Answering the Question: Who Owns the Utility Poles on my Property?
Utility poles in the USA are primarily owned by electric utilities, telecommunications firms, broadband firms, or are owned jointly by many firms. If a utility pole is on private property it will depend on who installed the pole. If the utility company installed the pole, they typically retain ownership of the pole, even if it is on private property. The poles must be examined and maintained, although landowners are in charge of doing so. Trespassing is prohibited in order to use a utility pole’s power without the owner’s consent.
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Understanding Utility Pole Ownership and Its Significance: Who owns the utility pole on your property?
Utility poles are primarily owned by utility companies that provide essential services such as electricity, telecommunications (including phone, internet, and cable TV), and sometimes by municipal or local government entities. Typically, individual utility poles are owned by a single utility company, but there are instances where poles may be jointly owned or shared among multiple companies providing different services.
Utility poles have a significant impact on daily life in the USA.
Here are some ways in which they are significant:
- Supporting public utility and services apparatus: Utility poles provide support to public utility and services apparatus, including power lines, cables, and wires. They also accommodate other relevant equipment such as road appliances (e.g., traffic lights) and decorations for events and public holidays.
- Efficient way of keeping hazardous equipment: Utility poles efficiently keep awkward or hazardous equipment in a secure location where there is minimal chance of disturbance. The overhead suspension also helps to provide a more reliable means of signal transmission for computers, phones, and other telecommunication devices
- Enhancing and expanding our lives: With the aid of utility poles, the developments in telecommunication technology have been able to continue to enhance and expand our lives, keeping us connected across boundaries of time and space
- Affordable and easy to transport: Despite storm damage, wooden poles remain popular with utility companies because they are affordable, lighter, and easier to transport than steel or concrete
- Supporting broadband infrastructure: Much of the broadband infrastructure zig-zags the country via utility poles
- Joint ownership: In the USA, joint pole ownership is common, with Southern California Edison’s service area having 70% of the poles jointly owned.
- Estimated number of poles: There are an estimated 160 million wood poles in North America
Overall, utility poles play a crucial role in supporting and maintaining the infrastructure that powers our daily lives.
Steps to Identify Who Owns the Utility Poles on my Property?
You can start by getting in touch with the local utility agency to find out who the owner of the utility pole that is situated on your property is. They will be able to tell you who owns the pole and whether or not you have any easements on your land. You can also look for any utility easements in your property’s survey.
Hiring a business that specializes in performing title checks is another option to find out whether a property has a utility pole. If there are any easements on the land, they will look into them, and if there are any other burdens, they will reveal them. Additionally, you can go to the county land records office. They can look up any utility easements in the present deed for you. They might also be able to provide you with a copy of the property’s survey.
Rights and Responsibilities of Utility Pole Ownership: What You Need to Know
The rights and responsibilities of utility pole ownership can vary depending on specific circumstances, such as whether the pole is on private or public property and whether multiple utilities jointly own it. Here are some general points to consider:
Rights of Utility Pole Ownership
- Access to the pole for reasons of maintenance and repair.
- Right to use the space around the pole for equipment and other related purposes.
- Authority to grant access to other utilities for joint use of the pole.
Responsibilities of Utility Pole Ownership
- Owner is responsible for maintaining and repairing the pole.
- Liable for ensuring that the pole is in compliance with safety regulations.
- The owner is in charge of making sure the structure doesn’t endanger people’s safety.
Joint Ownership of Utility Poles
- In the case of joint ownership of a utility pole, each owner has the right to access the pole for maintenance and repair purposes.
- Each owner is responsible for maintaining and repairing their portion of the pole.
- Joint owners of a utility pole may have a joint use agreement that outlines their respective rights and responsibilities.
Overall, utility pole ownership can be complex and may involve multiple parties. It is important to understand the specific circumstances of the utility pole in question to determine the rights and responsibilities of ownership.
Conclusion:
Determining “who owns the utility pole on my property” requires contacting the local utility agency or conducting a title check. Utility companies typically retain ownership even if the pole is on private property, though ownership can vary depending on who installed the pole. In order to support public utility services and infrastructure, utility poles are crucial. They serve a number of functions, such as supporting cables, power lines, and telecommunications equipment. Ownership of a utility pole entails certain obligations, such as maintaining compliance with safety regulations, as well as rights, such as access for maintenance and repair. In the event of joint ownership, the rights and obligations of each party are set forth in a joint use agreement.
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FAQs
It depends on who set them. Some are owned by the telephone company, some by the power company. If the pole belongs to the utility company, they are responsible for the installation and maintenance. However, if it is a private utility pole, the homeowner is responsible for repairing or replacing it.
Call 811 and explain your concerns about the pole’s location if you want an electricity pole moved. The city will typically only relocate the pole if they determine it to be unsafe. Furthermore, you must never move the utility pole by yourself.
Call utility company if concerned about leaning pole. Ideal placement minimizes damage. Responsibility depends on ownership.
If a tornado, hurricane, or accident occurs, the utility company is responsible for repairing the pole. The utility company owns utility poles and places them on your property through an easement. Your insurance typically covers any damages to your property.