Lady's front lawn eyesores

[FJ and G]

Hi,

I shot this out of focus picture of the Washington Post. See all of the boxes in this lady's front yard. One of them is a comcast box (internet provider). The lady doesn't even use comcast yet the company was allowed to tear up her yard and install its box smack dab in the front. Apparently, the city of manassas had allowed an easement for any utility company to post whatever they want there right on her lawn. 

 

So in addition to being able to take your house away, for eminant domain of some developer, they can also plant stuff in your lawn (I'd have disguised it as a factory and run tracks out to it)

 

[altterrain]

Wow. If some utility company tried pulling that cp in front of my house, I would envision some late night backhoe digging with those utility boxes winding up on the lawns of the city councilman.

-Brian 

[Anonymous]

Wow. If some utility company tried pulling that cp in front of my house, I would envision some late night backhoe digging with those utility boxes winding up on the lawns of the city councilman.

-Brian 

[Southwest Chief]

Eeek what eyesores

But it could be that she doesn't own the front part of her lawn.  She might actually be using an easement from the city to access her land.  It happens a lot more than you'd think, so buyer beware.  Make sure you look over the parcel description very closely before purchasing.

[FJ and G]

If she wanted to turn those boxes into some factories, I'm wondering if they'd let her paint them and add corrugated siding. Some tracks nearby would be pretty cool. Of course the dogs might pee on it.

[Beach Bill]

And, as an extra added attraction, the contractors that the utilities use for installation can be from out of town and they really don't care a fig about folk's lawn.  Verizon installed their network on my street and the contractor from Northern Illinois tore up a number of irrigation heads for folks (including mine).  This type of work is almost always within the easement (virtually no one owns their lawn all the way to the street, but the homeowner is still required to maintain it).  I had a couple good visits with my favorite nursery to locate some plants that help to disguise the utility boxes, and of course could also then browse plants that could also work on the Seashore, Horry And Georgetown RR in the back Yard.     Bill

[vsmith]

I've seen cities up were they have allowed local artists to paint the boxes, it makes a difference if its done well, or at least maybe a covert midnight art attack on the them

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Midnight backhoe ain't too smart an idea, the backhoe and it's operator could well light up!   I think I'd tend to use expanding foam like Great Stuff to seal all ventilation holes and let the innards fry themselves!   Do that a few times and they have to spend a mess of bucks replacing and paying folks for lost service and they'll soon get the idea and move them!

fill the darn thing with expanding foam and watch them try to make repairs or add service for somebody! 

A Lightning rod VERY close by should also do the job!

 

[SandyR]

One word: Kudzu.

SandyR

[ttrigg]

I've seen cities up were they have allowed local artists to paint the boxes, it makes a difference if its done well, or at least maybe a covert midnight art attack on the them

In my case, we took all of about 6 hours to ask for and receive permission to paint the boxes.  SDG&E even contributed some paint to the local artist (I use the word artist with probably too much liberty) to continue the painting.  So our formerly dull green electrical box now sports a blue sky with whispy clouds and a few roses.

[S&G Rute of the Silver River]

Just one more reason to look at the cable grid for the property. Dads place is next to comunity center and their utilities run right threw our driveway. we were halfway done paving it when the electrical company told us that the wires arn't in a pipe and cannot be paved over. the next day we woke up to a trailer saw cutting a trench threw our new driveway and (luckly, thank you carma) they hit the cable so we made them placethe cables in a pipe this time. still have a foot wide rock fill down the entire lenth of the driveway.(and it does wounder for dranage and when it fills with water it shorts the cable, go carma) and it was all legal. And I found that swapping the cables in our box it runs the ticker backwards and our power bill has been gradually decreasing ever sence.

[kstrong]

I've got a cable/telephone easement running along my back fence, with a particularly ugly green box that I'm continually trying to find plants to mask. Methinks it's putting out some kind of plant-killing RF signal, as nothing thus far has lasted more than one season. If the arborvitae and Russian Sage bite the bullet over the winter, I'll either mask it as a building or build some rocks up around it to hide it a bit--while still leaving room for the box to vent. As much as I'd love to nuke it, doing so wouldn't be terribly productive. My phone and internet both run from there, and I'm somewhat fond of staying in touch with the world.

Later,

K

[FJ and G]

My box sits on the border with my neighbor and he doesn't want anything planted there. Getting back to garden railroading, I have a sewer access that runs right down my side lawn taking a SIZEABLE right of way that the city can dig up at any time, including the fruit trees growing there. It behooves you to check the plan before building some pond or railroad over an easement area.

[cacole]

A lot of the suggested "get even" tactics mentioned here could cause you to wind up in jail and facing a stiff fine for interfering with a utility line, plus having to pay damages to the utility concerned.  Take a close look at your property deed and see exactly where your property line ends and where utility easements are before sabotaging a utility box that you think is on your property, because it may not be.

[Camaro1967]

Kevin,

Are you familiar with Leyland Cypress.  They probably would grow in Colorado if you gave them enough water.  Under good conditions, ie. water, sun, and fertilizer, they will grow about 3 ft per year after the first year.  Around here, they use them everywhere to make barriers, hide stuff, wall out a nasty neighbor, as I did when I lived in Silver Spring.  When you buy them from Lowes, they have a 1 year warranty, so each year you can take any dead ones back for new ones.

Paul 

[tangerine-jack]

One word: Kudzu.

SandyR

Two words, POISON IVY.  Perfectly legal, evironmentaly sound, and grows nice and green.

The same thing happened to my mom's house in VA Beach, the utility companies put in two boxes, but as part of the deal the city maintains the landscaping and cuts the grass.  Yes, caveat emptor, check the zoning and your plat.  If in VA Beach, check the location of the FA-18 master jet air bases relative to your house BEFORE you complain about jet noise after you move in.  Just another compromise for living in civilization.  Most countries in the world have no public utilities at all, so overall I'd say we are very blessed for living in the USA

[hoofe116]

A lot of the suggested "get even" tactics mentioned here could cause you to wind up in jail and facing a stiff fine for interfering with a utility line, plus having to pay damages to the utility concerned.  Take a close look at your property deed and see exactly where your property line ends and where utility easements are before sabotaging a utility box that you think is on your property, because it may not be.

Only if ya get caught.

Hoofe

[hoofe116]

Tangerine:

Man, you've got the idea! I am filing that one away.

Wish I was born smart like you, instead of so good-lookin'. Not to say you ain't a handsome guy, you understand. And don't take me wrong: I got grandkids and only like gals. Well, used to. Now, unless they can cook.... (Ya gotta be careful on these here postings. )

Les W.

[FJ and G]

T-J,

 

Send me photos for the Army homepage.

 

Bamboo 

 

 

[GearDrivenSteam]

Right of way is measured from the center of the road, to either side. Typical residential city widths are either 20 feet from the center, or 30 feet from the center, equalling a 40 or 60 foot right of way, respectively. County roads are often wider, at 40 from the center with 80 total, as is the case with the road we live on. We sorta got lucky because when we moved out here the road was still dirt, but was scheduled for paving. Not only did they pave it, but they moved it too. We gained almost a half acre of land because the road moved away from us. We have pedestal terminals for the phone system out here at the end of each driveway, but that's about it. Right of way is exactly that. The city's or county's right of way, not the taxpayers, unfortunately. To make things worse, they can decide to widen the street, and then they will still have right of way when they're done, which begs the question, do we really own property?

[Anonymous]

do we really own property?

Answer: No, any military, city, police, etc. can and will take property at will if they need it.

Toad

[Capt Bob Johnson]

When I lived in New Jersey, I had a like conversation with a gentleman who was a prominent attorney, City Solicitor for several municipalties, and had held many leadership positions in the State Senate; his answer was that under NJ law, you own from Heaven to Hell, and everthing in between.    None of that water rights, mineral rights, or any of that folderol!   So in Jersey, just make darn sure of the location of your property lines!

[vsmith]

When I lived in New Jersey, I had a like conversation with a gentleman who was a prominent attorney, City Solicitor for several municipalties, and had held many leadership positions in the State Senate; his answer was that under NJ law, you own from Heaven to Hell, and everthing in between.    None of that water rights, mineral rights, or any of that folderol!   So in Jersey, just make darn sure of the location of your property lines!

Heaven to Hell and everything in between??? I thought New Jersey was already halfway to Hell, well, Newark at least , you wouldn't want to drink the water anyway  

[Southwest Chief]

...you wouldn't want to drink the water anyway

Well it's probably better then this.  Looks to be a good idea, it just sounds icky.  Although I wonder what's in the water now when I drive by the replenishment basins.  Soon I'll be able to say I'm showering in poop

[vsmith]

...you wouldn't want to drink the water anyway

Well it's probably better then this.  Looks to be a good idea, it just sounds icky.  Although I wonder what's in the water now when I drive by the replenishment basins.  Soon I'll be able to say I'm showering in poop

Read about that, well its that or start building the nuclear powered desalination plants. Given our chronic drought, if given a choice, which do you think the local Greenies will opt for?

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Less lifetime fuel cost with the nuc,  Probably less overall cost altogether.

less footprint in land use with nuc.

Nuc could heat and irradiate that stuff so that it would be absolutely safe.

Caveat; as my late father used to say "as long as there are machines designed and operated by man, there will be accidents and foul ups!"

[markperr]

I guess that's the trade-off you get for not having those ugly overhead lines running through your neighborhood.  I have a power box and cable box that straddles mine and my neighbors property.  Don't mind it at all.  Don't have to stare up at power lines and when the trees finally get big enough I won't have to deal with the tree butchers turning my beautiful red maples into giant shrubs for line clearance.  I'm amazed at the horrible job they've done on some of these once magnificent specimens. 

 

Mark 

[Great Western]

Hi Mark,

       A very interesting a valid point about the decimation of trees.  However, with the slightest excuse of a possible danger of any kind, local administrations send for the chainsaws quite readily. 

Generally speaking most low tension overhead cables are only in the more rural parts of towns or in the countryside of the UK.  Overhead cables are, of course, prone to failure in severe weather.  They do fail in the UK quite often and our severe weather is generally nowhere as severe as that in the United States.

   Luckily the cabling here is underground. 

[altterrain]

<<quote user="ToadFrog&WhiteLightn"]

do we really own property?

Answer: No, any military, city, police, etc. can and will take property at will if they need it.

Toad>>

This has always bothered me and seems in direct conflict with the third amendment - Protection from quartering of troops. - No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

So, you cannot be forced to house soldiers on your property but they can take your property to build a military base. I would love to see this challenged in the Supreme Court one day. 

-Brian