of armoured cable doesn't cost much
anyway - less than a pound a metre http://tinyurl.com/338qo

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 23:19:16 +0000, Sacha wrote:

I think you need to make that clear to your neighbour and tell him that on
those grounds alone, you need him to take the cables onto his land and make
them HIS risk, not yours. If he's a difficult person, I don't know how any
of this can be done nicely but I think you also have to make it very clear
to him that if he does not do this you will a) sue him if anything happens
to you, your family or your property and b) failing suitable and immediate
action on his part, will contact the Electricity Board who will not only
disconnect that supply on the grounds of safety but will insist on more
expensive cabling which they will, undoubtedly, inspect rigorously.

I would suggest not *threatening* legal action or reportage to
the responsible authorities. Such threats are the small change of
internet invective and in real life too. No one takes them very
seriously. Rather, if he does not cooperate by moving the cables
promptly, let the next stage be the letter from your solicitor
and the call from the electricity board, both without prior
warning.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
[change "atlantic" to "pacific" and
"invalid" to "net" to reply by email]

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

"Sacha" wrote in message
.. .
Bill Pritchard22/12/03 9:58

In answer to questions the cables are on the ground between 6ins to a
foot
from
the fence. They seem to start from his house, go under his side path,
under
the
fence then run up the garden to his various sheds and pigeon lofts. He
is an
obsessively tidy man and I think he just decided the cables would look
nicer
in
my garden. The person living here before me was a 92 year old woman who
paid
someone just to tidy the garden occasionly. I want the cables moved for
reasons
that involve both safety and stubborness,on the grounds that if it
mattters to
him, it matters to me. Finally, just what can and will the electric
company do
if I tell them?

My guess - and it's only a guess - is that they will say they're unsafe
and
make him move them, trunk them, bury them etc. Clearly, anyone with a
sharp
spade, axe, trowel or hoe could electrocute themselves in your garden. It
seems pretty clear he wanted them your garden because he knew that old
lady
wasn't going to do any heavy, sharp tooled gardening work. In other
words,
his family was safe while she wasn't.
I think you need to make that clear to your neighbour and tell him that on
those grounds alone, you need him to take the cables onto his land and
make
them HIS risk, not yours. If he's a difficult person, I don't know how
any
of this can be done nicely but I think you also have to make it very clear
to him that if he does not do this you will a) sue him if anything
happens
to you, your family or your property and b) failing suitable and immediate
action on his part, will contact the Electricity Board who will not only
disconnect that supply on the grounds of safety but will insist on more
expensive cabling which they will, undoubtedly, inspect rigorously.

All quite wise advice, except that you should perhaps replace "electricity
board" with "electricity supply company".

Franz

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

"martin" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 23 Dec 2003 00:07:13 +0000 (UTC), "bnd777"
wrote:

Thoroughly agree ..........exterior cables MUST be properly installed
......theirs lots of rules about such things ......scare the pants off
the
old goat .......you might also tell him he needs legal deeds to have
anything from drains to cables on your land and failure to do so will
land
him with legal trouble


It's better to just query the purpose of the wire with the energy
supplier and let them do the rest and not have a direct confrontation
with the neighbour.

That is truly the way out. Just play dumb and pretend that you think it is
actually the suppliers' cable, and ask them to come and explain its purpose,
and why it is lying on top of the ground.

Franz

Neighbour Trouble Part Two
 

In message , Jaques d'Alltrades
writes
The message
from Sacha contains these words:

that involve both safety and stubborness,on the grounds that if it
mattters to
him, it matters to me. Finally, just what can and will the electric
company do
if I tell them?

My guess - and it's only a guess - is that they will say they're unsafe and
make him move them, trunk them, bury them etc. Clearly, anyone with a sharp
spade, axe, trowel or hoe could electrocute themselves in your garden. It
seems pretty clear he wanted them your garden because he knew that old lady
wasn't going to do any heavy, sharp tooled gardening work. In other words,
his family was safe while she wasn't.

Which is why you should mention it to your insurance company. I think
they will make more than a bit of fuss.

I think you need to make that clear to your neighbour and tell him that on
those grounds alone, you need him to take the cables onto his land and make
them HIS risk, not yours. If he's a difficult person, I don't know how any
of this can be done nicely but I think you also have to make it very clear
to him that if he does not do this you will a) sue him if anything happens
to you, your family or your property and b) failing suitable and immediate
action on his part, will contact the Electricity Board who will not only
disconnect that supply on the grounds of safety but will insist on more
expensive cabling which they will, undoubtedly, inspect rigorously.

I don't know if it will bother the electricity company unduly, though it
would have done before the industry was privatised. Wasn't the cable
mentioned in your survey? It should have been spotted.

They should be bothered, cos all wiring should conform to IEEE regs, and
they would be in deep trouble if an accident occurred, they had been
notified and done nothing.
--
hugh
Reply to address is valid at the time of posting