Council accidentally cut my phone cable - who foots the bill?

[Rollerball]

Recently a council contractor (carrying out hedge/verge trimming) accidentally cut through my telephone cable. BT Openreach repaired the cable.

Who foots the bill?

I read elsewhere that BT may bill me, but on contacting my ISP I was told that I wouldn't be charged (I would hope not given that I didn't cut the cable!).

Any thoughts?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Not your doing, you should not be asked to pay for repair.

 

[Rollerball]

Good, thanks. Just wanted to get another opinion.

 

[OwainDIYer]

BT might bill you, but you deny liability and advise them to contact the council. A note of the date / time and description of vehicle causing the damage might be useful.

 

[Rollerball]

If they were to bill me, and bearing in mind that BT isn't my ISP, would they bill my ISP or me directly?

I didn't see the damage occur - events were as follows:

a) A few days ago Council workers were trimming the grass verges and hedges along the road that runs past my property
b) During the time that they were doing the work my Internet and phone line died
c) Perhaps coincidentally (mid afternoon) and very soon after I lost my line, the workers cleared up and left (but returned the next day to do another stretch further down the road)
d) As soon as I noticed the line problem I logged the fault with my ISP and a BT Openreach engineer arrived two days later - he quickly identified the damaged cable (about a quarter of a mile down the road from my property) which had been partly cut and flayed/stripped in such a way that it was very obvious to him that a powerful strimmer had done the damage, but he wasn't able to repair it at that point
e) Today another engineer arrived and repaired the damage, so restoring my line (I had been without service for nearly four days).

 

[big-all]

not even on your property so by no stretch off the imagination is it your fault

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

As the damage was not on your property, it is their responsibility to maintain and repair.

 

[Rollerball]

Just what I wanted to hear, thanks.

 

[Astra99]

I would pose the question, however, "Why was the cable routed in such a manner as to be damaged by grass cutting or hedge trimming?"

 

[gregers]

perhaps the guy was strimming a tree

 

[Belboz]

Rollerball,

YOU should be the one being compensated. E-mail BT and request 4 days line rental back explaining that you pay them for a service which they have failed to supply. I would also mention that, whilst the repair to the cable has been completed, there is still low level cable at the pole which is 'exposed' and that it ought to be capped to prevent this happening again. This may solve the issue in your other post.

Even though BT is not your ISP, you are undoubtedly paying BT for the monthly line rental. Okay, 4 days is only a couple of quid but it's worth an e-mail.

 

[Rollerball]

I would pose the question, however, "Why was the cable routed in such a manner as to be damaged by grass cutting or hedge trimming?"

It looks to me that MAYBE the cabling on the pole hasn't been checked for some time, and over the years a combination of hedge growth and often farmers using a flail for hedge cutting had knocked the cable from out of the protective cable guard covering nearby (like this, but metal - https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CG192BK.html).

However, things have shifted over the years so without a lot of digging the cable can't be pushed back underneath the cable guard.

 

[Rollerball]

Rollerball,

YOU should be the one being compensated. E-mail BT and request 4 days line rental back explaining that you pay them for a service which they have failed to supply. I would also mention that, whilst the repair to the cable has been completed, there is still low level cable at the pole which is 'exposed' and that it ought to be capped to prevent this happening again. This may solve the issue in your other post.

Even though BT is not your ISP, you are undoubtedly paying BT for the monthly line rental. Okay, 4 days is only a couple of quid but it's worth an e-mail.

Thanks, but won't BT just tell me to bugger off and contact my ISP?

 

[Belboz]

As discussed, BT need to sort it to stop it happening again. It's not your fault and they need to sort it. As I suggested, an appropriately-worded e-mail to BT may resolve the issue and get them to pull their finger out and make a lasting 'repair'.

 

[Belboz]

Thanks, but won't BT just tell me to bugger off and contact my ISP?

I thought it was a BT line therefore I assumed you pay a line rental charge to BT. If you don't then ignore my suggestion.