What is a homeowner’s liability regarding damaged phone lines?
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What is a homeowner’s liability regarding damaged phone lines?
While putting up a fence in our backyard, we caused damage to a phone line that apparently services our next door neighbor’s house. The phone company came and fixed the problem and now wants to bill us for 100% of the repair costs. They set up new cables but now they’re outside of our property lines. We do not have any services from this company. Wre we legally bound to pay for all repair costs even though these cables were in our property?
Asked on November 23, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Florida
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If you damaged a phone line that services the next door neighbor's home while you were having installed a fence in your back yard which caused the telephone company to come out and make the repairs, you are responsible for the costs of repairing the telephone lines.
The rationale is that had you not installed the fence where the telephone lines were damaged, no repairs would be necessary. In essence, you damaged the telephone lines and as a result, you are responsible for the costs of their repairs even though the cable lines were on your property.
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