A period truck took out our phone cable.

[robgil]

Apparently it and a power cable from a pole across the road were too low. The lorry caught both cables but only broke the phone line. The power cable was re-tightened to the correct height but the BT man said ''I cant fix to your barge board again'' , I took a look and the cable had pulled the board away from the house before it broke.
We now have a broken barge board and a new phone cable underground along the path.
Would BT be liable for my broken barge board? It was their cable that was hanging below regulation height that broke it. What do you think? I have not called them yet as we only got our phone line put in today and I haven't had a chance.

 

[MatthewC]

I would claim on my house insurance and point them to BT. You will need to demonstrate that their cable was too low

Matthew

 

[MdB]

and too low due to their fault and not due a fault with your barge board.

Our neighbours BT cable dropped across our road recently due to the bracket pulling out of the fascia due to it being rotten. Fortunately it was spotted before being driven into but if it had been, it would have been my neighbours fault not BTs.

 

[robgil]

No it was definitely hanging too low over the road, it came from the pole across the road to my barge board. All the other cables in the street went over the truck ok except for my power cable which came from the same pole , the leccy company put that one up less than a year ago and they admitted it was too low when they came and tightened up the slack. I think they initially used the phone line to gauge the height for the power cable.
I will see what they say.

 

[Moo]

Did you have a very late night last night, Rob?
Or was it an acute attack of insomnia, brought on by the worry** of that cable problem?


** in which case I'm sure there's at least one firm of solicitors who'd be delighted to take up your case with BT

 

[robgil]

Fraid so , usually kept up with worry about one thing or another, I'm going to worry myself into an early grave if I'm not careful.

 

[Feltwell]

Definitely worth a call to BT to claim. The utility companies can be quite good - my parents had their electrical supply changed from overhead cable to underground, during the work the crew ran their cherry picker over a manhole cover in the garden and broke it. My parents got a phone call that evening to apologise, 2 days later a crew turned up and put a new frame & cover in.

 

[Penners]

I'm going to worry myself into an early grave if I'm not careful.

Have you considered how your family would cope with the cost of your funeral?

Worrying about that should keep you alive and kicking.

:wink:

 

[robgil]

Compost heap Penners. I will be pushing up daisy's, literally. And cabbages , sprouts, beans and hopefully some rhubarb.